Independence Roots Festival

A Music Festival that celebrates American roots music heritage on the Historic Independence Square. Four stages (3 Trails Brewing, Courthouse Exchange, Liberty Lounge, & Ophelia's Restaurant & Inn) will feature performances of Blues, Bluegrass, Folk, Gospel, Jazz, Traditional Country, and Zydeco.

An all-day festival pass is only $20 in advance ($30 day of show). Performances will begin at 2:30 pm and end at midnight. A VIP dinner option will include food and signature performance by Copper Threading.

Join us for a day of friends, family, and community on October 5. Festival passes may be picked up day of the event at Will Call Booth (Liberty Lounge - 110 S. Liberty St.) or beginning Mon., Sept 30 - Fri., Oct 4 10 am - noon at the ISA office, 106 S. Liberty Street. Just present your Eventbrite QR code to redeem your ticket for a festival pass.

Bands will include: Bob & Diana, 3 Trails West, Matchsellers, Cowtown Country Club, Catgut, Copper Threading (VIP event), Hot Club KC. This list will be updated as additional acts are confirmed.

One of the first “roots” songs ever played in Independence was an old folk song brought here by river flatboatmen and early pioneers. No one knows who wrote it or when, but it tells the story of a French fur trader who left his Native American love to “cross the wide Missouri” and venture into the west beyond. No doubt many pioneers sang this song around the campfires surrounding the Independence Square before heading out on the Oregon, California, or Santa Fe Trail, and shared it with countless others when they reached the end of the journey. It’s called O Shenandoah!

For generations, old traditional folk songs like O Shenandoah were passed along as an oral tradition, particularly in the Appalachians and Ozarks. Unfortunately some of these songs were eventually forgotten and lost. In 1927, a young man from Independence named Ralph Peer, who was working in the relatively new field of sound recording, decided to change that. He went to the hill country with his equipment to record the old songs as performed by the hill people themselves. He not only recorded what was called “hillbilly” music, but traditional jazz and blues as well.

His most famous recording session, which took place in Bristol Tennessee, is often referred to as the “Big Bang” of County Music, because it was there he recorded, among others, the Carter Family, the “First Family of Country Music” and Jimmie Rodgers, Country Music’s first nationally known superstar. Both had a profound influence on County, Bluegrass, Pop, Blues, and even Rock and Roll, but none of it would’ve happened without Ralph Peer from Independence Missouri.

Thank you to our sponsors, Independence Square Association, 3 Trails Brewing Co., Ophelia's Restaurant & Inn, Courthouse Exchange Restaurant,

Event Venue & Nearby Stays

The Independence Square, 113 West Lexington Avenue, Independence, United States