About This Festival
Previous Location
Drake Harbor|Drake Harbor, W Harrison St, Warsaw, MO | Map
Everfest's Take
From the Organizer
2017 was the first annual Cigar Box Guitar Music Festival and it was a huge hit! So much so that the American Blues Scene rated this festival the #4 of the Top Five Blues Festivals in Missouri! 2018 was even bigger and better! This two-day family-friendly event will feature nationally-recognized musicians playing their hand-made instruments featuring all different genres of music! The music festival is located overlooking beautiful Lake of the Ozarks at the Drake Harbor outdoor amphitheater and will be held Saturday, August 3rd 1-8pm and Sunday, August 4th 11am-5pm (times subject to change). Artists and musicians feature their homemade cigar box guitars, which are made of recyclable materials. As the name implies, the body is made of an empty cigar box. The head and neck can be made out of anything from broom handles to wooden slates or sticks and the actual body out of bedpans, skillets and anything in between. These cigar box guitars will be showcased for sale during the event. The musicians sell their creations starting at $50 and go up to around $500 on average. International touring artists, nationally-recognized and amateur musicians will be playing live bluegrass, rock, country and blues music using their handmade cigar box guitars. Food and merchandise vendors will contribute to the festivities and there will be a Beer Garden and KCBS sanctioned Back Yard BBQ Competition and Tasting Contest. Ryan Mackey, owner of Moonshine Designs has been making the cigar box guitars for many years and sells them online. “You create this unique masterpiece with your own two hands”, Mackey says. Mackey is also the organizer of this event and says “bring your family, friends, lawn chairs and tents and join us for a one of the best music festivals in the Ozarks”. He anticipates the attendance around 1500 people for their second year due to the following of the Cigar Box Guitar enthusiasts and live music. We've will have a smokin' hot line-up this year, which will be announced once the schedule is finalized. Come hungry, thirsty and ready to listen to LIVE MUSIC and be sure to bring your pop-up tent and lawn chairs because this is an open-air music festival! For more information, please contact Lynette at 660-438-2090 or lstokes@visitbentoncomo.com or Ryan at 660-233-1671.
