29 music festivals in Missouri and northern Arkansas to check out this summer and fall
With May around the corner, music festivals are gearing up across the country.
For those who enjoy live music in the outdoors, the News-Leader has compiled a list of regional music festivals.
Missouri
Femme Fest
Date: May 13
Location: Mother's Brewing Company in Springfield
Femme Fest is a rock music festival supporting Queen City Rock Camp, an arts day camp for girls, transgender, and nonbinary youth in Springfield. Acts include Butterfaces, Guerilla Poet Radio, Catty Cline, My Ancestor, Rose Perez and Misery Stairs.
Tickets: Admission is free
ReKinection Festival
Dates: May 19-22
Location: Astral Valley Art Park in French Village
ReKinection is a women-ran music, wellness and arts festival, located about 45 minutes from St. Louis. The three-day festival includes music on three stages, yoga, aerial performances and live visionary art.
Tickets: rekinection.com/celebration-festival-tickets
Pointfest
Date: May 21
Location: Hollywood Casino Amphitheatre in Maryland Heights
Pointfest, hosted by 105.7 The Point, is an outdoor rock music festival. Acts include Papa Roach, Highly Suspect, Halestorm, Mammoth WVH, Jelly Roll, Palaye Royale, Shaman's Harvest, Brookroyal and The Ricters.
Tickets: concerts.livenation.com/event/06005C2686E01629
Bluegrass in the Bottoms
Dates: May 20-21
Location: Grinders KC in Kansas City
Bluegrass in the Bottoms is a bluegrass music festival. Musical acts include Railroad Earth, Sam Bush, Yonder Mountain String Band, Unsafe At Any Speed and more.
Tickets: bluegrassinthebottoms.com/tickets
Old-Time Music, Ozark Heritage Festival
Dates: June 3-4
Location: West Plains Civic Center in West Plains
The Old-Time Music, Ozarks Heritage Festival celebrates its 27th anniversary this summer. The festival is hosted by the West Plains Council on the Arts. It aims to highlight the local, traditional music community. Headlining acts include Snorty Horse and Alfred Packer Memorial String Band.
Tickets: Admission is free
Rock House Music Festival
Date: June 4
Location: Reeds Spring
The 16th annual Rock House Music Festival is a backyard BBQ, live music event. Headliners include Big Smith of Springfield and The Way Down Wanderers of Chicago and Peoria, Illinois.
Stomp The Blues Festival
Date: June 11
Location: Community Blood Center of the Ozarks in Springfield
Springfield music lovers don't have to travel far for the 11th annual Stomp The Blues Festival. The festival's mission is to provide "direct assistance to those who are homeless and near homeless through existing organizations," according to the festival's website. Supporting organizations include Women In Need of the Ozarks, The Rare Breed, Laura's Home, Darr House and Play it Forward SWMO.
Tickets: stompthebluesoutofhomelessness.com/tickets.html
Boulevardia
Dates: June 17-18
Location: Grand Boulevard at Crown Center in Kansas City
Boulevardia is a beer, food and music festival — Kansas City's largest urban street festival. In addition to the music festival, Ride 2 Boulevardia — a charity bike ride — is offered June 18. Cyclists can choose between 15-mile, 30-mile and 40-mile rides around Kansas City.
Boulevardia tickets: boulevardia.com/tickets
Ride 2 Boulevardia tickets: ride2boulevardia.com/register
Outlaw Music Festival
Date: June 24
Location: Hollywood Casino Amphitheatre in Maryland Heights
Outlaw Music Festival is a touring rock music festival, traveling to cities across the country June through September. Headlining acts include Willie Nelson & Family, Chris Stapleton, ZZ Top, Billy Strings and Brittney Spencer.
Tickets: concerts.livenation.com/event/06005C70D1EA7BB9
Heritage & Freedom Fest
Dates: July 1-4
Location: Ozzie Smith Sports Complex in O'Fallon
Heritage & Freedom Fest is an Independence Day family-friendly festival, including a carnival, parade, live music and two nights of fireworks.
Tickets: Admission is free
Pickin' On Picknic
Dates: July 7-10
Location: Lost Hill Lake in St. Clair
Celebrating its fifth year, Pickin' On Picknic is an outdoor bluegrass music festival centered around live music, food, workshops and bonfires with collaborative "pickin'" jams.
Tickets: pickinfestival.com/order-tickets/
Chains Unchained
Dates: July 29-30
Location: The Crossing Church in Springfield
Chains Unchained is a rock and metal music festival. Headlining acts include Convictions, Impending Doom and War of Ages. 100 percent of the festival's proceeds are donated to addiction treatment programs and food pantries in the community.
Tickets: chainsunchained.com/tickets-merch
Mid-America Music Festival
Dates: Aug. 5-7
Location: Black Silo Winery in Trenton
Mid-America Music Festival is a country music festival about 90 miles north of Kansas City. This year's festival features 12 different country music artists. Headlining acts include Lauren Alaina and Travis Tritt. The festival serves as a fundraiser for the Black Silo Foundation, a nonprofit dedicated to boosting rural community development in northern Missouri.
Tickets: eventbrite.com/e/mid-america-music-festival-presented-by-cfm-insurance-tickets-227470248637
Gnomestock
Dates: Aug. 11-14
Location: Pulaski County Shrine Camp in Waynesville
Gnomestock is a family-friendly, grassroots festival. Musical acts include The Stone Sugar Shakedown, One Way Traffic, Clusterpluck and others.
Tickets: gnomestock.com/tickets-1
Music for the Mind
Dates: Aug. 19-20
Location: The Camp at Lake Wappapello in Wappapello
Music for the Mind is a two-day music and camping festival dedicated to spreading awareness about the importance of mental health. Headlining acts include Maggie Rose, Big Something and End of the Line.
Tickets: eventbrite.com/e/music-for-the-mind-music-camping-festival-august-19-20th-tickets-304895068357
SantaCaliGon Days Festival
Dates: Sept. 2-5
Location: Historic Independence Square in Independence
The SantaCaliGon Days Festival is the state's oldest music festival, dating back to 1940. The first festival was held in celebration of the City of Independence as the starting point of the Santa Fe, California and Oregon Trails, according to the festival's website. A second festival was held in 1947, but it was not held again until 1973. Initially the festival was known as Three Trail Days. It was renamed in 1974 to SantaCaliGon Days.
Tickets: Admission is free
Music at The Intersection
Dates: Sept. 10-11
Location: Grand Center Arts District in St. Louis
In its second year, Music at The Intersection tells the story of St. Louis' "musical, cultural and artistic heritage," according to the festival's website. The festival features blues, jazz, soul, R&B, hip-hop, and rock musicians.
Tickets: musicattheintersection.org/tickets/
MO Jazz Music Festival
Date: Sept. 10
Location: Rose Music Hall in Columbia
Hosted by the Jazz Forward Initiative, the Mo Jazz Music Festival's mission is to provide free jazz music to Missourians.
Tickets: Admission is free
Roots N Blues Festival
Dates: Oct. 7-9
Location: Stephens Lake Park in Columbia
Roots N Blues Festival features local and national roots, blues, country and folk artists. This year's lineup includes Wilco, Jon Batiste, Bleachers, Tanya Tucker, Hippo Campus and others.
Tickets: rootsnbluesfestival.com/tickets/
Arcadia Valley Mountain Music Festival
Dates: Oct. 14-15
Location: Iron County Courthouse in Ironton
The Arcadia Valley Mountain Music Festival is a bluegrass and "old-time mountain" music festival held each May and October, about 80 miles south of St. Louis.
Tickets: Admission is free
Arkansas
For folks who wish to enjoy live music in the Ozarks, northern Arkansas offers a variety of festivals throughout the spring, summer and fall. The News-Leader compiled a list of Arkansas festivals that are within about a three-hour drive from Springfield.
FreshGrass
Dates: May 20-21
Location: The Momentary in Bentonville
FreshGrass is a family-friendly bluegrass and roots music festival, held in Arkansas and Massachusetts each year. The FreshGrass Foundation, which hosts each year's festival, has a mission to create a sustainable festival experience by reusing and upcycling existing materials.
Tickets: themomentary.org/calendar/freshgrass-bentonville
Delta: Flux Explorers Jamboree
Dates: June 3-5
Location: Circle R Productions and Outdoor Concert Venue in Hartman
Delta: Flux Explorers Jamboree is the first Flux Family music festival of this year. The festival is centered around a camping lifestyle, with curated stages, food and craft vendors. Flux Family is an organization that hosts arts festivals in Arkansas. Their festivals include musical acts, live artists, home-cooked meals, workshops and unique light structures, according to the organization's website.
Tickets: fluxfamily.com/events/delta-flux-explorers-jamboree
Peacemakers Festival
Dates: July 29-30
Location: Riverfront Amphitheater in Fort Smith
This fall is the eighth annual Peacemaker music festival, which features country, rock, blues, red dirt and Americana music. Headlining acts include Zach Bryan, Lukas Nelson and POTR, Charley Crockett, and The Steel Woods.
Tickets: peacemakerfest.com/tickets/
ByrdFest Music Festival
Dates: Sept. 16-17
Location: Byrds Adventure Center in Ozark, Arkansas
A weekend camp-out concert experience, ByrdFest features a variety of rock tribute performances, including Grateful Dead, Pink Floyd, Led Zeppelin and Phish.
Tickets: byrdfest.com/tickets.html
Epsilon: Flux Explorers Jamboree
Dates: Sept. 16-18
Location: Circle R Productions and Outdoor Concert Venue in Hartman
Epsilon is the second Flux Family music festival of the year, following Delta: Flux Explorers Jamboree in June. The festival is centered around a camping lifestyle, with curated stages, food and craft vendors.
Tickets: Not yet available
FORMAT Festival
Dates: Sept. 23-25
Location: Sugar Creek Airstrip in Bentonville
A new music, art and technology festival, FORMAT will feature more than 80 live music acts with visual performances, just five minutes away from downtown Bentonville. The festival is in partnership with Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art and the Momentary. Musical acts include Beach House, The War on Drugs, The Flaming Lips, Fatboy Slim and others.
Tickets: format-festival.com/tickets
WAKAAN Music Festival
Dates: Sept. 28-Oct. 1
Location: Mulberry Mountain in Ozark, Arkansas
After a two-year hiatus due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Wakaan, an EDM music festival, returns this fall.
Tickets: wl.seetickets.us/event/Wakaan-Music-Festival-2022/467825?afflky=WakaanMusicFestival
Hillberry Music Festival
Dates: Sept. 29-Oct. 2
Location: The Farm in Eureka Springs
Described as "The Harvest Moon Festival," Hillberry is an Americana, bluegrass and funk musical festival.
Tickets: stubs.net/tickets/4366/hillberry-music-festival-9-28-10-2
Outlaw Music Festival
Date: July 1
Location: Walmart AMP in Rogers
Following the performance at Hollywood Casino Amphitheatre in Maryland Heights in June, the Outlaw Music Festival visits the Walmart AMP in Rogers, Arkansas.
Are we missing any regional music festivals? If there are any festivals that deserve to be listed, email gcross@gannett.com.
Greta Cross is the trending topics reporter for the Springfield News-Leader. Follow her on Twitter and Instagram @gretacrossphoto.
This article originally appeared on Springfield News-Leader: Music festivals to check out in Missouri and Arkansas this summer
