The Sixth Annual Pioneer Heritage Festival of the Ozarks will be held in Ava on Friday, September 29, and Saturday, September 30 at the Fox Trotters Showgrounds, one mile north of Ava Missouri on Hwy 5. The gates will open at 10 am and close at 6 pm. Admission is free. The festival website is heritage417.com, and there is also a Facebook page.
The festival celebrates the diverse traditional folk skills that were once common to this region. These range from fabric arts, pottery making, and leather working to seed saving, gardening, flint-knapping, food preservation, old-time musical instruments, and story-telling, among many others. Anyone with traditional skills is invited to apply. Setting up as an exhibitor is free, and exhibitors can sell anything they make but must agree to demonstrate their skills to festivalgoers. Application to be an exhibitor can be made by going to the festival website, calling (417) 746-4006, or emailing heritage417@gmail.com.
In addition to exhibitors, there will be live music, a youth musical talent show, square dancing, and food vending. The festival committee is also seeking volunteers to help organize, publicize, and put on the festival. Contact the festival at the website, email, or phone number above.
