36 Years of Bluegrass and Fiddling Fill the Park Today
Festus, MO · September 26, 2026
Fiddles are tuning up across the park while early-morning sirens echo along Highway 61. It is shaping up to be one of those Saturdays where sitting on the porch feels like missing out.
The Lead
The lawn chairs are out and the sound checks are rolling at Larry G. Crites Memorial Park as the 36th Annual George Portz Traditional Music Festival gets underway. What began decades ago under national fiddle champion George Portz has grown into one of the region’s premier acoustic showcases, preserved today by his son Jason and a dedicated network of traditional musicians. The grounds fill from 10:00 AM through 9:00 PM with bluegrass, Irish, and folk performances, anchored this evening by The Howlin' Brothers at 5:00 PM and headliners The Po' Ramblin' Boys at 7:00 PM. Beyond the main stage, the gathering functions as a sprawling neighborhood reunion, complete with dozens of craft vendors, smoke from local food stands, and campers settling in along the perimeter. Gate admission is twenty dollars, with children twelve and under admitted free.
Local Pulse
Tigers Shut Out Hillsboro in Rivalry Clash Schools Festus varsity football blanked the Hawks 20–0 on Friday night, extending their dominant streak in the cross-county rivalry.
Roundabout Contract Awarded for Highway 61 Intersection Roads County officials awarded construction bids this week to build a new roundabout at Interstate 55 Exit 170 next month.
District Prepares for Annual Homecoming Spirit Week Community Festus R-VI students kick off district-wide dress-up days Monday morning ahead of next weekend's high school parade and festivities.
Today's Outlook
- High 81°F · Low 60°F — Overcast
- Cloud cover keeps the afternoon comfortable, making light layers ideal for all-day outdoor events.
What's On Around Town
Today
Jefferson County Fire Engine Rally St. Pius X High School (1030 St. Pius Dr), Crystal City, 9:00 AM · Free Watch vintage pumpers and modern rescue rigs parade toward Herculaneum.
Scholastic and Friends Book Fair Jefferson County Library - Northwest Branch (5680 MO-PP), High Ridge, 9:00 AM–12:00 PM · Free Browse nostalgic book fair favorites alongside a coffee pop-up.
Herculaneum Fall Festival Herculaneum City Park (776 Joachim Ave), Herculaneum, 5:00–9:00 PM · Free Enjoy food trucks, bounce houses, and evening tunes with the family.
Tomorrow
- Meert Tree Farm Pumpkin Patch Meert Tree Farm (14560 Dry Fork Rd), 9:00 AM–4:30 PM · Free
- Sundays at Sunset: Ian Ferguson Sunset Park, 6:00–8:00 PM · Free
Monday
- Book & Cook: Seasoned Pretzels Jefferson County Library - Arnold Branch (1701 Missouri State Rd), Arnold, 4:30 PM · Free
- City Council Work Session Festus City Hall (711 W Main St), 5:30 PM · Free
Spotlight & Story
- 26 Mississippi Avenue
- Built in 1924 as the headquarters for Pittsburgh Plate Glass Works Nine, this brick landmark once directed operations for the world’s largest plate glass factory. Today, newly restored as a community center, its century-old halls host local makers, workshops, and private gatherings.
Festus Daily Digest — compiled from local sources as of 6 AM. For breaking updates, follow your local newsrooms.
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