Springfield Sister Cities

05/17/2026

Willard’s Dallas Jones represents for Willard’s Chappell Roan to open the music at our Member Celebration - more entertainment, food and fellowship continuing until 1:30 at Springfield Botanical Gardens at Nathanael Greene/Close Memorial Park.

Then join Brett Miller and the Gigantic Band at 2pm for Gigs in the Garden 🎶🌼 Spring !

05/17/2026

Come join us for Sister Cities’ annual member celebration - 11:30 am-1:30 pm at Nathanael

05/17/2026

Come on out for the annual Member Celebration starting at 11:30 am today!

It’s open for everyone, but special perks for members. Join today and get tickets for free food and bevs and a vinyl sticker to celebrate our 40th anniversary.

And please consider some bucks for our bucket (hats) to help send Grupo Canela from Tlaquepaque, Mexico, to Isesaki, Japan’s annual fall festival as we bridge our three cities.

—11:30 am-1:30 pm
—Springfield Botanical Gardens at Nathanael Greene/Close Memorial Park

Stay for Brett Miller and the Gigantic Band performing at 2 pm at Gigs in the Garden 🎶🌼 Spring 2026 .

05/12/2026

🇯🇵Want to know more about what it's like to travel to Japan with Sister Cities? 🇯🇵

This fall's citizen delegation will travel Sept. 18-28 to Tokyo, Kyoto and Isesaki.

An informational meeting will be held at 5:30 p.m., Wednesday, May 13, in person and via Zoom. No registration is required.

📍Springfield-Greene County Botanical Center, 2400 S. Scenic Ave.

💻Zoom link:
https://us02web.zoom.us/j/85656160898...
Meeting ID: 856 5616 0898
Passcode: 901433

05/11/2026

Kirsten Weingartner Weiss, a violinist and principal violist with Springfield Symphony Orchestra MO, performed a lovely program of popular standards and jazz (with a little Taylor Swift included) at Gigs in the Garden on a beautiful Mother's Day Sunday afternoon.

Kids made an origami flower craft to share with the moms in their lives and Kirsten even invited a young fan up to accompany her on a song.

05/10/2026

Treat the special women in your life to today's (free) Gigs in the Garden concert by the Springfield Symphony violinist and violist Kirsten Weiss.

She'll perform at 2 p.m. today at the Peace Through People Pavilion at Springfield Botanical Gardens at Nathanael Greene/Close Memorial Park.

Kids can work on a Mother's Day-themed make-and-take craft.

(SSCA members get a $1 discount on beverages.)

04/23/2026

Learn more about traveling to Japan with Sister Cities this fall - Sept. 18-28.

Informational meetings take place at 5:30 p.m., today, April 23, and again at 5:30 p.m., Wednesday, May, 13 - both at the Springfield-Greene County Botanical Center, 2400 S. Scenic Ave.

No registration required.

Zoom link for both meetings:

https://us02web.zoom.us/j/85656160898?pwd=lMeE4fZeUndVnqiIhaiIfa3CT2JXxO.1
Meeting ID: 856 5616 0898
Passcode: 901433

01/08/2026

Great news for visitors to Springfield Botanical Gardens at Nathanael Greene/Close Memorial Park!

Sunshine Street (Missouri Route 413) Bridge is NOW OPEN over MNA Railroad between Scenic Avenue and Kansas Expressway (Missouri Route 13) in Springfield as of 5 a.m. this morning, January 8.

12/26/2025

A few more evenings to take advantage of your SSCA membership benefit and enjoy the lovely Gardens Aglow 🎄✨ 2025 at the Mizumoto Japanese Stroll Garden!

We are open again tonight through Sunday for Gardens Aglow 🎄✨ 2025. Get out of the house, enjoy the warm weather, and check out the lights!

12/12/2025

Today is one of our favorite days of the year. At this morning's Springfield-Greene County Park Board meeting, Executive Director Lisa Bakerink and SSCA board members Tim Robbins, Rachel Love-Jones, Nancy Hoeman and Rhonda Christopher presented our contribution of net admission proceeds from the 2025 Japanese Fall Festival - a record $64,581.33 this year!

This annual contribution - now about $480,000 since 2003, goes into a special fund for the Mizumoto Japanese Stroll Garden. This year, for example, these funds helped support a new exit gate for large events at the garden, the rebuilt Zig-Zag Bridge, the rebuilt Wisteria Island gazebo and enhancements at the Azumaya water wheel (with a bike rack still to come).

The SSCA's share of the festival proceeds goes directly to support expenses of next year's festival - the 30th annual!

12/11/2025

We are so grateful to be included among this fantastic group of nonprofits that were awarded Musgrave Foundation grants today. Thank you to the Community Foundation of the Ozarks for stewarding Mrs. Musgrave's generosity.

The annual grants support nonprofit operations, scholarships for nursing students and Ozark Tech's Wingspan Initiative.