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Music, campfires and goats at the Highlonesome Festival

KSMU | By Jimmy Rea
Published August 28, 2025 at 10:50 AM CDT
Highlonesome Music Festival
Promotional Image for Highlonesome Music Festival
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Highlonesome Music Festival

Dockley Ranch hosts its annual four-day Highlonesome Music Festival this weekend in Ava, Missouri.

The Highlonesome Music Festival returns to Dockley Ranch in Ava, Missouri, over Labor Day weekend, Aug. 29-31, 2025. The nonprofit, founded by Claire and Myke Gemkow, blends live folk, bluegrass and roots music with hands-on nature learning across 80 wooded acres. Expect midnight storytelling and campfire jams, foraging hikes with the Missouri Mycological Society, goat yoga, kids’ art and pottery workshops, and an original songwriting competition that awards a slot in the 2026 lineup. Three-day passes include free field camping, with options to reserve tent sites or RV sites, and a Thursday pre-party allows early arrival. More information is at www.highlonesomemusicfestival.com/.
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News Highlonesome Music Festival Dockley RanchAva MOJimmy ReaMissouri Arts Council
Jimmy Rea
Jimmy Rea is a proud Ozarkian with deep ties to the music community. With 2 decades of creative entrepreneurship underfoot, Jimmy has toured coast to coast and around the world with acoustic acts The HillBenders and Keller Williams. Spearheading numerous musical groups, recording projects, and live music events, Rea’s work in the Springfield music scene is a passion and lifestyle. Happily married to wife Melissa and father to Archie, they enjoy life together with 2 dogs and a cat. In his downtime you can find Jimmy fishing for bass in the crisp rivers, creeks, and streams of the Ozarks.
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