Neosho Fall Festival Draws Thousands to Historic Downtown

NEOSHO, Mo. — Historic Downtown Neosho came alive Saturday as thousands of visitors gathered for the City of Neosho's annual Fall Festival, filling the streets with art, handmade crafts, food and family activities.

Held annually on the first Saturday of October, the arts and craft centered festival brings together local artists, vendors, organizations and families for a day celebrating creativity and community.

The 2026 festival ran from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. and featured a wide variety of handmade goods and artwork. The City of Neosho presents the event with support from organizations including the Neosho Arts Council and the Newton County Historical Society.

Last year's festival attracted more than 17,000 visitors, and organizers expanded this year's event with additional entertainment, family activities and opportunities for vendors.

Among the many booths lining downtown were three artists whose work reflected the personal stories and creativity that make the festival more than a shopping event.

Finding a creative escape

For Kelsey, the artist behind Kelsey's Pottery, pottery has become a way to step away from the demands of everyday life and focus on something she loves.

A mother of two young boys, Kelsey said pottery provides her with a creative outlet and a chance to reset.

"This is just a hobby of mine that I like to do in my downtime," she said. "I have two little boys, and so it's kind of my time away and just a reset."

Kelsey has been making pottery on and off for several years. She took a few classes while in college before creating a small home studio of her own.

Now, she brings her work to events like the Neosho Fall Festival to share it with the community.

"I just wanted to share my art with everyone," Kelsey said. "I really enjoy it."

From a mechanic to a jewelry business owner

For Ben Melton of Oak Ridge Designs Jewelry, the business began with a problem he encountered in his day job.

Melton, who still works full time as a mechanic, said he had trouble finding rings that suited him and his work.

"I couldn't find rings that I like because I'm a mechanic by trade," Melton said. "I used to wear the biker rings, but they were big and kind of gaudy, and they did not fit inside engines."

His solution was to make his own.

The business began about four years ago with wood rings. When those didn't hold up to the demands of Melton's work, he began experimenting with metal.

"We started with wood rings. They didn't hold up because they have to hold up to me to be sellable," he said. "Then we went to metal rings, and we decided to start selling them, and it blew up tremendously."

Today, Melton creates rings from a wide range of materials, including wood, stone and fabric. He also makes memorial rings entirely from fabric.

His connection to the region is reflected in some of his designs. Melton grew up in War Eagle, Arkansas, and one of his early rings was named the War Eagle and incorporated river rocks from beneath the War Eagle Bridge and part of the area's water wheel.

"We will make rings out of pretty much literally anything," Melton said. "We make rings out of wood, stone, fabric. Anything you can imagine."

Melton said Oak Ridge Designs will continue appearing at craft fairs throughout the year. The business is scheduled to attend fairs every weekend through Dec. 13.

"We are booked solid," he said. "We don't have a weekend free between now and December 13th."

Turning boredom into art

Pam Lackey of Pam's Wood Burning also found her craft through an unexpected beginning.

Lackey has been wood burning for about 10 years and has been selling her work at booths and craft fairs for about five years.

Her answer for how she first got into wood burning was simple.

"Boredom," Lackey said. "Yeah. I was bored, so I picked a hobby and this just was something I enjoyed doing and I get lost in it."

Lackey said she doesn't use a laser to create her designs. Instead, she creates her pieces by hand with a pyro pen.

Her work is available at craft fairs, and she also accepts personalized orders from customers.

For Lackey, however, the business is about more than simply selling artwork. She said one of her favorite parts is watching customers find a piece that means something to them.

"I love it when people find the right one and they say, 'Oh, I've been looking for something like this. This is so cool,'" Lackey said. "And it puts a smile on their face. That's awesome. That's what I look for."

A celebration of local creativity

Stories like those of Kelsey, Melton and Lackey illustrate the variety of artists and makers who make the Neosho Fall Festival a yearly tradition.

From pottery created as a personal escape, to a mechanic's search for a better ring, the festival gives visitors an opportunity to meet the people behind the handmade products.

With its combination of vendors, food, entertainment, family activities and community organizations, the annual festival continues to turn Historic Downtown Neosho into a gathering place for residents and visitors each fall.

For the artists who participate, the event offers something just as valuable as a sale: the chance to put their work in front of people and share the stories behind it.