Arcadia Valley Mountain Music Festival

2023 Fall Mountain Music Festival

Join us for the Arcadia Valley Mountain Music Festival held every May and October! We are conveniently located only 80 miles from St. Louis in the outdoor recreation capital of Missouri’s beautiful Arcadia Valley.

Admission is FREE for these wonderful family events! Activities center around the historic Iron County Courthouse Square on Main Street in Ironton.

You’ll find a variety of Music, Music, Music everywhere you turn! Be sure to make your lodging reservations early! Check out camping opportunities as well.

If you’re looking for Missouri bluegrass festivals and old-time mountain and Americana music, make your plans now to attend our Arcadia Valley Mountain Music Festivals.

Both in Spring and Fall you’ll enjoy Vendors, Crafters and activities for the kids! There’ll be an area set up for pickers, so be sure to bring your instruments!

Come and experience the best Fall Music Festival in Missouri!

Schedule of Events

Friday – October 20th

5:00 PM – 6:15 PM Pickers at the Gazebo 6:30 PM – 7:45 PM Frogmore Stew

Saturday – October 21st

10:30 – 11:00 AM AVHS Fall Festival Parade 11:00 AM – 12:45 PM The Punches 1:00 PM – 2:45 PM BTR 3:00 PM – 4:45 PM Dixie Union 5:00 PM – 6:45 PM Dave Black Band

Pickin’ on the Square * “Live” Music in the Gazebo * Artisans, Crafters and Food Vendors * Children’s Games and Family Fun

Fall Festival Musicians

FROGMORE STEW

Frogmore Stew is a country band featuring cover songs by classic country artists like Merle Haggard. Members of the band are Billy Matt McCarter (keyboard and vocals) and Chris Hopkins (guitar and vocals).

https://www.facebook.com/frogmorestewmusic

THE PUNCHES

The Punches is a bluegrass gospel group who make their home in the foothills of the Ozark Mountains. Mom, Dad & four children all play instruments, sing, and have been performing nationwide at churches, festivals, fairs and special events since 2009. They’ve been featured on Great American Gospel (a weekly television show) in many countries and on over 200 stations across America.

Bruce and Bobette currently reside in Fredericktown, Missouri. Bobette was raised in a musical family of seven kids while Bruce grew up an only child and started playing at the age of 13. When they met, it seemed to be a natural fit and the rest is history.

Their son, Owen plays a Gibson RB-250 banjo. He also is a valuable part of the vocal blend of the family holding down a few lead parts but mostly singing the bass line in the quartets.

Emily (one of the twins) started playing fiddle at age 7. Emily has developed a rich voice and a sweet demeanor on stage and carries many of the high tenor parts in trios and quartets. She also sings much of the lead with the group. The other half of the duo is Brooke. Brooke also started on the fiddle at age 7. In fact some of the early Great American Gospel videos have Brooke on the fiddle before she moved to the dobro.

The entire family is fun and uplifting and their performance has a strong spiritual undercurrent.

BTR

Eric Thompson, Bo Riddle and Mark Browers bring ’70s Americana to life. Their voices and instruments blend together to give a unique music experience that brings the nostalgia of ’70s folk rock, adds creativity to the familiar, and gives an entertaining performance everyone can enjoy.

Bo Riddle – fiddle, guitar, vocals – Riddle is known for his musical work in Nashville’s recording studios and as master boot-maker to the stars. In between, he writes songs and even co-owns an independent label, Las Vegas-based Dream Cat Music. “I feel I’m as good a songwriter as I am a bootmaker,” he said. “In the not-too-distant future I should have some big cuts.”

Eric Thompson – harmonica – Considered a rising star in the harmonica world, Thompson, an Arcadia Valley resident and high school teacher, currently plays with at least three other groups: The Tin Mine Trio, Jive Turkeys, and The Shut-Ins Band. He has also performed at several Nashville venues such as, Antique Archaeology (American Picker’s) Store, and some of the world famous honky tonks on the Broadway Strip (The Wheel, Legend’s Corner, Tequila Cowboy, and Crazy Town.)

Mark Browers – guitar – Mark started playing guitar at age 14. He has been influenced by a broad range of artists such as John Denver, Gordon Lightfoot to rock groups such as the Eagles and Marshall Tucker. He has enjoyed the opportunity to play music with many accomplished artists in the area since 1990.

DIXIE UNION

Dixie Union is an award-winning bluegrass band that was originally formed in 1998 to provide a unique blend of traditional and innovative bluegrass and gospel, with sojourns into blues, ballads, country, Irish, western, boogie, and even an occasional polka!

Dixie Union performs at a variety of venues such as bluegrass festivals, state parks, benefits, association annual meetings, fairs, microbreweries, wineries, church events, trail rides, picnics, reunions, parties, on radio, and has been designated as a “Legends” band at the Missouri State Fair, where the band has performed many times. The group has produced five CD’s, one of which was featured in the national publication “SPBGMA Newsletter”. The most recent CD’s are digitally distributed by iTunes, Amazon, Spotify, YouTube, Pandora, and CD Baby. More information can be found on www.facebook.com/dixieunion.

The band has opened for or shared the stage with such groups as the Nitty Gritty Dirt Band, Ralph Stanley, Kenny & Amanda Smith, and the Chapmans. Their music is influenced by artists ranging from Bill Monroe and Jim & Jesse McReynolds to Hot Rize and Leftover Salmon.

Members of the group include band leader and charter member Dave Richardson on mandolin, tenor harmony, and lead vocals; Carol Richardson on rhythm guitar and lead vocals; John Francis on banjo, lead vocals, and baritone/bass harmonies; and Peter Price on upright bass and baritone harmony.

The Richardsons’ fresh spin on interpretation, shaded by Francis’ traditional grounding and Price’s driving bass, gives the group a sound unique in the bluegrass world. Known for their two, three, and four part harmonies, blend of old and new, and zany on-stage antics, Dixie Union promises to entertain bluegrass fans of all ages.

DAVE BLACK BAND

Dave Black from Bonne Terre, has been a musician most of his life and plays the piano. He and band member, Doug Berry, have played music together for over 30 years. Doug sings and plays the keyboard. The other member of their group, Keith Barton, plays the steel guitar. The group plays in churches throughout the area and Dave has been the opening performance for many well known musicians, i.e., T. G. Sheppard, Daryle Singletary, the Bellamy Brothers, Brad Paisley, Kenny Rogers, Shenandoah and more. The group plays a large variety of music which includes country, gospel and 50’s.

“Pickin’ on the Square” – Every Friday night, May – October

Friday night kicks off the Arcadia Valley Mountain Music Festival with Pickin’ on the Square. Amateur musicians join professionals to perform everything from bluegrass to gospel to Cajun. Bring your guitar, fiddle or banjo and join in.

**Throughout the season every Friday evening!**
**“Pickin’ on the Square” begins at 6:00**

Clapping, dancing, singing along – crowds gather to enjoy the tunes of musicians at Pickin’ on the Square on the courthouse lawn every Friday night through the summer. It starts with the Spring Mountain Music Festival, May 19-20 and ends with the Fall Mountain Music Festival, October 20-21. On banjo, harmonica, dobro, bass, fiddle and guitar, musicians from as far as 60 miles away gather to perform rockabilly, country ballads, gospel and original compositions.

Anyone is welcome to come up to the microphone and sing. Some Fridays have guest appearances by experienced vocalists or by a very young one who wants to make their professional debut.

Expect to see our regulars at Pickin’ on the Square: Tony Harbison, Jimmy Randolph, Kevin Province, Kevin Pewitt, Eric Thompson, Wayne Taylor, Mark Browers, Frank Hinson, Kenny Albert, Calvin Jones, Steve Cox, Terry Terrell and many, many others.

For more information, contact Tony Harbison by phone at 573-546-3877 or by email at [email protected].

FESTIVAL LOCATION

IRON COUNTY COURTHOUSE 250 S. MAIN, IRONTON MO

PICKIN’ ON THE SQUARE
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MOUNTAIN MUSIC FESTIVAL SPONSORS

We thank everyone for their sponsorship of the Mountain Music Festivals & Pickin’ on the Square. Our Platinum, Gold and Business Boosters help to provide the music for our festivals. If you would like to be a sponsor, attached you will find an information form. Logos will be added for Platinum and Gold sponsors and the names of Business Boosters, as they come in. Click logos to visit the sponsors who are supporting our festivals!