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Spring Festivals in Missouri

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March 25, 2024

Warmer days and dozens of festivals are on their way as spring arrives in the Show-Me State. Communities across Missouri will usher in the new season with celebrations featuring flowers, food, art, music and more – including a total eclipse of the sun.

Beautiful Blooms

Experience Powell Gardens through an artistic lens during the Painted Garden April 27 – June 2. The event combines spring blooms, botanical displays and works of art for a colorful celebration The botanical garden is located in Kingsville, 35 miles south of Kansas City.

Stroll along the 6-mile Dogwood-Azalea Trail during the Dogwood-Azalea Festival April 18-21 in Charleston. The festival will include historic home tours, a parade, carriage rides, a plant sale, and an arts and crafts bazaar. Dogwood-Azalea After Dark features a luminaria-lined path with banks of illuminated pink and white blooms and entertainers performing along the trail.

Food and Drink

If any place can turn sausage into a three-day celebration, Hermann can. The annual Hermann Wurstfest , March 22-24, honors the traditional art of German sausage making. Highlights include sausage sampling, sausage-making competitions, German music and dancing, and the ever-popular wiener dog derby.

The prized morel mushroom and craft beer take center stage at Morels & Microbrews May 4 in Fulton’s Brick District. Sample delectable fried morels while they last. Food trucks and live music add to the festivities.

Family Fun

Meet Mark Twain’s most memorable characters during the Twain on Main Festival in Hannibal. Experience life from a bygone era in the historic river town during the two-day celebration May 25-26. Find arts and crafts, food and music stretching along Main Street to the base of the famous Tom Sawyer and Huckleberry Finn statue.

Build a kite (or bring your own) and take a turn at breaking open a piñata at the Cherry Blossom Kite & Piñata Festival April 6 in Springfield. The festival is a celebration of spring and honors Springfield’s sister cities – Isesaki, Japan, and Tlaquepaque, Mexico. Japanese and Mexican entertainment and activities are planned. Admission to Springfield’s Mizumoto Japanese Garden is free during the festival.

Being Green

Kansas City will be decked out in green for its annual St. Patrick’s Day Parade March 17. Leprechauns will stroll alongside marching bands and elaborate floats, and green beverages will be served by dozens of local watering holes as the Kansas City area celebrates its rich Irish Heritage. This year’s theme, 50 cheers to 50 Years, celebrates the parade’s golden anniversary and is sure to bring out the Irish in everyone.

The Ancient Order of the Hibernians St. Patrick’s Day Parade has been a St. Louis tradition for nearly four decades in the historically Irish Dogtown neighborhood. The event honors the many contributions the Irish have made to America. In addition to the parade and Irish Festival will offer plenty of food, music and fun for all ages.

Solar Celebration

Travel to Southeast Missouri to experience the path of totality during a total eclipse of the sun, April 8. Several communities are hosting watch party celebrations. Sikeston’s Total Eclipse of the Park will feature three days of festivities including a crawfish boil, music festival and an eclipse watch party. In Cape Girardeau, the VisitCape Sportsplex Watch Party will include music, food and kids activities.