Shook Elementary Pioneer Day
2021 is the 30th anniversary year of the Pioneer Day Program and will be held on May 14, 2021. It was originally written by the 4th grade teachers as a play to cover the statehood of Missouri. Later music and dance were added by the music teacher, square dancing by the PE teacher, and art projects by the art teacher. The day begins with students eating a traditional breakfast in their classrooms. Then they proceed to the gym to perform the program in costume. After the program the students participate in outdoor activities (ex. eating from a chuck wagon, playing games from the period, etc.) and indoor activities (ex. traditional instruments and songs) led by community members.
Missouri Community Legacies
Missouri Community Legacies is a documentation initiative of the State Historical Society of Missouri, a partner in the Bicentennial Alliance. The goal of the program is to create a “snap shot” of Missouri traditions, creative expressions, meaningful places, organizations, and institutions during its bicentennial of statehood and develop a resource – built by the people of Missouri – of long-term use to students and teachers, researchers, and others interested in the rich history, life, and culture of the state.
Old-Time Music, Ozark Heritage Festival
The Old-Time Music, Ozark Heritage Festival in West Plains celebrates old-time music and the distinctive culture of the Ozark Highlands. Different from its rural counterparts, bluegrass and country, old-time music has its own distinctive sound that makes an important contribution to the complex palette of what we call indigenous American music. Demonstrating the spectrum of art forms from dance fiddling, local jig steps, and gospel singing, to the songs, narratives and ballads that tell the story of a place, to the occupational traditions of blacksmithing, log skidding, spinning and basket making, artists show how these arts are embedded in the experience of our daily lives and how they fit the functional and symbolic needs of our community. This will be our 26th celebration in Missouri’s Bicentennial year on June 4-5, 2021.
Ozark Cigar Box Guitar Music Festival 2019
PAST EVENT
The Ozark Cigar Box Guitar Music Festival is an annual two-day family-friendly event, bringing together local and nationally-recognized artists and musicians, showcasing their homemade cigar box guitars, which are made of recyclable materials. As the name cigar box guitar implies, the instrumental body is made of an empty cigar box. The head and neck can be made out of anything from broom handle to wooden slates or sticks and the actual body out of bedpans, skillets, and anything in between. The festival organizer, a Benton County native, seeks to cultivate a passion for the craft, teach others to make their own instruments, and share his passion for music played on these handcrafted instruments. The festival took place on Saturday, August 3, from 1:00-8:00 pm and Sunday, August 4, from 11:00 am-5:00 pm at the Drake Harbor outdoor amphitheater in Warsaw, overlooking beautiful Lake of the Ozarks.
Old-Time Music, Ozark Heritage Festival 2019
The Old-Time, Music Ozark Heritage Festival in West Plains, Missouri celebrates old-time music and the distinctive culture of the Ozark Highlands. Different from its rural counterparts, bluegrass and country, old time music has its distinctive sound and makes its own important contribution to the complex palette of what we call indigenous American music.
Demonstrating the spectrum of art forms from dance fiddling, local jig steps, and gospel singing, to the songs, narratives and ballads that tell the story of a place, to the occupational traditions of blacksmithing, log skidding, spinning and basket making, artists show how these arts are embedded in the experience of our daily lives and how they fit the functional and symbolic needs of our community.
This was the 25th celebration, and one is planned each year, up to and beyond the Bicentennial Commemoration.