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Summer Festivals in Missouri

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The scent of barbecue, the sounds of bluegrass, jazz and blues, and the sight of fireworks over the Mississippi and Missouri rivers – these are just a few of the experiences you’ll find this summer in the Show-Me State. Check out the sampling of upcoming festivals and events in each region of the state.

Americana Classics

Meet Mark Twain’s most famous characters during National Tom Sawyer Days, June 28 and July 2-6, in Hannibal. Highlights include the National Fence Painting Competition, Tom and Becky contest, frog jump competition, live music and Fourth of July fireworks over the Mississippi River.

Head to Liberty for LibertyFest, an epic Fourth of July celebration held on July 3. The event charges per car, and once you’re in, all the family activities are free – face painting, glitter tattoos, balloon artists, inflatables and more. The celebration ends with live music and a fireworks show. Bring your chairs, yard games, snacks and non-alcoholic drinks as the community commemorates the birth of American independence.

A boy at a summer festival for National Tom Sawyer Days participates in a white fence painting contest. He wears a red, farm-style shirt with blue jeans.
Channel your inner Tom Sawyer – one brushstroke at a time. © Hannibal CVB

Celebrating Culture

Learn about Missouri’s first European settlers at Ste. Genevieve’s French Heritage Festival. Set among 18th-century architecture in the town’s historic district on June 14 – storytelling, living history demonstrations, games and French dance give guests a glimpse of frontier life in the 1700s.

This cultural festival is part of the Horizons initiative created by Missouri Humanities, Missouri Arts Council and Missouri Division of Tourism. The French Heritage Festival celebrates 300 years of French culture in North America and recognizes Ste. Genevieve’s status as having the greatest concentration of authentic French Colonial architecture that exists in North America.

Attend Celebration of Nations, a vibrant experience that showcases the culture of the Rolla community on Sept. 20. It features a parade with flags representing different countries, marching bands, dignitaries and the ever-popular Missouri S&T camels. The parade is followed by a festival with international foods, arts, crafts and cultural displays.

One-of-a-Kind Events

Book tickets for Farm to Table in Washington, a distinctive experience held in the middle of Main Street in front of the Farmers’ Market in historic downtown. The elegant event takes place on Sept. 4 and provides views of the setting sun while guests enjoy a 4-course meal prepared with locally sourced food by local chefs.

Race a zucchini at the Zucchini Car Races in Cole Camp! The community brings a different meaning to the phrase, “playing with your food.” Besides the basic standards, contestants are free to use their creativity to decorate and create the winning racer. For those who aren’t as interested in the racing portion, there is still plenty of zucchini-based fun to go around. Other prizes are awarded for the best zucchini dish and the biggest zucchini.

From Henhouse to Pasture — Agricultural Festivals

What started as an event to support the community during difficult times has now become a time-honored favorite – Dixon Cow Days (Attendees still get two chances to win a cow!) will take place Sept. 19-21 and includes an array of activities the entire family will enjoy. Featuring craft and food vendors, live music, a petting zoo, car show, cow-calling contests and so much more, it’s an udder-ly a-moo-zing time in this small community offering big fun!

The Crane Broiler Festival in Crane will take place August 21-23. The annual celebration honors the town’s poultry farming heritage. The small community initially produced 50,000 broilers in 1948, and that number grew to 4,500,000 by 1955! Today, attendees can savor the festival’s signature BBQ chicken dinners, enjoy a variety of craft and vendor booths, find amusement on carnival rides and cheer on performers as they take the stage. Additionally, there’s a parade, car show and the Miss Slick Chick Beauty Pageant.

Two people dressed in colorful outfits with cow masks ride through the parade on a motorcycle during Dixon's Cow Days summer festival.
Dixon Cow Days brings the herd together, highlighting tradition, family and small-town pride. © Van Beydler

Northeast Events

Hannibal

Hermann

Kirksville

Moberly

O’Fallon

Pacific

St. Charles

St. Louis

Union

Washington

Southeast Events

Bonne Terre

Cape Girardeau

East Prairie

Rolla and the Surrounding Area

Sikeston

Ste. Genevieve

West Plains and the Surrounding Area

Central Events

Benton County

Callaway County

Clinton

Columbia

Jefferson City

Lake of the Ozarks

Moberly

Pulaski County

Sedalia

Warrensburg and the Surrounding Area

Southwest Events

Branson and the Surrounding Area

Carthage

Lebanon

Springfield and the Surrounding Area

Northwest Events

Arrow Rock

Chillicothe

Excelsior Springs

Kansas City

Kingsville

Liberty

Parkville

Platte County

St. Joseph

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