Missouri Music Festivals | Fall Festivals Missouri, Bluegrass, Americana & Old Time Music Festival 2010! Best Fall Getaways & Vacations in Missouri!

Missouri Music Festivals
The Arcadia Valley Mountain Music Festivals
Fall Music Festival in Missouri ~ October 8 - 10, 2010!

Ironton, Missouri in the beautiful Arcadia Valley only 80 miles from St. Louis!
On the Historic Iron County Courthouse Square . . .

The Fall Mountain Music Festival will be held the same weekend as the annual Arcadia Valley Missouri Fall Festival. Come to experience the best fall color in Missouri and enjoy Music, Music, Music everywhere!

October is the month for Fall Festivals and autumn celebrations in our region, only 80 miles from St. Louis. Planning and preparations begin weeks in advance for the community Fall Festivals and parades. The parade in Arcadia Valley is the longest running parade in the state of Missouri. . . . 83 years and counting! The incredible floats are built by parents and students in a heavy competition which starts early in the school year as students and their parents work feverishly on fund raisers to earn money for the floats and talent competition. Then, the float building takes place. Investments in float materials runs into the thousands of dollars. Following the parade a float viewing event is held at the historic Iron County Courthouse, along with a Scarecrow Festival. The Scarecrow Festival is a gathering of many delightful artisans, crafters and cuisine vendors. It's an old fashioned "hometown" celebration rarely found these days.

2010 Fall Music Festival Line-up
Download the Fall Festival schedule right here!

Valerie Smith & Liberty Pike

Back by popular demand, Grammy Nominee Valerie Smith and her band Liberty Pike return to this year's Fall Mountain Music Festival. When it comes to making music, there’s nothing wrong with playing by the rules, but that’s never been the right way for Valerie Smith. While the energetic singer/songwriter knows and respects the tried and true ways of bluegrass—and knows the penalties that can follow a departure from them—she’s held fast to one simple rule of her own: “I sing from my heart,” she says. “I do my own thing.” And today, a dozen years after her first album and on the eve of the release of her latest, she can look back with pride at a musical path that’s all her own, even as she looks ahead to the next dozen with the confidence of a seasoned artist who’s built a devoted following in the best way it can be done—just by being herself.

A Missouri native who grew up playing old-time fiddle and earned a degree in music education, Valerie arrived in Nashville in the early 90s. “When you grow up in a town of 300 people in the midwest and you love country music,” she recalls, “Nashville’s where you want to be. I had no idea of what I wanted to do, but I knew that was where I wanted to do it.” Working for a marketing and advertising agency by day, she began attending—and singing at—songwriters’ nights, making friends over the years with everyone from country icon Waylon Jennings to then up-and-coming songwriter Jim Lauderdale. “If I went back home tomorrow and that was all I did here, I’d be proud of that,” she says with a laugh, but those years turned out to be a prelude to something much bigger, as a complicated but fortuitous series of events and connections brought her into the recording studio. Read much more about Valerie Smith.

BIG SMITH

Big Smith is a band from Springfield, Missouri composed of five cousins: Mark and Jody Bilyeu, Bill and Rik Thomas, and Jay Williamson. The newest member, fiddle player Molly Healey, brings the total to six creative individuals bound together by blood and harmony. After coming together professionally in the fall of 1996, they quickly earned a devoted following playing raucous acoustic music that captured the spirit of their native Ozarks, equipped only with an acoustic guitar, mandolin, bass fiddle and washboard. These early gigs demonstrated to unsuspecting audiences what joy and liberation could be found in the raw mojo of indigenous, authentic Ozarks culture; albeit a culture interpreted through the eyes of modern, intellectually astute neo-hillbillies, if you will. The fourteen years they've been together have borne witness to an evolving instrumentation and sonic palate. The original acoustic lineup is still there as a tether to their legacy, but anymore it seems Big Smith simply aspires to be a great American band, regardless of whether the guitars are solid and amplified or woody and earthen.

The documentary Homemade Hillbilly Jam, profiling the band and the music of their extended family, has garnered rave reviews and a legion of new fans through numerous screenings at film festivals around the world. The DVD has enjoyed wide circulation in Europe and the U.S.A via distribution through First Run Features. Visit the BIG SMITH website!

Ann Harris

“I believe we're unfolding in the most extraordinary way.” So go the words to “Extraordinary”, a song on Gravity and Faith, the 2008 studio album from Chicago-based singer-songwriter and fiddler Anne Harris. While the lyric may be referring to a shift in global consciousness, the words couldn’t ring more true for the artist herself, especially over the past year or so.

Fresh on the heels of Gravity and Faith, Harris released another record in 2008, Live at the Acorn Theater, a project which was born of converging desires to create a live record and revisit some of her earlier songs.

Such a period of intense focus on her own music made it all the more refreshing when her creativity as an instrumentalist became increasingly in demand. Before the year was out Harris would find herself as a guest violinist with psychedelic 70’s legend Jefferson Starship and touring regularly with world renown trance-blues innovator, Otis Taylor, having appeared with the latter at the 2009 Blues Music Awards in Memphis (where Taylor won “Instrumentalist of the Year, Banjo"), Chicago Blues Festival, Bristol Rhythm & Roots Reunion, Jazz Aspen Snowmass and the Telluride Blues Festival. Anne finds performing other people’s music to be an exciting opportunity for in-the-moment creativity and discovery and the experience ultimately influences her own writing, leading her into new territory.

Between tour dates with Taylor, Harris has been performing with her band, writing, evolving and working on what's next. No less than you'd expect from an artist who's clearly unfolding in the most extraordinary way. Visit the Ann Harris website to listen and learn more!

George Portz - National "Open" Fiddle Champion
& his Friends of Bluegrass

George Portz & "The Friends of Bluegrass" are the most versatile performing Group in the area as they blend their fiery Bluegrass roots with some fine traditional Irish and Louisiana Cajun music. Their "Cajun Set" has won rave reviews from crowds throughout the midwest. The group’s enthusiasm, top-notch musical ability, wit and humor always "Leaves ‘em wanting more…and they always do!"

George Portz is the group’s leader and founder. He is an Illinois State Fair Fiddle Champion, Western Illinois State Fiddle Champion and his fiddling highlights include over 130 First Place Championships. He has performed for two Presidents; President Nixon in 1973 at the White House and with his group, "The Friends of Bluegrass" at the Illinois State Fair in 1986 for President Reagan. He has also performed at the Grand Ole Opry. George toured with the legendary "Goin's Brothers" of Eastern Kentucky in the 1970’s. His dynamic fiddle style ranges from fiery Bluegrass to zesty Cajun. There’s not a fiddle player in the Midwest that can entertain and audience like George. George Portz & "The Friends of Bluegrass" are the leading acoustic music group now performing in the St. Louis area and their shows are enjoyed by all ages. Visit the George Portz and Friends of Bluegrass website to learn much more.

Dan Wiethop

At times navigating beneath the radar of the commercial music world, Dan Wiethop is a polished entertainer who’s a little outside the box in the field of acoustic music. Wiethop, along with some musician friends go by the name, Harmless Fun with the enticement to ‘lose the blues and have a little harmless fun’.

With instrumental expertise on five instruments, this soulful and moving singer is a sparkling entertainer, as well as a light hearted comic. Musically, he draws inspiration from all over the map; and includes acoustic americana, bluegrass, country, classical, blues, jazz, swing and folk. His appeal for entertaining and wit comes straight from the heart.

Originally from St. Louis, and later Cape Girardeau, Mo., Dan moved to Northwest Arkansas in 1988, becoming an emissary of the rich mountain and folk music tradition of the Ozarks. In 1989, after winning both the National Autoharp Championship in Avoca, Iowa and the Southern National Autoharp Championship in Mountain View, Arkansas, he was hailed as one of the top autoharpists in the nation by Down Beat magazine. From Somewhere Over The Rainbow to Rossini’s classic William Tell Overture, he plays rhythm, leads, and harmony simultaneously on the 36 string instrument. Wiethop’s artisanship carries over to cross-key harmonica, claw hammer style banjo, and his finger picked Martin guitar. He has performed at The Grand Ole Opry, Blue Bird Cafe and The Ernest Tubb Record Shop Show in Nashville and a full season at Branson Missouri's Silver Dollar City, Dan accepted the opportunity to perform as ‘featured entertainer’ at a popular 250 seat Ozark Mountain music show in West Fork, Arkansas from 1989 to 2003. During that time he was instrumental in fostering the career of country music star, Joe Nichols, as well as several other talents. See more about Dan Wiethop & listen to his music right here.

Open Range

Open Range Bluegrass Band is a diverse and entertaing 5 piece band blended with good ol' tradition of Bluegrass, Country, and Gospel. From heartbreakers to jump up and jig tunes, your sure to leave a Open Range Show touched by the music and the personality of this band. The members consist of years of professional talent combined in Bill Cross who has played with many acclaimed bands and is known for his musical talents and quick wit on stage. Mike Taggart has also a great reputation as The Best Upright Bass player in the buisness, and he says "So many musicians poured themselves into my ability to be the Bass player I am today and I want to give that back , Bluegrass is a Passion of mine". Shannon Cox has a deep rich voice that everybody loves and can pick a guitar like no other. Jim and Sharon Randolph also contribute with Jim on the Dobro and a smile, and Sharon with strong vocals and alot of mixing it up with the crowd. Come see us folks and lets have a foot tap'n, hand clap'n time. Visit them right here.

The Tates

The Tates are composed of Mother Terry Tate and her two daughters, Brandi Brogan and Ashley Turnbough. They have performed in various venues around the state: The Centene Center in Farmington, The Meramac Theater in Steelville, Bobby Powell’s Arcadia Valley Jamboree in Arcadia Valley, The Freedom Fest in Annapolis and many others. They do a variety of music: 50s & 60s, oldies music, country and gospel. They will be performing at the Arcadia Valley Mountain Music Festival on Sunday afternoon, doing an Oldies Show with a Touch of Country.

The Arcadia Valley Quartet

The Arcadia Valley Quartet is made up of:

Jim Rice (Bass) has served as choir director for several St. Louis area churches and is currently serving as choir director at the First Baptist Church of Ironton.

Gerald Tripp (Lead Singer/Tenor) is well known throughout the Arcadia Valley as a great country and gospel singer.

Bill Stiniger (Alto/Lead) is, in addition to being a talented singer, an outstanding guitarist who has played in country bands for many years. He now primarily uses his musical talent to work for the Arcadia Valley Assembly of God Church.

Bobby Powell (All Parts) is a popular entertainer who owns the Arcadia Valley Jamboree in Ironton, MO. In addition to bringing top country and gospel talent to the Valley, Powell is a talented singer in his own right. He began singing at the "ripe old age of 47" and eventually started a popular show in the Alton, Ill., area called Bobby Powell's Riverbend Jamboree. Powell retired to Ironton in 2003, where he opened the AV Jamboree and today still performs in a number of different venues—including his own theater. He's particularly well known for his spot-on impersonation of country singer/songwriter legend Willie Nelson. Powell says he especially enjoys performing gospel numbers with the recently formed AV Quartet.

Download the Fall Festival schedule right here!