Awesome August Arts Festivals

Marsha Evans Coalition at Crown Royal’s Big Muddy Blues Festival in St. Louis – photo by Peter Wochniak
MISSOURI ARTS COUNCIL ▪ AUGUST 2013
Awesome August Arts Festivals
by Barbara MacRobie
August in Missouri is a fuzzy month. It’s usually scorching, but darkness falls noticeably sooner. The flush
of high summer is gone, especially when the first day of school hits, but the activities of autumn don’t kick in
until after Labor Day. What’s not ambiguous, though, is that August is an awesome time for festivals that
headline the arts. The month opens and closes with homegrown bluegrass. Between these bookends are
celebrations of Main Street heritage and international culture, musical jamborees from country to classical,
and fairs where art exhibits are cheek to jowl with cattle contests. What’s more, all these events are annual.
If you can’t make it to a festival this August, just check its website for up-to-date information.
Boonville: Missouri River Festival of the Arts
Branson: Downtown Branson Fiddle Festival
Curryville: Back Forty Bluegrass Festival
Eminence: Ozark Rivers Labor Day Weekend
Bluegrass Festival
Fayette: Fayette Festival of the Arts
Independence: Independence Film, Art and Music Festival
Santa-Cali-Gon Days
Kansas City: Kansas City Irish Fest
St. Charles: Festival of the Little Hills
St. Joseph: Trails West!®
St. Louis: Art Fair at Queen Park
Big Muddy Blues Festival
Festival of Nations
Japanese Festival
St. Nicholas Greek Festival
Sikeston: Cowboy Up! Arts Festival
Ste. Genevieve: Jour de Fete
Washington: Washington Town and Country Fair
Sedalia: Missouri State Fair
August 1-4
Back Forty Bluegrass Festival
Curryville | Back Forty Bluegrass Park
This festival takes place literally on the back forty
acres of the Turnbull family farm in the northeast,
Yvonne Turnbull said. Though the event is only a
few years old, its roots are deep in family tradition.
“My in-laws Arlie and Royce Turnbull had a love
of bluegrass,” Yvonne told us, “They took our son
Darrell to festivals when he was growing up. So
did me and my husband, Ron. Then Darrell and his wife, Ashley, would go. They loved the music so much,
that we all talked about it and decided a festival was something we could do together as a family.”
A personal passion for the music and a rural family’s spare acreage transformed into a stage and a
campground that can stay open for the rest of the season—this template shows up in Missouri at other
grassroots bluegrass events. These include the Starvy Creek Festivals near Conway in the Ozarks in July
and September, the Sally Mountain Show near Queen City at the Iowa border in July, and the Ozark Rivers
Festivals near Eminence in June and over the Labor Day weekend.
Starvy Creek and Sally Mountain have been going for nearly three decades. Ozark Rivers and Back Forty
are new—Ozark Rivers in 2011, Back Forty in 2008. Both already, however, have become front-runners.
Back Forty “is one of Missouri’s finest festivals,” wrote Brian Dietz on his BluegrassMidAmerica.com
informational website. “Darrell Turnbull
puts together a top notch national lineup
balanced with regional and local bands
for a four-day event that shows fans what
true bluegrass is all about.”
Among the national artists booked for
August 2013 are Donna Ulisse & The
Poor Mountain Boys from Virginia, Audie
Blaylock & Redline from Tennessee,
Copper Creek from Minnesota, and The
Little Roy & Lizzy Show from Georgia.
Missouri artists include the Harper Family
from Bunker, the Missouri River Band
from Forsyth, and Brightwater Junction
from Cassville.
Jammin’ goes on into the night on the campground of the Back Forty.
As well as on the first weekend of August,
the Turnbulls produce a fest over the Memorial Day weekend. “We think our festivals are special because
they’re family-oriented,” Yvonne said. “We want kids to be able to run around without worrying about them.
There’s no alcohol anywhere. It’s a good clean atmosphere with great music.”
WHEN
▪ Thursday, August 1, 5-10 p.m.
▪ Friday, August 2, noon–10:30 p.m.
▪ Saturday, August 3, 11 a.m.–10:20 p.m.
▪ Sunday, August 4, 10 a.m. Devotional
For more information: backfortybluegrasspark.com and 573-324-3948 (day) / 573-324-5437 (evening)
Listen to a preview
▪ Brightwater Junction performs “Forty Miles from Poplar Bluff”
A bit more
▪ We profile the Starvy Creek Bluegrass Festival in July in our 2012 article, A Quirky Summer Smorgasbord of Missouri Arts,
– collage by Linda Lembke, photos above and below left by Catherine Thogmorton
August 3
Fayette Festival of the Arts
Fayette | In and around the Howard County Courthouse and Town Square
The rolling farmlands of central Missouri are studded with towns that cherish their history. In Fayette,
a red brick courthouse from 1877 dominates a square of Victorian storefronts. The shops, restaurants, and
businesses are consistently busy, partly thanks to more than 1,000 students of Central Methodist University
who augment the town’s 2,900 residents. And on the first Saturday of August, the square absolutely bursts
with activity when the Fayette Area Heritage Association presents the Fayette Festival of the Arts.
“We have an outstanding array of music in our historic bandstand,” said Henry Graham, festival coordinator.
This year includes gospel music and liturgical dance by the Second Baptist Church, Gilbert and Sullivan
songs by the university’s Opera Workshop, Dixieland by the Storyville Stompers, oompah music by the
Sauerkraut Serenaders, big band jazz by the Columbia Community Band, and much more.
“We’re especially proud of our art show,”
Henry said. “We fill the first and second floor
of the courthouse,” On the afternoon before the
festival, “a devoted team scrambles to get all
the art up before the judge arrives.” More than
$1,600 in prizes are awarded to professional
and amateur artists in painting, drawing,
photography, sculpture, mixed media, fiber
art, and computer art.
Jay Hickman carves his flutes using only tools available to his Native
American ancestors. He plays his music at the bandstand.
Just off the square, the university’s AshbyHodge Gallery of American Art, which is usually
closed on Saturdays, is open especially for the
festival. In the Linn Memorial United Methodist
Church a block away, the Peacemakers Quilting
Group showcases more than 170 quilts while
organist Ruth Spayde plays mini-concerts.
There are a farmers market, a barbeque, and an ice cream parlor “with ‘celebrity scoopers’ like the police
chief.” There are demonstrations of Taekwondo martial arts and the 500-year-old art of German bobbin lace
making. There are a Civil War encampment, a walking tour by a history professor, a bounce house and art
activities for children, adoptable pets, and fire engines. And this isn’t even close to being the complete list.
“We have so much talent in this little community,” said Henry. “Our festival focuses on art, history, music,
good food, and fun.”
WHEN: Saturday, August 3, 9 a.m.–4:30 p.m.
For more information: fayettefestival.org
August 3-4
Downtown Branson Fiddle Festival
Branson | Historic Downtown
On turn-of-the-century streets and in the Ozarks Music & Culture Tent behind the legendary Dick’s 5 & 10,
fiddlers from across the nation jam for pleasure and vie for mastery in the 25th annual festival and Mid
America Fiddlers Championship Contest. Presented by the Downtown Branson Betterment Association,
festivities include workshops and a square dance. The
event moves this year from the third August weekend to
the first so families with schoolchildren can attend. For
a detailed profile, see our July 2012 article, A Quirky
Summer Smorgasbord of Missouri Arts,
WHEN
▪ Saturday, August 3, 10 a.m.–9 p.m.
▪ Sunday, August 4, 11 a.m.–5 p.m.
For more information: DowntownBranson.org
and 417-334-1548
– photo by Meadows Images
August 7-11
Washington Town & Country Fair
Washington | Washington City Park Fairgrounds
Anyone who thinks the arts are snooty can’t have been to a country
fair. Alongside the Missouri River about 50 miles southwest of St.
Louis, charcoal drawings share the Exhibitors Building with canned
pickles, and glassblowing demos are on the agenda with pig chases.
This year’s mainstage program includes country music singer Justin
Moore and veteran rockers Lynyrd Skynyrd. The entertainment tent
spotlights Missourians such as the Washington Brass Band.
WHEN
▪ Wednesday, August 7, 10 a.m.–midnight
▪ Thursday-Saturday, August 8-10, 9 a.m.–midnight
▪ Sunday, August 11, 9 a.m.–11 p.m.
For more information: washmofair.com
Astral Glass Studio of New Haven will blow
glass at the fair. – photo by Tony Carosella
August 8-11
Independence Film, Art and Music Festival
Independence | Independence Square and Englewood Station Arts District
“Come on out and see some interesting independent films and enjoy the oldschool vibe of The Square!” says Jim Hennequin, creator and director of
Missouri’s newest arts festival, making its debut this August. Film premieres
with the makers themselves present, workshops on the art of filmmaking, art
displays, and musical performances will take place in the midst of shopping,
dining, and historical sites in the heart of the state’s fourth largest city.
Real Kansas City artists play
themselves in a “documentary”
on a fictional work about envy.
Over four days, films will range from Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers’ first
movie together, the 1933 Flying Down to Rio, to six and a half hours of
continuous shorts from both national award winners and local filmmakers.
Jim is an amateur musician, film enthusiast, and advertising salesman
for The Examiner newspaper. “When covering the neighborhoods for
my job,” he said, “I noticed conditions were ripe for a film festival. We
have the Pharoah Theater on The Square. Two miles to the west is the
Englewood Station Arts District.” Jim found support from Examiner
publisher Steve Wade, Independence Department of Tourism director
Cori Day, and other community leaders.
The films will screen at the Pharoah, Truman Library, Mid-Continent
Public Library, and Graceland University. The neighborhoods of The
Square and Englewood Station will provide most of the music and art.
“For our first year when we don’t have that big a budget, we’re putting
the focus on what’s already here,” Jim said. Artists will be actively at
work in galleries, and live music will play at restaurants.
There will also be special
music at some films. “A local
musician, Barclay Martin, went
This documentary is on a program that flies to the Philippines and taught a
World War II veterans to see the war’s
bunch of kids how to play their
Memorial in Washington, D.C.
native instruments. He’s
performing after the movie about it, Rise and Dream.” Live jazz
follows rare short films from Kansas City’s American Jazz Museum.
“I wanted to have music and art because when I go to a film
festival, I don’t sit in the theater for 10 straight hours,” Jim said.
“Instead, often the films I want to see are separated by a couple of
hours, Our festival gives people plenty to do. Stroll around, look at
the art, hear the music. Make a day or even a week of it!”
WHEN
▪ Thursday, August 8, 6-11 p.m.
▪ Friday, August 9, noon–11 p.m.
▪ Saturday, August 10, 10 a.m.–11 p.m.
▪ Sunday, August 11, noon–6 p.m.
For more information:
Independence Film, Art and Music Festival Facebook Page and 816-550-3500
April Wright will be on hand for her film
about drive-ins and the American soul.
August 8-18
Missouri State Fair
Sedalia | Missouri State Fairgrounds
In the center of Missouri is our state’s
annual celebration, going strong since
1901: agricultural competitions from mules
to bacon slabs, motorsports, hands-on
robotics, a carnival, the MO First Lady’s Pie
Contest—and the arts. For nearly a quarter
of a century, the Missouri Arts Council has
presented the Missouri Top 50, selected by
a juror, by professional Missouri artists.
The Missouri Junior 50 honors junior high
and high school artists. The Fine Arts
Building also houses working artists-inresidence. This year’s artists include three
Artist-in-residence Linda Hoover of Houstonia painted the mural New
American Graffiti on the Fine Arts Building during the 2012 State Fair.
from Sedalia: mixed media sculptor Victoria Weaver, collage artist Shirley Horacek, and watercolorist Scott
Linsenbardt. Also in residence will be pastel artist Nora Othic of Brookfield and mid-Missouri mixed media
artist Ben Franklin. Music is huge, with strolling entertainers, national and regional performers on seven
stages, the Show-Me Bluegrass Festival on the 14th, and the Missouri Fiddling Championships on the 18th.
WHEN
▪ Thursday, August 8 through Sunday, August 18, every day, 7:30 a.m.–10 p.m.; Fine Arts Building, 9 a.m.–9 p.m.
For more information: mostatefair.com and 800-422-FAIR (3247)
August 10
Cowboy Up! Arts Festival
Sikeston | Sikeston Depot Museum and Legion Square Park
The parade that kicks off the final day of the Jaycee Bootheel Rodeo in
the southeast city of Sikeston also opens this western-themed arts
festival. The Sikeston Depot Museum created Cowboy Up! in 2005 to
complement the six-decade-old rodeo, which draws more than 35,000
people to the region. The museum’s own gallery features a display, this
August by painters Marty Riley of Cape Girardeau and Judy Perkins of
Bernie. Activities in the park across the street include art booths and live music. We profile this fest in our
July 2012 article, A Quirky Summer Smorgasbord of Missouri Arts,
WHEN: Saturday, August 10, 9 a.m.–4 p.m.
For more information: Sikeston Depot Museum Facebook Page and 573-481-9967
August 10-11
Ste. Genevieve Jour de Fete
Ste. Genevieve | Historic District Downtown
Art, music, and history—a classic combination
to which Ste. Genevieve gives a French twist.
This Mississippi River town founded in 1735
boasts the greatest concentration of French
Colonial buildings in North America, hence the
name of the “day of celebration” held every
August. This year more than 100 artisans are
putting up booths at the 47th annual event.
Local musicians Dave Cattani, Wayne Givens,
and Vernon Flieg play rock, folk, and country
music along the shaded streets lined with
antique shops and art studios. There will also
be bands in Lion’s Park. The town’s five major
Colonial carpenters—one of the historical demos at Jour de Fete
historic homes and the Ste. Genevieve Museum
offer demonstrations and guided tours. A different type of art is showcased in the Knights of Columbus’
“Gas Powered Cruise” featuring vintage tractors, motorcycles, and automobiles.
WHEN
▪ Saturday, August 10, 10 a.m.–6 p.m.
▪ Sunday, August 11, 9 a.m.–4 p.m.
For more information: saintegenevievejourdefete.com
August 16-18
Trails West!®
St. Joseph | Civic Center Park
You might expect an event
called Trails West!® to be a
rodeo or county fair, though
assuredly with some arts roped
in. But this festival is all about
the arts, and has been ever
since the City, County, and
Allied Arts Council of St. Joseph
founded it 20 years ago.
“The mission has always been to
The “wild-eyed Southern boys” of 38 Special, the southern rock band originally from
celebrate the arts and the city’s
Florida that is one of the national headline acts at the 21st annual Trails West!
unique heritage,” said Teresa
Fankhauser, Allied Arts Council executive director. “St. Joseph was a jumping off place from northwest
Missouri—we had more pioneers coming through than did Kansas City. That’s where the name came from.”
Trails West! has both “fine arts” and “fine crafts” areas. “We call it ‘fine’ because if I can go to Hobby Lobby
and do something the first time out, that’s not what you’ll see at Trails West!” The Fine Arts area also
features performances by classical musicians from the St. Joseph Music Teachers Association.
Every year Trails West! has Art in Action, with artists creating on the spot. This year, the project is a Drain
Art Experience. “The City is getting ready to do a major renovation of our sewer drains,” Teresa said, “and
wants to highlight the danger of putting pollutants like cigarette butts and yard waste down the drains They
wanted a big public art project to start this off, and asked if we’d work with them. Of course!”
Inspired by a project in Springfield that began in 2011 and adds more drains every year, artists will paint
the sidewalks and streets around the four storm drains in the festival area—and invite visitors to join in. “It’s
one thing to watch but if you’re working alongside an artist, it’s much more meaningful,” Teresa said.
On the three stages—Main, City, and Family—and with strolling entertainers, “we have an eclectic mix,”
Teresa said. As the festival website says, Trails West! “delivers musical styles you love and new ones to
discover.” “We bring national acts here to give the people of St. Joseph the same opportunities as those
who live in a larger community,” Teresa said. The City and Family stages focus on local and regional talent,
such as StoneLion Puppet Theatre from Kansas City. “We love a group called the Doo-dads, a bunch of
dads who put together a rock band for kids. They are so much fun! Little kids get up and dance with them.”
For many young children, Teresa noted, “Trails West! is their first art experience.”
Also, “We have the Blacksnake Hills Productions re-enactors every year, recreating events that happened
here around the Civil War. They are what Trails West! Is about—an arts festival reflecting on our heritage.”
The exclamation point at the end of Trails West! Is essential, Teresa said. “It’s a big community party where
we invite everyone to join us!” she said. “Because you
can’t be passive with art. Whether you’re a child
making a project in the children’s area, or just listening
to the music, you are participating and engaging.”
WHEN
▪ Friday, August 16, 5-11 p.m.
▪ Saturday, August 17, 10 a.m.–11 p.m.
▪ Sunday, August 8, noon–end of mainstage concert
For more information: stjoearts.org
August 16-18
Festival of the Little Hills
St. Charles | Historic Main Street and Frontier Park
Nestled in the urban sprawl across the Missouri River from St. Louis is
the intact historic area of the third oldest city west of the Mississippi—
“Petites Cotes,” French for little hills, was the city’s first name. The
August festival is a triple play of music, food, and crafts and fine art,
with more than 300 vendors from 30 states. Entertainment for the 42nd
annual edition includes the 50-piece St. Charles Municipal Band, the
Gateway Jazz Quartet, the U.S. Air Force Band of Mid-America,
Hillbilly Authority of St. Louis playing country and southern rock, and
Miss Jubilee of St. Louis with her jump blues, swing, and hot jazz.
WHEN
▪ Friday, August 16, 4-10 p.m.
▪ Saturday, August 17, 9:30 a.m.–10 p.m.
▪ Sunday, August 18, 9:30 a.m.–5 p.m.
For more information: festivalofthelittlehills.com and 636-940-0095
Miss Jubilee
August 22-24
Missouri River Festival of the Arts
Boonville | Thespian Hall and Hain House
Passion and hard work have made the small central Missouri city
of Boonville an arts hotbed almost since the streets were laid out in
1817. Consider why the annual Missouri River Festival of the Arts
even has the acoustically perfect Thespian Hall in which to perform.
In 1838, 60 Boonville men formed a drama group called “The
Thespian Society.” In 1857, they built a Greek Revival hall for their
performances. Though the Hall would go through many transformations, there was always someone who cared about it. Since
1975, thanks to the Kemper Foundation of Kansas City, the Hall’s
custodian has been the Friends of Historic Boonville. And 1975
was also the first year of the Missouri River Festival of the Arts.
“I’ve been going to the festival from the very beginning,” said Frank
Thacher, the festival’s current chairman. “But about nine years ago,
David Halen
the festival had kind of lost its way. Somebody on the board convinced the Friends to let some of us old-timers have a shot at it. I decided we needed to go back to the
classical roots. So I went on the Missouri Arts Council’s website. At that time, David Halen, the St. Louis
Symphony concertmaster, had just put his name up there to play in the Missouri hinterlands [through the
Missouri Touring Performers program]. I talked to his business manager. David said he’d like to come.
He played one night at the festival and the audience went crazy. He told me, ‘I’d like to come back.’
“That winter I went to St. Louis, and my wife and I, and David and his wife, had dinner together. I said,
‘David, what we need is an artistic director.’ We shook hands on it.”
Though David Halen’s career was in St. Louis, he had grown up in rural Warrensburg in west central
Missouri. So playing in Boonville was like coming home. “He loves it—it’s like a vacation for him every
year,” said Frank. “He knows all these wonderful artists and he gets them to come here for a little less.”
One of those artists is soprano Mary Jane Lee, who on
Thursday evening performs American song and opera
with Halen and fellow violinist Helen Kim and pianist
Adam Nielsen. On Friday, acclaimed Korean violinist
Chee-Yun makes her Boonville debut as she joins
“David Halen and Friends,” including composer Stefan
Freund from the University of Missouri. On Saturday,
a 35-piece chamber orchestra of leading Missouri
musicians performs Beethoven’s 7th Symphony under
Ward Stare, regular guest conductor of the St. Louis
Symphony. “We’re able to mount an orchestra every
other year,” Frank said.
The 600-seat auditorium of Thespian Hall is ideal for
such chamber performances, especially after the
Friends rebuilt the front of the stage two years ago so
the apron again extends into the audience. “It’s a
perfect building—it blows everyone away,” said
Melissa Strawhun, Friends executive director.
The Friends also own the nearby Hain House (again
thanks to the Kemper Foundation), “the middle class
dream of 1838,” said Frank. In the house, the Friends
set up an exhibit of one artist’s work for the duration of
the festival. The exhibit is open for an hour before the
Thursday and Friday concerts, and Saturday from
noon onwards. This year’s artist is painter Linda
Hoffman of Arrow Rock.
The 2013 Festival poster spotlighting Chee-Yun
Local support for the revamped festival is steadily
building. Word is spreading about the intimate beauties of Thespian Hall and the world-class musicians
who perform there every August. “Just come and stay in Boonville,” Frank urges. “We’ve got a restored
1905 hotel and downtown restaurants that offer special dinners before the concerts.” The city is beautiful,
perched high on the Missouri River bluffs and boasting more than 450 sites on the National Register of
Historic Places. “You can fill a day real easy,” Frank said.
And after your day of sightseeing in
the Boonslick, you will be treated to a
music festival like none other, Frank
avers. “We’ve got David Halen and
we’ve got Thespian Hall. Nobody else
in Missouri has that combination,” he
says. “That’s why this whole thing
works.”
WHEN
▪ Thursday, August 23, 6:30-7:15 p.m.,
Visual arts exhibit
7:30 p.m., American Song and Opera
▪ Friday, August 24, 6:30-7:15 p.m.,
Visual arts exhibit
7:30 p.m., David Halen & Friends
▪ Saturday, August 25, noon–7:15 p.m.,
Visual arts exhibit
7:30 p.m., Beethoven’s 7th Symphony
1857 Greek Revival temple of the arts: Thespian Hall
For more information: friendsofhistoricboonvillemo.org (go to “Tickets” in left column) and call 888-588-1477
August 24-25
Festival of Nations
St. Louis | Tower Grove Park
You’ll get to know half a hundred different ethnicities at food booths, folk art demonstrations, hands-on
family art projects, cultural exhibits, a marketplace, and lots and lots of traditional music and dance to watch
and even join in at this multicultural blowout that has
grown to attract 140,000 visitors since it debuted in 2000.
The International Institute of St. Louis and 125 community
organizations bring the world to the shaded groves of a
vintage Victorian park that is a National Historic
Landmark. The headline act this year is the Mexican
Folkloric Dance Company of Chicago, the Windy City’s
oldest Mexican troupe. Monks from Drepung Gomang
Monastery in southern India showcase Tibetan culture
through their snow lion dance, monastic chanting, and
sand art painting. At the Village Green you can take free
informal lessons in Spanish flamenco, Polynesian hula,
Columbian carnival and more.
WHEN
▪ Saturday, August 24, 10 a.m.–7 p.m.
▪ Sunday, August 25, 10 a.m.–6 p.m.
For more information: festivalofnationsstl.org
August 29–September 1
Ozark Rivers Labor Day Weekend Bluegrass Festival
Eminence | Ozark Rivers Music Park
“You can hear the whippoorwills at night” during the Ozark Rivers Bluegrass Festivals, Ken Seaman told
us. No surprise, because Missouri’s newest bluegrass fests take place in the heart of the Ozark National
Scenic Riverways, the state’s largest national park and a paradise for canoeing, fishing, hunting, horseback
riding, and camping. One of the places to camp from Memorial Day through mid-October is the Seaman
family property that two years ago Ken decided to
convert into a working campground and bluegrass park.
“Music has been a part of this area since I was a little kid
growing up,” said Ken. Though he left Missouri in 1975
for Colorado, he has kept in touch with his native state.
In 1970, he started a bluegrass festival in Eminence and
ran it for 15 years.
Ken’s bluegrass credentials are blue chip. A banjo
player, he was a founding member of one of Colorado’s
premiere national bluegrass bands, The Bluegrass Patriots, and played with the band for 31 years until they
called it a day in 2011 (“we’re still playing reunions,” he told us). He has produced Denver’s Mid-Winter
Bluegrass Festival since 1986.
The Nick Seaman Ozark Rivers Memorial Bluegrass Park, named for Ken’s late son, hosted its first festival
over Labor Day Weekend in 2011. Ken now produces a festival there in late June as well.
“This park is unique,” he said. “It’s on three ridges, so we have camping on the ridges with a lot of shady
areas and a natural amphitheater for the stage. We’re just minutes from all the scenic attractions.”
Ken values local bands
as much as the national
touring bands because “the
local bands are the ones
who get out there for the
whole thing, who stay and
jam,” he said. “I’m a stickler
for jamming.”
As well as performances,
the Labor Day festival
offers a vendors fair, the
Delbert Spray Junior Fiddle
Contests for ages 17 and
under, instrumental and
vocal workshops, and
Bluegrass Martins family band, originally from Morgan County, now based in nearby Jefferson City
special jams for beginners,
“slowed down and non-threatening.” The festival opens Thursday evening with a ham and beans supper
and closes Sunday afternoon with a gospel jam hosted by The Bankesters family band from Illinois.
Only one band at the 2013 Ozark Rivers Labor Day fest overlaps with the Back Forty Bluegrass Festival
that opens the month (the Little Roy & Lizzy Show). The top headliner is Marty Raybon & Full Circle. “Marty
was the leader of a popular country band called Shenandoah—now he’s gone all bluegrass,” Ken said.
Other national bands include the Darrell Webb Band from Tennessee and Larry Gillis & Hard Driving Grass
from Georgia. Some of the Missouri bands are the Bluegrass Martins from Jefferson City, the Alex Riffle
Band from Poplar Bluff, Drive Tyme from southeast Missouri, and the Baker Family from Birch Tree.
WHEN
▪ Thursday, August 29, 5-9 p.m.
▪ Friday, August 30, 11 a.m.–9:30 p.m.
▪ Saturday, August 31, 10:30 a.m.–9:30 p.m.
▪ Sunday, September 1, 11 a.m.–4 p.m.
For more information: ozarkriversbluegrass.com
Listen to a preview: ▪ Drive Tyme in “30 Years of Farming”
August 29–September 2
Santa-Cali-Gon Days
Independence | Independence Square
This giant block party in the center of downtown celebrates
Independence’s heritage as the start of the Santa Fe, California,
and Oregon Trails. Now in its 38th year, Santa-Cali-Gon Days
draws more than 225,000 people. Hundreds of tents sell food and
goods, including art and crafts, but the main artistic draw is free
music. Three stages are live from Friday evening through Sunday.
This year the main stage focuses on rock tribute and country
bands including Kansas City’s Outlaw Jim and The Whiskey
Benders. One stage is devoted entirely to gospel. The community
stage features regional dance troupes—ballet, clogging, jazz,
folk—with diversions such as a watermelon seed spitting contest.
WHEN
▪ Thursday, August 29, 6 p.m.–midnight (carnival)
▪ Friday, August 30, noon–11 p.m.
▪ Saturday, August 31, 10 a.m.–11 p.m.
▪ Sunday, September 1, 10 a.m.–11 p.m.
▪ Monday, September 2, 10 a.m.–5 p.m.
(The carnival is open until midnight Friday-Sunday.)
For more information: santacaligon.com and 816-252-4745
August 30-September 1
The Art Fair at Queeny Park
St. Louis | Greensfelder Recreation Center
Of all the Missouri fests in August that zero in on visual arts, the largest is the Greater St. Louis Art
Association’s Art Fair in west St. Louis County’s Queeny Park. Like the exhibitions at the Missouri State
Fair and Washington Town and Country Fair, the art is protected indoors, in this case within the multiplex
Greensfelder Recreation Center. Up to 140 artists (the space’s limit) from 18-21 states present their work in
this juried showcase.
“In some form, this show
has been going on since
1977,” said woodworker
Vic Barr, who with painter
Maggie McCarthy and
jewelry maker Lee Richards
co-chairs the fair. That the
fair is produced by artists
themselves makes for a
better experience for the
artists showing their work,
which in turn makes for a
better experience for
patrons, Vic said.
“We have a reputation for
being wonderful hosts, and
Pews and Stained Glass, Bethlehem Lutheran Church in North St. Louis,
we work our tails off to make
photograph by Bradley Bauer of St. Charles
that happen,” he said. “We
also spend virtually every dollar the artists pay in booth fees on marketing the show. The three co-chairs
spend a whole day doing the final jurying, and another whole day laying out the floor design, so we don’t
have two of the same kind of artist right in a row. All this helps attract a wide range of artists. I’m just tickled
to death by the quality of what the show offers.”
Visual art is the focus. There are no performances. “We made that determination,” said Vic. “But we do
have the passport station for the little kids. They go around and look for artists in each category. They love
it.” On Sunday from noon to 4 p.m. there are interactive children’s Art Discovery Adventures. Anyone of any
age can draw on the Art Wall to express their creative skills. The only
food is a custom menu created by the park’s concessionaire, but there
are wine tastings on Saturday evening and Sunday afternoon. Three
free drawings are held for $100 gift certificates to spend at the fair.
The all-volunteer Art Association produces an art fair at Queen Park in
April as well as over Labor Day Weekend. “I want to emphasize: this is
not a three-person effort,” said Vic. “We have a show committee of 18
people. As Maggie’s mother would say, many hands make light work.
We give full credit to our fantastic volunteer members of the Greater St.
Louis Art Association for the continuing success of our events.”
WHEN
▪ Friday, August 30, 6 p.m.–9 p.m.
▪ Saturday, August 31, 10 a.m.– 6 p.m.
▪ Sunday, September 1, 11 a.m.– 4 p.m.
For more information: artfairatqueenypark.com
In Search of Faith, papier-mâché from
junk mail, by Elizabeth Conn of Ballwin
August 30–September 1
Kansas City Irish Fest
Kansas City | Crown Center Square
Traditional Irish music and contemporary Celtic rock—30 acts on seven
downtown stages—are the heart of one
of the top three Irish festivals in the
nation. In between listening to bands
like Dublin’s folk-pop Guggenheim
Grotto (a splendid Irish name) and
watching dance like the unique blend
of Irish stepdance, Ottawa Valley
stepdance, and tap dance created by
The Step Crew of Toronto, you can
enjoy demonstrations, readings, heritage workshops and exhibits, children’s activities, and contests ranging
from home-brewed stout and baked scones to knitted hats and “Kiss Me I’m Irish” photos. Next door in
Washington Park two dozen artists show their Art in the Park. The festival’s 10th anniversary edition in
2012 was chosen as “best festival” by the readers of Kansas City Magazine in the publication’s annual
“City’s Best” issue, so we highlighted the Irish Fest along with 10 other top picks from “A lists” across the
state in our January 2013 story, Missourians Choose “the Best of” the Arts.
WHEN
▪ Friday, August 30, 5–11 p.m.
▪ Saturday-Sunday, August 31-September 1, 11 a.m.–11 p.m.
For more information: kcirishfest.com
August 30–September 2
St. Nicholas Greek Festival
St. Louis | St. Nicholas Greek Orthodox Church
St. Nicholas Church presides at the corner of two main streets
over the entrance to the elegant Central West End neighborhood,
but what make it even easier to spot during Labor Day Weekend
are the lines of people snaking into the air-conditioned gym and
huge outside tents, waiting to gorge themselves on moussaka,
baklava, spanakopita, and pastries such as the butter-andpowdered-sugar bombs known as kourabiedes that 100
volunteers have spent five months making and storing in the
church’s vast freezers. Oh—there’s
art, too! The parish’s own St.
Nicholas Greek Dancers give five
free performances each day, and
Greek bands like this year’s
Fabulous Grecian Keys play the mandolin-like bouzouki and other heritage
music. There are also frequent tours of the exquisite church building.
WHEN
▪ Friday, August 30, 5-9 p.m.
▪ Saturday-Sunday, August 31-September 1, 11 a.m.–9 p.m.
▪ Monday, September 2, 11 a.m.–8 p.m.
For more information: sngoc.org (Go to “Greek Festival” under “Our Parish”)
August 31-September 1
Billy Peek of St. Louis – photo by Peter Wochniak
Crown Royal’s Big Muddy Blues Festival
St. Louis | Laclede’s Landing
“We bring the blues back to the streets where they started,” said Emily Kochan, executive producer of
Crown Royal’s Big Muddy Blues Festival. “We’re right here on the riverfront where St. Louis began.”
Just north of the Gateway Arch is a time capsule, a neighborhood of cobblestoned streets and brick warehouses that have been converted to bars, restaurants, and eccentric attractions. Named for one of the city’s
founders, the unique setting of Laclede’s Landing is part of what makes the Big Muddy Blues Festival
special, said Emily. “On top of all the music, you get the opportunity to stroll through the Landing, even to
go inside to eat and get a drink,” she said. “We also have vendor booths and trucks throughout the streets,
with stuff from food to art to trendy clothing. And there’s the great backdrop of the Big Muddy itself. ”
One of the three outdoor stages is ticketed; the other two are free. “We are an arts and heritage event,”
Emily said, “and we want everyone to be able to come down and enjoy the music. That means kids too. We
want to open kids up to all the variety of this American music—blues, R&B, jazz, big band, be-bop, reggae,
soul, rockabilly, country. We keep the festival really family-friendly.”
One of this year’s headliners on the ticketed Budweiser Main Stage is Reverend Horton Heat, a rockabilly
trio from Texas. Another is Grammy Award winner David Clayton-Thomas, who was the front man for
Blood, Sweat and Tears. “He’s got a 10-piece band with horns, and on top of all the great blues, he plays
the old BS&T tunes like ‘Spinning Wheel,’” Emily said. “He does very few concerts—we’re lucky to get him.”
Produced by the Laclede Landing Merchants Association, the festival is now in its 18th year. “People are
now coming all the way from Europe to St. Louis specifically for the blues festival,” Emily said.
Whether from across the sea or across the street, “everybody is in such a happy mood,” Emily said. “Being
in this setting—enjoying 18 hours of music—it’s just a great vibe on the weekend.”
WHEN
▪ Saturday-Sunday, August 31-September 1, 1-11 p.m.
For more information: bigmuddybluesfestival.com and 314-241-5875
August 31-September 2
Japanese Festival
St. Louis | Missouri Botanical Garden
As the Missouri Botanical Garden puts it,
the 37th annual festival celebrates
Japanese traditions and culture “from
traditional music to martial arts, sumo to
sushi, bon odori dancing to bonsai
displays, and thunderous taiko drumming
to Tea House Island tours.” Other
Japanese arts in bloom during the festival
include flower arranging, ice sculpting,
street magic, origami paper folding,
kimonos as “cosplay” costume attire,
– photo by Josh Monken
Japanese karaoke, and the anime movie
The Children Who Chase Lost Voices. Taiko drummers are always a festival fave, and this year’s featured
group is the Osuwa Daiko ensemble from Japan known for their “dramatic and formidable” style.
WHEN
▪ Saturday-Sunday, August 31-September 1, 10 a.m.–10 p.m.
▪ Monday, September 2, 10 a.m.–5 p.m.
For more information: mobot.org/events/japanesefestival and 800-642-8842
All photos are courtesy of the artists, events, and organizations featured.
Awesome August Arts Festivals was created in August 2013 for the Missouri Arts Council, a state agency and division of the
Department of Economic Development. The Missouri Arts Council provides grants to nonprofit organizations that meet our
strategic goals of increasing participation in the arts in Missouri, growing Missouri’s economy using the arts, and
strengthening Missouri education through the arts. For information, contact moarts@ded.mo.gov.
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License.
Please feel free to share and distribute. Attribution: Courtesy of the Missouri Arts Council, a state agency.
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