Missouri’s bicentennial celebration in August starts to plan related events

Across the state, Missouri is preparing to celebrate 200 years with a variety of community events. // Image courtesy of the State Historical Society of Missouri

On Aug. 10, Missouri will reach 200 years since it became the 24th state to enter the union. As the state’s bicentennial rapidly approaches, many Missourians are gearing up to celebrate.

Bicentennial events in the works for August will join the growing list of more than 200 bicentennial events happening this year. The State Historical Society of Missouri and the University of Missouri have a hand in one of them as the hosts of this year’s Together for 21 Fest, a three-day festival at Center for Missouri Studies and Columbia’s MU campus. The festival will celebrate Missouri’s 200 years through the arts, with all kinds of activities such as live music, documentary film screenings, and folk art demonstrations.

The First Missouri State Capitol State Historic Site will also host a commemoration event on Aug. 7 at the place where Missouri’s first legislature met from 1821 to 1826. The event, organized by Missouri State Parks, will give Missourians a chance to tour the original rooms where it all happened.

There will be plenty of opportunities to celebrate Missouri’s 200 years in Jefferson City too at the State Capitol, such as a Gold Star Memorial dedication, a dedication of the Bicentennial Bridge, and a Statehood Day ceremony. The Missouri Bicentennial Commission is planning a statewide ice cream social on Aug 10., which Missourians across the state can join in on by signing up online and sharing photos of their community celebrations under the hashtag #ScoopsAcrossMissouri.

The Missouri State Fair in Sedalia will give a nod to the celebration as well with this year’s bicentennial theme. Bicentennial exhibits and events are joining the fair’s regular agenda of livestock shows, entertainment, and more.

All in-person events are being planned with health guidelines for COVID-19 safety in mind, but some of them will also be available to participate in via livestream. Find out more about how you can join in on the celebration of Missouri’s big day here.