Explore West Plains

10/11/2026

Day 2 (Sunday, October 11) of OzFaire, hosted by Always a Future for Kids, is underway now until 6 p.m. at HOBA Bluegrass Park. Admission is $10 for ages 16 and up, $5 for children 8-15, and children under 8 are admitted free.

Go be part of the fun!

See schedule of events here: https://www.ozfaire.com/schedule?fbclid=IwY2xjawU4iLhleHRuA2FlbQIxMABwZG9mAWJyaWQRMWFuR0VjNUliaEp0OHZtcVBzcnRjBmFwcF9pZBAyMjIwMzkxNzg4MjAwODkyAAEeUl8dYT7BJIG7ayak8g47pn5zGVJWVzzZGtAeOTlMYICjfsd5R3cvlnL6JmI_aem_m0XG0U9nNvZssPtaB788Gg

10/11/2026

CONGRATULATIONS TO OUR RAGS TO ART WINNERS!

What a wonderful response to this year’s Rags to Art: A Fiber Art Show! We want to thank everyone who entered a piece, came by to see the show during Dolly & Porter Days, or took part in our People’s Choice voting.

Our judges selected:

🥇 First Place — $100
“Daddy Was an Old Time Preacher Man” — Billie Jean Blaylock Boley:
Created from quilt scraps, sequins salvaged from a homecoming dress, and leather from an old patchwork skirt. Inspired by the music of Dolly Parton and Porter Wagoner, particularly this song, which holds special meaning for the artist because her father and favorite uncle were both old-time preachers.

🥈 Second Place — $75
“Lost Forever in Your Kiss” — Katy Newton:
A portrait of Dolly Parton and Porter Wagoner created with scrap fabric, embroidery thread, yarn and rhinestones, all leftover from previous projects or found at local thrift stores. The piece also pays tribute to the two country music legends.

🥉 Third Place — $50
“Sentimental Memories Rug” — Gena Stout:
A handwoven rug wall hanging made from 43 upcycled neckties belonging to the artist’s grandfather, father, husband and son. Woven on her great-grandmother’s loom, the piece reflects five generations of family weaving tradition.

The cash prizes for first, second and third place were provided by West Plains Downtown.

PEOPLE’S CHOICE WINNER — “Lost Forever in Your Kiss” by Katy Newton:
Katy’s Dolly and Porter portrait was also the favorite in our People’s Choice voting and received $35 in prize money from the entry fees collected for the show.

PEOPLE’S CHOICE HONORABLE MENTION —
“Coat of Many Colors” by Pam Topliff:
Pam received the second-highest number of People’s Choice votes. Inspired by Dolly Parton’s childhood coat, her piece was made using repurposed fabrics, including material from a thrift store in West Branch, Michigan, and a shirt from the Christos House Thrift Store.

And the voting did more than recognize some favorite pieces! Visitors cast their votes with non-perishable food items or monetary donations. Together, you contributed $123 plus food items to benefit the Bridges Program at West Plains R-VII Schools, carrying on the spirit of Dolly’s tradition of helping others.

We also want to recognize the other pieces entered in this year’s show:

“Woven Top of Many Colors!” — Gena Stout:
Created as part of a 2024 weaving guild project with the Cabool/Houston guild. This colorful woven top features a vertical skip twill pattern, with a design adapted from Weaving You Can Wear. Gena describes it as a versatile garment that can be worn over a dress or belted.

“Second Chance Brights Tunic” — Gena Stout:
Made in 2015 using colorful yarn purchased at a thrift store and bright rug cotton. This woven tunic features a pattern from Weaving You Can Wear by Jean Wilson and is designed to be worn over leggings.

“Grandma’s Flower Child Shirt” — Helen Alexander:
A handmade long-sleeve shirt decorated with appliqué using scrap fabric, rickrack and lace, including fabric-covered buttons. Inspired by a grandmother’s love for flowers and her youngest granddaughter. (Created in the 1970s for granddaughter Kathy Schloss who entered the piece in her grandmother's memory.)

A big thank you to all of our artists for sharing their creativity and the stories behind their work, to everyone who stopped by the Explore West Plains booth to vote and donate, and to Downtown Vendors & Arts for allowing us to display the art in their window. You helped make Rags to Art a special part of this year’s Dolly & Porter Days!

10/10/2026

It's the final day of the Missouri State-West Plains - Hirsch Feed Grizzly Stampede College Rodeo and the first day of OzFaire!

The rodeo starts at 7 p.m. at the Heart of the Ozarks Fairgrounds (see our post from earlier this week for details) and OzFaire, hosted by Always a Future for Kids, is 10 a.m.-6 p.m. Saturday and Sunday, October 10-11, at HOBA Bluegrass Park. Admission is $10 for ages 16 and up, $5 for children 8-15, and children under 8 are admitted free. See the OzFaire page for details.

All part of a big weekend of fun. Welcome ya'll or ye all, whatever the case may be! 😁

Explore West Plains is proud to support both of these great events.

10/09/2026

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10/09/2026

The Hirsch Feed Grizzly Stampede College Rodeo got off to a great start last night, and we’re looking forward to two more nights of rodeo action—Friday and Saturday, October 9-10.

These photos show the contestant parking area, but it’s difficult to capture the full scope of this event. With more than 500 college rodeo contestants representing 18 colleges and 11 states—and their families—trucks, trailers, horses and activity can be seen throughout the fairgrounds and in spillover areas such as the neighboring First Church of God- West Plains parking lot.

We are so pleased to host these guests, and we want to thank West Plains for making them feel welcome and supporting this event. There are far too many businesses and individuals involved to name everyone, but what a tremendous boost this is for our community!

Gates open at 5 p.m., with food trucks and vendors available. The rodeo begins at 7 p.m. Admission is $15 per person per night. Children ages 12 and younger are admitted free when accompanied by a paying adult. Children may not be dropped off or left unattended.

The spectator entrance and parking are on the north side of the Heart of the Ozarks Fairgrounds, next to the Ozark Heritage Welcome Center at 2999 Porter Wagoner Boulevard.

Come out and help us give these college rodeo athletes another great West Plains welcome and be sure to offer your congratulations to Missouri State-West Plains Grizzly Rodeo!

10/08/2026

Gates are open and it’s almost rodeo time! The action starts at 7:00, but come on up and eat and shop! Spectators will park on the north side of the fairgrounds and enter the gate to park by the Ozark Heritage Welcome Center. Hirsch Feed Grizzly Stampede College Rodeo

10/08/2026

We'll see you there! Link to ticket information in Missouri State-West Plains Grizzly Rodeo post. See our Explore West Plains October 4 post for details about the rodeo.

IT'S RODEO TIME WEST PLAINS, MISSOURI!🔥🤠🙌

Hirsch Feed Grizzly Stampede College Rodeo presented by Explore West Plains🔥

This Thursday, Friday, and Saturday, 7pm at the Heart of the Ozarks Fairgrounds. Skip the line and get your tickets ahead of time: https://fan.hudl.com/usa/mo/west-plains/organization/125471/missouri-state-unive/tickets

10/08/2026

THROWBACK THURSDAY — West Plains may not have been part of the “Old West,” but livestock has long been—and continues to be—an important part of our area’s economy and way of life.

In 1980, Floyd McCabe shared memories of living in West Plains during the late 1920s and early ’30s in a letter to the editor of West Plains Gazette magazine. He recalled cowboys on horseback driving cattle to the West Plains Livestock Auction Barn (the Farrar barn) on St. Louis Street. The cattle sometimes crossed neighborhood yards along the way, but he said no one seemed to complain. For local children, the arrival of a cattle drive was an exciting event, and during the summer months they would make a beeline for the stockyards to watch the activity.

Weekly Monday cattle sales became nearly as important as Saturdays for downtown businesses. Farmers brought their cattle to the sale while their wives shopped downtown, and folks ate at local cafes.

The auctions sometimes continued until midnight. In a 1982 Gazette article, former employee Joe Horst remembered the barn as a friendly gathering place where everybody knew everybody—and where people could always find someone ready to talk about nearly any subject. Sales continued into the mid-1970s.

This photo, taken inside in the barn’s sale ring in 1958 and published in the Gazette in 1982, shows employee John Hanley with the cane; co-owner Frank Farrar at the microphone, flanked by employees Corliss Depee and Ernest Terry; co-owner Jack Farrar to the right of the desk; and buyer Homer Jennings beside the post with his hand on the railing.

That long connection to livestock makes this week an especially fitting time to welcome the Hirsch Feed Grizzly Stampede College Rodeo to West Plains. More than 500 contestants representing 18 colleges from 11 states will compete in ba****ck riding, barrel racing, breakaway, bull riding, goat tying, saddle bronc riding, steer wrestling, team roping and tie-down roping.

Every event will be featured each night beginning at 7 p.m. The rodeo is Thursday through Saturday, October 8–10, at the Heart of the Ozarks Fairgrounds, bringing a new chapter of livestock, competition and cowboy tradition to our community.

10/07/2026

📖 GUIDEBOOK ADVERTISER SPOTLIGHT

It's RODEO WEEK in West Plains, and today's spotlight features Hirsch Feed & Farm Supply, a locally owned independent business and this year's title sponsor of the Hirsch Feed Grizzly Stampede College Rodeo!

Located at 789 Worley Dr., Hirsch describes itself as “More Than A Farm Store,” and one trip through the store shows why. Along with feed and farm and ranch supplies, you'll find tack and horse supplies, animal-health products, fencing, lawn and garden supplies, tools and hardware, equipment, pet supplies, apparel, boots, hats, jeans, and much more.

Hirsch has long offered delivery service, and they've recently taken that convenience a step further with same-day delivery on qualifying purchases. It's another way the Hirsch team is helping customers get the products they need, when they need them—and you may spot one of their familiar delivery vehicles making the rounds throughout the area.

And there's a special sale happening during rodeo week! October 8, 9, and 10, shoppers can save 10% on Weaver Leather, Oxbow Tack, Classic Equine, Cactus Ropes, and Fast Back Ropes, and 20% on boots, hats, caps, and jeans (Ariat, Wrangler, Rock & Roll, Panhandle Slim). Whether you're a local getting ready for the rodeo or you're visiting West Plains for the Hirsch Feed Grizzly Stampede, it's a good time to stop in and take a look around.

Even if you don't have a farm to tend, Hirsch is worth a visit. It's one of those local stores where the selection might surprise you—with everything from western wear and boots to outdoor, pet, garden, hardware, and household items, there's plenty to browse.

The West Plains store is open Monday through Saturday, 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. Be sure to like and follow Hirsch Feed and Farm Supply West Plains on Facebook to keep up with specials, new products, services, and what's happening at the store.

We appreciate Hirsch Feed & Farm Supply's partnership in making the 2026 Explore West Plains Guidebook available to residents and visitors alike. Thanks to advertisers like them, we're able to produce this free publication that promotes West Plains as a destination while supporting local businesses.

10/06/2026

Thanks to Ozark Radio News for letting us talk about what we do at Explore West Plains, including that we'll be at the Hirsch Feed Grizzly Stampede College Rodeo this Thursday-Saturday, October 8-10.

And the website for the upcoming Ozark Heritage Festival, October 16-17. is ozarkheritagefestival.COM. Watch the video to see why we mention that. 😁