An Ozark Woodstock: Fans, foes recall ‘74 festival that rocked Missouri town

Ozark Woodstock: Mo. rock fest vets reminisce

SEDALIA, Mo. — Baby boomers in America’s heartland are reminiscing about one of the biggest, yet least-known music festivals of its time that rocked the Missouri State Fairgrounds.

It was essentially an Ozark Woodstock.

Promoters of the 1974 festival told officials in Sedalia that it would be a soft-rock event with less than 50,000 fans. But a crowd more than three times that showed up to hear Aerosmith, Ted Nugent, the Eagles, REO Speedwagon, Lynyrd Skynyrd and other bands.

The crowds overwhelmed the central Missouri town. Traffic closed roads and businesses. One concertgoer died and police reported about 1,000 drug overdoses. The Sedalia Democrat described “a mountain of human waste and dirty syringes” in the aftermath.

The festival’s 35th anniversary is commemorated at an exhibit in Sedalia that features a documentary, photos and music.