Summer Festivals and Celebrations in Southwest Missouri

Fourth of July

Various locations around southwest Missouri
Let’s get the most obvious one out of the way: Southwest Missouri has an absolute ton of Fourth of July celebrations to attend, whether you’re looking for fireworks, floats or food. In the interest of not making this whole page just about the Fourth of July, we’ve got a roundup just for that over here. Details often aren't finalized until the event date, so check back regularly for more info. If you've got a Fourth of July event coming up, add it to our calendar or let us know about it.

Millsap Farms Pizza Nights

6593 Emu Lane, Springfield, MO, May through October
What’s better than pizza? Okay, sorry, tough question to start a paragraph with. How about: What makes pizza even better? That works. Anyway, if you answered “pizza that was freshly cooked in a wood-fired earthen oven and eaten outside with friends” then congratulations, you filled in all the gaps yourself. Millsap Farm holds pizza nights May through October for its pizza club members. Get full details and sign up for the club on the website.

Pickwick Street Fair

Pickwick and Cherry, Springfield, MO, June 7, 2025
The Pickwick Street Fair is your chance to enjoy the work of local artisans and artists with demonstrations, live performances, crafts, vendor stalls and much more. This year’s event features performances from Molly Healey, Krista Meadows, Drew Beine and Bryan Copeland. Get more information online.

Summer Celebration at Silver Dollar City

399 Silver Dollar City Pkwy, Branson, MO, June 7–August 3
Few things say summer like a trip to a theme park, and few theme parks offer quite the experience that Silver Dollar City does. On top of the usual laundry list of rides and performances, the Summer Celebration also features fresh summer food specials, a later closing time, fireworks displays and more. See the website for details.

Ozarks Pridefest

Downtown Springfield, June 14
Ozarks Pridefest returns on June 14 with its annual pride parade at the Martin Luther King Jr. Historic Bridge and celebrations in Park Central Square, downtown Springfield. The event includes live performances, poetry, music and performances, plenty of vendors and more. For full details visit the website.

Juneteenth

Various locations in Springfield, June 19–22
Community Partnership of the Ozarks and the NAACP of Springfield, Missouri, have been hosting city-wide Juneteenth celebrations since 2023. This multi-day event includes movie night at the Moxie, a tour of the newly renovated pavilion at Silver Springs Park, a community celebration at the Springfield Expo Center and more. See the website for all the information.

Sertoma Duck Race Festival and Hot Air Balloon Glow

891-961 N. Riverside Rd., Ozark, MO, June 20–21, 2025
The annual Hot Air Balloon Glow is the largest fundraiser for the Children’s Smile Center and has been happening since 2010. Held over two days at the Finley River Park in Ozark, the event is part of the two-day Sertoma Duck Race Festival, which features craft fairs, rides for kids, car shows, fireworks and more. Check the website for more.

Taste of SoMo

Mother’s Brewing Company, 215 S. Grant Ave., Springfield, MO, June 21, 2025
Southwest Missouri’s outdoor food-sampling festival at Mother’s Brewing Company gives guests a chance to experience the diversity and deliciousness of restaurants throughout Springfield and southwest Missouri from 11a.m.–3 p.m. Plus, you can also enjoy live music and exclusive beer sales from Mother’s Brewing Co. and vote on your favorites from all participating eateries. Find out more.

Ozark Empire Fair

Ozark Empire Fairgrounds, 3001 N. Grant Ave., Springfield, MO, July 24–August 2
The Ozark Empire Fair is a staple of Springfield, Missouri, having been held annually since 1937. The fair began as a traveling display of crafts from the area. Now it includes live performances at the grandstand, vendors from around and beyond the Ozarks, livestock, stunt shows, rides, races, all kinds of fair food and much more. Visit the site for more info.

Birthplace of Route 66 Festival

100 Park Central Square, Springfield, MO, August 7–9 2025
The 100th anniversary of Route 66 is in 2026, and the Birthplace of Route 66 Festival is here to help you celebrate a year early. (They’ll be back next year, too.) The annual festival is probably best known for its parade of vehicles both modern and vintage, along with a wide selection of vendors, historical displays, live music, a drone show and more. Check the website for full details.