These 10 Unique Festivals In Missouri Are Something Everyone Should Experience Once

Sports Park in O’Fallon hosts a family-friendly fun festival celebrating winter. Held on January 30-31st from 11am to 4 pm, Cabin Fever Daze is a great way to get the kids out of the house and spend some family time together. Besides familiar activities like mini golfing and laser tag, you can also join in unique and zany activities like broomball and the human sphere. Festival foods like s’mores and hot chocolate also help keep you warm while you play. The best part is that admission, parking and many of the activities are free! For more information, visit Cabin Fever Days.

This is a truly unique festival for the whole family and their dogs. On the 2nd Saturday in April at the Old Johnson County Courthouse and the surrounding area, the town of Warrensburg celebrates the Trial of Old Drum. A famous speech, and definitely the most famous one ever given about the dog, it coined and made famous the term "man’s best friend." They have live music, the best friends dog show, and the Warrensburg Wheels car show. You can also catch the Old Drum reenactment, or sign up for the 5K road race. Plenty of food vendors and family fun makes this a can’t-miss in Johnson County. Proceeds from the festival go toward the Johnson County Historical Society.

If you want to know the whole story about the dog this festival celebrates, you can watch this video by Nathan Hale:

Fodor’s Travel selected Charleston’s Dogwood-Azalea Festival to be amongst America's Best Spring Flower Festivals, and it’s easy to see why! The stars of the festival appear on a 6-mile Dogwood-Azalea Trail, but in addition there is a seemingly endless list of events and activities taking place during the festival. Kids will love the parade and carnival, but other events include home and candlelight tours, an arts and crafts bazaar, an old-fashioned ice cream social, and an art show. Piano concerts feature 16 pianists. Carriage rides provide a perfect view of the festival and tour guides are available by reservation for groups. There is even a 5K run! Come for the flowers and stay for the fun.

The festival will be April 14th-17th at Rowling Park and town-wide. For more information, visit Dogwood-Azalea Festival

Every year on Mother’s Day weekend, Laumeier’s Sculpture Parks hosts more than 15,000 visitors at this three-day event. Enjoy a variety of local food vendors, a wine garden, and live music. Wander through the booths of 150 juried artists from across the country exhibiting work in ten different media categories. Proceeds from the event will support Laumeier’s future exhibitions, education programs and events.

The Art Fair will take place May 6th-8th. Laumeier’s Sculpture Park is located at 12580 Rott Road in Sunset Hills. For more information, visit LaumeierSculpturePark.org.

Fans of the beloved author Mark Twain won’t be disappointed at the Twain on Main Festival in Hannibal. Taking place on May 28th & 29th, the festival promises fun, arts, crafts, and great food. Entertainment includes street magicians, story tellers and games for kids. Actors playing Mark Twain and two of his famous characters, Tom and Becky, will be wandering around. For adults, there is the wine garden, and all of the great antiques museums and galleries that historic Main Street has to offer. Best of all, it’s free!

For more information about all the festival events and features visit TwainonMainFestival.com.

Over the 4th of July weekend of every year, Sally Mountain Park hosts a festival with top bluegrass performers from across the country. In addition, they offer workshops for banjo, guitar, fiddle, dobro, vocals and mandolin. For more information on this year’s upcoming event from June 29 - July 3, follow them on Facebook.

Check out this video from the festival in 2007:

It’s a car show with a twist. Classic cars, trucks and motorcycles from all over the Midwest are featured, of course. But in addition to that, they also host a pin up model contest, a vendor marketplace, food trucks, a blood drive, and a school supply giveaway. Attendance prizes are given every hour and there is a fundraiser for a charity. Admission is free for spectators. Interested in the upcoming August show? Follow them on Facebook.

Trails West is a huge outdoor arts festival in St. Joseph. It’s hosted by the Allied Arts Council to celebrate the unique cultural heritage of St. Joseph. Over 30,000 festival goers experience fine arts, folk arts, culinary arts, music, dance, and theatre. The festival takes place in scenic Civic Center Park, in downtown St. Joseph. For more information, visit Trail’s West Festival.

Santa Fe Trail Heritage Day takes place on the second weekend of September. The festivities begin on Friday evening with the Chuck Wagon Dinner, Children’s Old Fashioned Games and rope making. Friday’s Main Event is the Annual Freight Wagon Races, fun for participants and spectators alike. Saturday morning brings the 5K and 10K races, Marshall Lion’s Club’s "Run for Site." A Baby/Toddler and Prince and Princess contests are held, a craft show, and then a parade. For all events, times, and for more information, visit www.visitmarshallmo.com.

The German Living Historic Festival on historic Luxenhaus Farm features over 92+ costumed, juried artisans along with over 100 volunteers there to educate and inform guests about the folkways and life skills of their ancestors. Hands-on activities include rope weaving, dipping candles, and cross-cut sawing along with the artisans. The festival takes place on October 15th and 16th, and the farm is located at 18055 State Highway near Marthasville. Visit deutschcountrydays.org for more information.