Dexter, Missouri – The glory days of America’s wild frontier are long gone, but you can still take a step back in time and relive a little history at the 6th Annual Stoddard County Spring Festival in Dexter’s East City Park.
The Spring Festival will host a Walk Back in Time Living History Encampment placing you back in the 1800’s where the smell of kettle corn will tickle your senses. Old Mountain Men will talk of tall tales and entertain you with their old fashioned music. A blacksmith will be on hand to demonstrate and create unique iron pieces.
There is something for everyone to see and do when you attend a Living History event such as this one. Owner of Two Feathers Trading Co. dreamed of hosting such events and educating the young about the past.
"I have been attending events such as these since 1999 when my daughter was just 5 years old," commented Dee Loflin, co-owner of Two Feathers Trading Co. She with her daughter Jessica have been camping for years and it has been a hobby of theirs for many years. They both enjoy meeting people from all over the country who do this for a living.
"You may indulge your senses with the aroma and taste of rootbeer, old-fashioned candy, fry bread burgers, hand-squeezed lemonade, home-style potato chips, and kettle corn," commented co-owner Jessica Loflin. "Who wouldn't want to try some of these delicious foods and there is a candy cannon that we shoot for the kids. They love it!"
The event begins Friday, April 3rd at 9:00 a.m. – Sunday at 2:00 p.m., but the bulk of the Spring Festival will be on Saturday, April 4th from 9 a.m. - 5 p.m.
There is plenty to do at the Rendezvous: Knife and Hawk Throw, Primitive Bow, leather tanning, weaving, primitive traders with goods for sale, a blacksmith’s shop, atlatl demonstrations, furs and pelts, skulls, candy cannon at 10 a.m. and noon, old fashioned music and of course the food!
There will also be a 50 cal percussion cap rifle being raffled off at the big green tent! This is FREE to the public and plenty of parking at East Park in Dexter.
Don’t forget there will be the 2nd Annual Gary Don Dowdy Memorial Car, Truck, Tractor & Motorcycle Show. Entry fee is $20 per car, but if you enter more than one car it’s only $10 per car. All proceeds will go to the Kenady-Hanks American Legion Post #59 in Dexter. Contact Eric Smith, Commander of the American Legion for more information at 573-718-2021.
There will be plenty of Craft Booths available as well. Perfect for small businesses or home businesses to get their product out to the public. These are outside spaces and registration is only $25 with proceeds also going to the American Legion. If you didn't pre-register that's ok, please come out at 8 a.m. and set-up!
There will also be the Miss Stoddard County Spring Festival Pageant at 10:30 a.m. The attire is your cutest spring outfit and registration is $25.00. Contact information is Paige Williams at For the Love of Pageants in Bernie, Missouri. Her number is 573-421-1396.
Age divisions are for girls only and are Baby Miss (0-9 months), Wee Miss (10-23 months), Tiny Miss (2-3 years), Little Miss (4-6 years), Petite Miss (7-10 years), Junior Miss (11-13 years) and Miss (14 years and up). This is a non-glitz pageant and no excessive hair or make-up. There will be a Queen and two alternates in each division.
If you have any questions about the Stoddard County Spring Festival find them on Facebook by clicking HERE.
