SFF23OZ is the acronym that the planning team has been using to refer to the Ozarks program being planned for the 2023 Smithsonian Folklife Festival to be held in late June and early July on the National Mall in DC.

Missouri State University is serving as the lead organization in the Ozarks on this massive planning effort, and the Ozarks Studies Institute , an ongoing initiative of the MSU Libraries, is leading the program planning effort throughout the region, in collaboration with many other Ozarks organizations. 

Here are some updates of progress made to date: 

• The title of the program has been finalized: The Ozarks: Faces and Facets of a Region
• The program will focus on five broad Ozarks themes and content areas:
  • Celebrations and Gatherings: Seasonal events, religious and spiritual practices, foodways, funerals, etc.
  • Stories, Sounds, and Show Business: Storytelling, house parties and jam sessions, Branson and Silver Dollar City, the Ozark Jubilee, etc.
  • Migrations, Movements, and Pathways: Populations and communities who have contributed to Ozarks identity and culture, past and present. 
  • Highways, Railroads & Tourism: Route 66, lakes and waterways, hiking/biking trails, “Trail of Tears,” Osage Trace, Wire Road, trucking, etc. 
  • Connections to Land & Place: Recreational activities, gig fishing/gig making, jon boats, tie rafts, giraffe-style architecture
• Last Friday Tom Peters, Dean of Library Services at MSU, spoke to the MSU Board of Governors about this major program planning effort. Carol Silvey from West Plains, who is serving as the Chair of the Board of Governors, commented that she is very excited about this project, because it will highlight all of the great things about the multi-state Ozarks region, and it will strengthen MSU’s involvement in service to the region. 
• Fundraising for this major national program is proceeding. Funding will involve sponsorships, monetary gifts of all sizes, and in-kind contributions of time, talent, transportation, and materials of various kinds needed for this major national program. If you are interested in learning more about sponsorships and funding opportunities, please contact Tom Peters (TPeters@MissouriState.edu or 309-660-3648). 
• Upcoming meetings and discussions continue to be planned, including: 
  • The meeting in Mountain View, Arkansas planned for today, Thursday, February 24, 2022, needs to be rescheduled, because of the winter storm
  • Thursday, March 3, 2022: Meeting in Fayetteville with several people affiliated with several organizations in Northwest Arkansas
  • Monday, March 7, 2022: Meeting at Timmons Hall in Springfield, Missouri.