On Friday evening, May 12, 2023, a crowd of over 200 assembled in the new John Goodman Amphitheater (JGA) on the main Springfield campus of Missouri State University to enjoy an Ozarks Jamboree, hosted by Jeff Houghton. 

This was the first public event in JGA, held on a beautiful spring evening when the newly renovated pedestrian walkway under Grand Street finally opened after a prolonged construction period. 

The audience was treated to three fantastic groups during the two-hour concert:

1. David Scrivner (fiddle/mandolin), Emily Garoutte (fiddle), Mason Herbold (accordion/tenor banjo), and Joel Hinds (guitar/fiddle) played a set of good old-time Ozarks music, similar to that heard every Monday at the McClurg jam sessions, where these four musicians often play.
2. Abbey Waterworth, an alumna of MSU, played and sang songs, accompanied by Josh Gilbert.
3. The Honkytonk Renovators, featuring Emalee Flatness, a recent MSU graduate, played a lively bluegrass set. 

Planning for this special event was a collaborative effort involving the MSU Alumni Association, the Office of the President, and the Ozarks Studies Institute, an ongoing initiative of the MSU Libraries.