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Santa-Cali-Gon is a free admission, four-day street festival presented by the Independence Chamber of Commerce and spanning Labor Day Weekend celebrating Independence, Missouri as the starting point of the three trails – the Santa Fe, California and Oregon.
The festival was ranked No. 10 in Sunshine Artist's 200 Best Rankings and received a five-star rating by the magazine for 2010. [1]
The 2011 Santa-Cali-Gon Days® Festival will be held Sept. 2-5, 2011 on the Historic Independence Square.
History
editThe first Santa-Cali-Gon Days® was held in 1940 to celebrate the unique heritage of Independence as the starting point of the Santa Fe, California, and Oregon Trails.
A second celebration was held after World War II in 1947.
The event would not be held again until 1973. The festival, then called Three Trails Days, featured a beard and mustache contest, the Miss Independence pageant and a pioneer costume contest.
In 1974, the festival was renamed Santa-Cali-Gon Days® a name originally penned by Velma Katschkowsky in a 1940 contest to name the festival.
In 38 years the Festival has evolved into one of the nations premier festivals, drawing more than 225,000 people. [2]
Information
editDates and Times - Friday, Sept 2, Noon - 11 p.m., Saturday, Sept. 3, 10 a.m. – 11 p.m., Sunday, Sept 4, 10 a.m. – 11 p.m., Monday, Sept. 5, 10 a.m. – 5 p.m.
Admission - All Santa-Cali-Gon Days® activities except for the carnival rides are FREE.
Location - The Historic Independence Square in Independence, Mo. The Santa-Cali-Gon Days® Festival covers 11 city blocks of the Historic Independence Square, from Osage to Memorial Drive, between Truman and Walnut streets. Shuttle service will not be available on Friday from William Chrisman High School.
Parking - Parking close to the festival grounds is limited. Free shuttle service is available from satellite parking lots at William Chrisman High School, 1223 N Noland Road, and the Community of Christ Auditorium, 1001 W. Walnut Street. Shuttle service will not be available on Friday from William Chrisman High School.
Restrictions - For the convenience of all festival goers, pets are not allowed in the festival grounds. No Firearms.
Souvenirs - Limited edition, 2011 Santa-Cali-Gon Days® Festival T-shirts and buttons are available for purchase at the festival information booth, located at the corner of Main and Maple streets.
Handicapped Accessibility - Sanitary Units- Osage between Lexington and Maple, SW corner of Lynn and Lexington and in parking lot at Truman and Main. Handicapped parking is available at Lynn and Kansas and Lynn and Truman Roads. Free handicapped accessible shuttles provided.
Beat the Heat - In case of higher temperatures, festival organizers are taking extra steps to ensure the comfort and safety of Santa-Cali-Gon attendees. A Pardners Rest tent, financed by Independence area businesses and located on Lexington Street, will provide festival goers a shady place to rest. The Pardners tent also has tables for attendees to sit and enjoy some of the great festival food.
Lost Child Service - Upon arrival to the Santa-Cali-Gon Days® Festival, parents can stop by the Independence Housing Authority Lost Child Booth, located at the southwest corner of Maple and Main, to obtain an ID bracelet for small children. Emergency contact information is written on each bracelet, and in the event that the child becomes lost, the bracelets are used to locate the family of that child.
Comfort Zone - Serving as a first aid station, the Centerpoint Medical Center Comfort Zone is located in the heart of the festival. The Comfort Zone will provide a place for visitors to cool off, have a health professional tend to bumps and bruises, and quench their thirst with a cool drink of water.
Features and Activities
editFree Live Country Music Performances –Admission to all performances is free. The 2011 Main Stage concert series features; George Strait Tribute (featuring Larry Turner), Marty Stuart, Tate Stevens, Dirt Drifters, Eli Young Band, Rustic Heart, Randy Montana, James Wesley, Blue Orleans and Live Bait (Jimmy Buffet Tribute Band).
Eight Giant Market Vendor Tents – The Santa-Cali-Gon Days® Festival market vendor show has consistently ranked among the top 25 in the country by Sunshine Artist Magazine. Santa-Cali-Gon features eight giant shopping tents, filled with more than 400 vendors selling various items. Admission is free.
Huge Carnival Midway – Presented by Wade Shows, the Santa-Cali-Gon Days® Festival carnival features traditional carnival rides, and larger ones such as the Himalaya and Spin-Out. The Santa-Cali-Gon Days® Festival carnival is family priced. Coupons will be available at the Chamber office and various other locations.
Community Stage and Gospel Stage - The Community Stage will feature local performance groups and contests for kids while the Gospel Stage will feature "Christ honoring" Gospel music. [3]
Food – A large variety of food, from kettle corn to shishkabobs, barbecue, onion blossoms, ice cream and turkey legs are available at the Santa-Cali-Gon Days® Festival.
References
editExternal links
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Category:Festivals in Missouri
Category:Independence, Missouri
Category:Tourist attractions in Jackson County, Missouri