55th Jesse James Festival brings two weekends of Entertainment to Kearney

The 55th Jesse James Festival will return to Kearney for two weekends of community entertainment Sept. 12 and Sept. 18–20, with most activities centered at Jesse James Park. The schedule features a demolition derby, barbecue cookoff, downtown parade, arts and crafts, tournaments, live music and two rodeo performances.

Opening night: Demolition derby

The festival begins at 7 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 12, with a demolition derby and Kids Power Wheels presented by Grandstand Attractions Inc. Robinson Chainsaw Carvings will be displayed ahead of an evening auction. Admission is free for children 6 and younger and $15 for ages 7 and older. Pit passes cost an additional $25, and no one younger than 13 will be allowed in the pits.

Friday: Barbecue registration and dancing

Activities resume Friday, Sept. 18, when registration for the 38th annual Jesse James BBQ Cookoff and 35th State Championship runs from 8 a.m. to 7 p.m. At 6:30 p.m., Tami Davis will lead free line-dancing instruction at the Jesse James Park Pavilion. Food and drinks will be available for purchase, and DJ D’Gatsby will keep the music going from 8 to 10 p.m.

Saturday: Parade, contests, rodeo and dance

Saturday, Sept. 19, opens with the E. Howard Porter Post 5717 VFW country breakfast from 7:30 to 10 a.m. at the VFW Hall. Parade lineup staging and Little Mr. and Miss registration begin at 8 a.m., followed by Little Mr. and Miss judging at 8:30 a.m. in front of Kearney Feed Supply. Parade entries will be judged at 9 a.m. in float, non-motorized, motorized, equestrian and crowd-pleaser categories, with plaques for first place and ribbons for second and third. A traveling trophy will honor the entry that best represents the parade theme.

The barbecue competition runs from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m., with winners announced at 4 p.m. A disc golf tournament begins at 9:30 a.m. at Jesse James Park, and the downtown Kearney parade steps off at 10 a.m. Arts & Crafts Alley will be open from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. A free, eight-class garden tractor pull starts at 11 a.m. in the demolition derby arena.

Mud volleyball registration begins at noon, followed by a captains meeting at 12:30 p.m. and tournament play at 1 p.m. Mutton busting registration for children 6 and younger begins at 4 p.m.; riders will be selected at 5 p.m., when a $10 registration fee is due, and the ride begins at 5:30 p.m.

The URA/MRCA Rodeo, presented by C.R. McKellips Rodeo Co. Inc., begins at 6 p.m. and includes a Kids Boot Scramble and Robinson Chainsaw Carvings display and auction. Admission is free for children 6 and younger and $15 for ages 7 and older. Rodeo contestants may register by phone from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Wednesday, Sept. 9, at 417-876-2353.

The evening closes with a free festival dance featuring Pistol Creek from 8 to 11:30 p.m. Attendees younger than 18 must be accompanied by a parent or guardian. The dance is presented by the Kearney St. Michael’s Knights of Columbus.

Sunday: Car show, fishing and final rodeo

Sunday, Sept. 20, begins at 9 a.m. with on-site registration for the Jesse James Open Car Show at $20 per vehicle. The top 30 cars will receive plaques, and drawings are planned for a 50/50 prize, a cooler and half of a hog. The Vincents will perform live from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. The car show opens to the public at 10 a.m., with winners and the hog-drawing recipient announced at 2 p.m.

A free kids fishing tournament runs from 9 to 11 a.m. at Jesse James Park, with divisions for ages 0–6 and 7–12. High Point Cowboy Church will present a cowboy worship service at 10 a.m. near the rodeo arena. Arts & Crafts Alley will be open from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m., and the free Jesse James Open Tractor Show begins at 11 a.m.

Sunday’s mutton busting registration starts at 12:30 p.m. for children 6 and younger. Riders will be selected at 1:30 p.m., when the $10 fee is due, and the ride begins at 2 p.m. The festival concludes with a URA/MRCA Rodeo at 2:30 p.m., featuring another Kids Boot Scramble. Rodeo admission is free for children 6 and younger and $15 for ages 7 and older.

KPGZ News – Brian Watts contributed to this story.

54th Annual Jesse James Festival Returns to Kearney

The 54th Jesse James Festival is set to bring heritage, entertainment, and community spirit back to Kearney, Missouri, September 13 and the weekend of the 19th through 21st. Held at Jesse James Park and downtown Kearney, the festival honors the town’s most famous native son while offering a full weekend of family fun.

The action begins September 13th with the demolition derby and Kids Power Wheels race at 7 pm, always a crowd favorite. Children six and under get in free, general admission is $15, and pit passes are available for $25. Chainsaw carvings by Robinson Chainsaw Carvings will also be on display, with pieces sold at auction.

The following weekend heats up with the 37th Annual and 35th State Championship Jesse James Barbecue Cook-Out, a Kansas City Barbecue Society-sanctioned contest running Friday and Saturday. Teams will compete in brisket, ribs, chicken, pork shoulder, and specialty categories for prize money, trophies, and bragging rights. A beer garden and live music add to the festive atmosphere.

Saturday, September 20th, starts with the VFW Country Breakfast and the annual parade downtown, featuring the 2025 theme “Back to 1845: the Wild Frontier Begins.” Floats, equestrian entries, and local groups will compete for awards, while Arts & Crafts Alley, a disc-golf tournament, and the new free Garden Tractor Pull give families plenty to enjoy. A carnival opens at noon, and the afternoon features mud volleyball before the rodeo takes over the arena at 6 p.m. The night wraps up with a free Jesse James Dance under the stars, headlined by Pistol Creek.

On Sunday, September 21st, classic cars roll into town for a show starting at 9 am, while the Cody Vanderau Band provides live music from 10 am to 2 pm. Kids can join a free fishing tournament and families can attend Cowboy Worship near the rodeo arena. Arts & Crafts Alley and the carnival return for one more day, and the festival concludes with a hog raffle drawing and rodeo at 2:30 pm.

Now in its 54th year, the Jesse James Festival has become a tradition that honors Kearney’s place in history while bringing the community together. With food, competition, music, and plenty of small-town charm, it remains one of Missouri’s most anticipated fall celebrations.

KPGZ News – Brian Watts contributed to this story.

Jesse James Festival Returns for 53rd Year

Next week, the annual Jesse James Festival returns to Kearney with new events and familiar favorites. This is the 53rd year for Kearney’s biggest event.

The two-weekend festival has several events and activities that every family member will enjoy. The festival begins Friday evening, September 13, when the carnival opens at Jesse James Park in Kearney.

On Saturday, September 14, activities include the Bill James 5k/10k Classic Run at 8 am and the Demolition Derby & Power Wheels event beginning at 7 pm.

On Thursday, September 20, the carnival opens again at the park. Carnival hours are 6 – 10 pm and entrance armbands are $25.

Friday brings in the main festival and has biggest events and activities including the thirty-sixth annual Jesse James Barbeque Cook-Out, free festival dance, and catfish tournament.

On Saturday, the annual Jesse James Festival Parade is the big event of the day. The parade begins at 10 am in downtown Kearney. Other events of the day include the carnival, rodeo, vendors, disc golf, axe throwing, petting zoo, large kite show, and more at Jesse James Park.

On Sunday the festival is open all day with the carnival, vendors, car and motorcycle shows, and more. For more information about the Jesse James Festival and a schedule of events go to jessejamesfestival.com.

Kearney is the birthplace and boyhood home of Jesse James, as well as his final resting place. The city hosts this festival that brings a large collection of people from all walks of life together. Each year, during the 3rd weekend of September, the festival is in full swing at the Jesse James Park, just north of Kearney on Highway 33.

KPGZ News - Brian Watts contributed to this story.

Jesse James Parade Entry Information

The Jesse James Festival is coming up again next month and the festival committee is asking for participants in the Jesse James Parade. This will be the 53nd year for the festival.

This year’s Jesse James Parade theme is “Patriotic.” The categories judged at the parade include floats, non-motorized, motorized, equestrian and crowd pleaser. Ribbons or plaques along with the ultimate prize will be given to 1st, 2nd, and 3rd place winners.

The parade this year will be on Saturday, September 21, at 10 am in Kearney. Parade applications can be found HERE. The deadline to register is August 31.

Entry forms should be completed and returned with fee to the PO Box 536, Kearney, MO 64060. The parade order of line-up will be placed in order by date of receipt of entry form with fee.

For questions, please call Julie Hedges at 816-507-5503 or Ashley Hedges at 816-797-3957.

Brian Watts contributed to this story.