In 2018 We Celebrated Our Music, Our Traditions and Had Tons of Fun!
An aspiring fiddler plays in our youth talent show:
Folk musician Jeremy Myers enthralled young and old alike with rousing performances of Ozarks mountain music:
The Finley River Boys whip up the crowd with down home bluegrass:
Spinning yarn is an Ozarks tradition:
…and so is caning a chair seat:
…not to mention quilting!
Van Colbert led his trio in soul-wrenching mountain music:
…while our open jam sessions drew enthusiastic local musicians:
Festival goers were invited to try their hands at cross cut sawing while festival Sheriff Jon Cluff kept time:
Cameron Cluff shows off his paintings of the old Ava train depot as well as local aviation hero Bill Martin:
Kathy Reser, one of our esteemed Board Members, demonstrates the fine art of basketry:
Fiddler David Scrivner and Guitarist Alvie Dooms accompanied the Squires square dance group:
Stringed Union Bluegrass sang their hearts out:
…and so did South Wynns:
Trapper Killsmany loves the free life of a mountain man:
…while local re-enactors helped us remember the Ozarks witnessed major upheavals during the Civil War:
Gayle Schroeder talked about the many tomato canneries that once dotted the Ozark hills, and demonstrated tomato canning first hand:
Members of the Cabool Older Iron Club showed us how an antique hay baler worked (and still works!):
…while real men make old-fashioned brooms!
Financial assistance for this project has been provided by the Missouri Arts Council, a state agency. Additional funding comes from a generous grant from the Community Foundation of the Ozarks, as well as support from local businesses and individuals.