Branson’s Silver Dollar City holds Biggest ever “Festival of American Music & Crafts”

The Ozarks’ premier fall festival showcases the best of the classic West when Silver Dollar City adds a new Salute to the Great American Cowboy for the biggest ever Festival of American Music & Crafts, running September 8 – October 29 at the theme park near Branson.

The golden age of the American cowboy and the country’s favorite Western heroes are celebrated with musical performances, riding and roping acts, cowboy poets, storytelling and Western crafts. Singer-songwriter Michael Martin Murphey, Grammy-winners Riders in the Sky, and the popular Sons of the San Joaquin headline special shows, with ongoing performances by Roy Rogers, Jr. and the palomino-riding Sons of Tennessee. A new arena is the stage for trick riders and rodeo stars performing on horseback, a longhorn steer and a Brahman bull.

Meet some of television’s top Western heroes when Gunsmoke’s Buck Taylor hosts stars of America’s favorite Westerns, including Robert Fuller, Peter Brown, Kim Darby, and cowboy poet Waddie Mitchell. Throughout the festival, a special showcase of cowboy crafters features custom-made leather hats and boots, Navajo jewelry, western art, bronze sculpture and silversmithing.

The festival also presents more than 400 musicians playing bluegrass, string band, country and gospel, and 125 visiting craftsmen from around the country demonstrating crafts from weaving to basket making. New crafts include stained glass bird sculpture, Cypress-knee carvings, and fused glass jewelry. Best of Missouri Hands juried artists handcraft pewterware, bent-willow furniture and raku pottery.

The best of bluegrass is a daily feature with national touring bands including Cherryholmes, named Society for the Preservation of Bluegrass Music of America

(SPBGMA) Entertaining Band of the Year in 2004 and 2005; Pine Mountain Railroad, nominated as 2004 International Bluegrass Music Association (IBMA) Emerging Artist of the Year; the Larry Stephenson Band, led by 2004 SPBGMA Male Vocalist of the Year Larry Stephenson; and one of the hottest new groups, Hit & Run Bluegrass, 2005 IBMA Showcase Band and SPBGMA International Band Champions. Western swing favorites such as Les Gilliam and the Silver Lake Band and Texas in the Swing fire up the floor at the country barn dance. Over 70 performances fill stages throughout the park daily.

Southern Gospel Nights returns to Echo Hollow Amphitheatre – seven nights of performances with Southern Gospel favorites September 23-25, 28-30, and Oct. 1. Performers include the Kingsmen, winners of 9 Dove Awards; the Florida Boys, named to the Southern Gospel Music Hall of Fame and Dove Award winners; The Lewis Family, 10-time SPBGMA Traditional Bluegrass Gospel Group of the Year and 4-time Dove Award winners; and the Dixie Melody Boys, Grammy-nominees and members of the Southern Gospel Music Hall of Fame.

Sample the flavor of the West with campfire cooking, featuring a hearty Milk Can Supper of Texas sausage, roasting ears, red potatoes and vegetables cooked up in a milk can on a bed of coals, and the Trail Drive Steak cooked on a pitchfork, served with an ice-cold sarsaparilla. Or dine around the arena at Tastes of America, feasting on barbecued ribs, roasted prairie chicken or buffalo chili, and desserts from blackberry cobbler to hot apple dumplings with cinnamon sauce.

Throughout the festival, the park is open 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Wednesdays through Sundays, and 9:30 a.m. to 7 p.m. on Saturdays.

For further information or to purchase tickets on line click here or call 800-590-0155.