Yesterday the Smithsonian officially released the schedule of activities, presentations, and performances at the Ozarks Program at the upcoming Smithsonian Folklife Festival on the National Mall in Washington DC. 

Missouri State University (MSU) is the lead partner with the Smithsonian Institution, collaborating to plan, promote, and present an exciting array of events at the Ozarks program at the ten-day Smithsonian Folklife Festival, from Thursday, June 29 through Sunday, July 9, 2023. Festival activities will occur daily from 11:00 to 5:30, followed by evening concerts and square dances. Tom Peters, Dean of Library Services at MSU, is the co-curator of “The Ozarks: Faces and Facets of a Region,” working with Cristina Diaz-Carrera from the Smithsonian. Many other groups and individuals from the multi-state Ozarks region, as well as from the Smithsonian, are involved in the program planning process. Another program at the 2023 Festival is “Creative Encounters: Living Religions in the U.S.”   

The Ozarks program has four basic themes:  

1. Celebrations and Gatherings
2. Stories, Sounds and Show Business
3. Migrations, Movements and Pathways
4. Connection to Land and Place

Program participants include craftspeople, gardeners, foragers, chefs, dancers, and of course musicians and singers. Evening concerts will highlight women musicians, singers, and storytellers (June 29th), a NextGen Ozarks Showcase (July 1st), and an Ozarks Opry variety show (July 6th). On Tuesday evening, July 4th, the Ozark Mountain Daredevils will perform a concert on the National Mall. Other musical participants from this area include the Creek Rocks, Big Smith, Marideth Sisco, David Scrivner, and others. Presenters with local ties include Brooks Blevins and Kaitlyn McConnell.

Sponsors of the Ozarks program include Missouri State University, the Missouri Division of Tourism, the Arkansas Department of Parks, Heritage and Tourism, the University of Arkansas, the Windgate Foundation, the Committee of 100 for the Ozark Folk Center in Mountain View, Arkansas, Kaleidoscope in Springfield, and several anonymous individuals and foundations. The Ozarks program received federal support from the Latino Initiatives Pool, administered by the National Museum of the American Latino; the Asian Pacific American Initiatives Pool, administered by the Smithsonian Asian Pacific American Center; and the Smithsonian American Women’s History Initiative Pool.