5 reasons to check out Biscuits, Beats and Brews festival Sept. 30-Oct. 2

Aarik Danielsen, Columbia Daily Tribune
·2 min read
MK Ultra member Pat Kay strums his banjo during a performance last year at The Blue Note.
MK Ultra member Pat Kay strums his banjo during a performance last year at The Blue Note.

As September soon gives way to October, the sound of great Missouri music and the promise of a great meal or two will settle over the town of Rocheport.

The Biscuits, Beats and Brews festival returns there this coming Friday through Sunday, joining food, family-friendly activities, fall feelings and a whole lot of music. Here are just five reasons to stop by the free festival and spend a little time.

1. Biscuits — it's right there in the name

Ozark Mountain Biscuit & Bar owner Bryan Maness places made-from-scratch buttermilk biscuits on a pan to prepare them for the oven.
Ozark Mountain Biscuit & Bar owner Bryan Maness places made-from-scratch buttermilk biscuits on a pan to prepare them for the oven.

Few local restaurants have perfected a dish like Ozark Mountain Biscuit Co. has fulfilled the purpose of the humble, hearty biscuit.

First as a food truck, then a brick-and-mortar establishment — and with a longtime festival footprint — Ozark Mountain pushes back on conventional wisdom that biscuits are just for breakfast, owner Bryan Maness told the Tribune earlier this year.

As one of the festival's primary drivers, you're guaranteed to find the biscuit in various forms — whether as the basis for savory sandwiches or standing on its own.

More: How Ozark Mountain Biscuit Co. elevates a simple breakfast staple

2. Get your stomp on

Who among us doesn't need to release a bit of energy, or even frustration, in 2022? Why not satisfy that impulse by following in the actual footsteps of the Old World?

True to Rocheport's history of wine-making, the festival offers grape-stomping, which is sure to offer a squishy means to a cathartic end while connecting festival-goers to tried-and-true tradition.

3. Fun for the whole family

Biscuits, Beats and Brews promises a number of family-friendly activities, including face-painting and the quintessential fall festival favorite: hayrides. It's also a low-stakes way to introduce the kids to some of mid-Missouri's best bands and songwriters (see reason No. 5).

4. Rocheport is the perfect setting

No one needs an excuse to visit Rocheport, with its mingled cozy, small-town charms and grand Missouri River vistas. So let's just say the festival provides another chance to explore a true Missouri gem. Rocheport is a wonderful place to visit in all seasons, but especially as fall makes its presence felt.

More: Crowded fall arts calendar in Columbia features Roots N Blues, One Read and abundant art

5. And yes, it's a music festival

Music is, of course, the festival's true currency, and serious local talent awaits visitors.

Whether it's the twin talents of string-benders Ben Miller and Pat Kay in the duo MK Ultra; inventive, genre-defying acts like Molly Healey String Project and Ruth Acuff; outright rock 'n' roll bands such as Decadent Nation; or resonant singer-songwriters like Noah Earle and Kyren Penrose, the festival's stacked music lineup offers both quality and quantity.

Learn more about the event on Facebook through https://www.facebook.com/OzarkBiscuits or by searching the event name.

Aarik Danielsen is the features and culture editor for the Tribune. Contact him at adanielsen@columbiatribune.com or by calling 573-815-1731. Find him on Twitter @aarikdanielsen.

This article originally appeared on Columbia Daily Tribune: Biscuits, Beats and Brews festival is a perfect fall kick-off