Ozarks Alive

Ozarks Alive OzarksAlive.com is a cultural preservation project dedicated to sharing the unique people, places &

Downtown Springfield can feel a world away from the Ozarks at ASA Al-FURAT, an Iraqi coffee shop on Route 66 that focuse...
06/16/2026

Downtown Springfield can feel a world away from the Ozarks at ASA Al-FURAT, an Iraqi coffee shop on Route 66 that focuses on coffee, tea and pastries.

I had the pleasure this morning of visiting with Imtihan Alaid, its owner, about the shop and her story. I'll share more in an article soon, so stay tuned, but I just wanted to give an early peek at this unique opportunity to experience another culture.

Imtihan is from Iraq but spent years in Turkey as a refugee before coming to the United States. In her shop, she shares traditional flavors and delicacies (including an emphasis on the spice cardamon and drinks like date coffee) with us. The tea and coffee I tried were delicious!

Thanks to I Love Springfield, MO! for sponsoring the creation of this story. More to come soon!

I recently posed a question: What is the future of small, rural cemeteries? As communities change, will — or should the ...
06/16/2026

I recently posed a question: What is the future of small, rural cemeteries? As communities change, will — or should the expectation be — all survive into the future? And how do those questions stand in contrast to a growing group of interested folks online?

I spoke with experts including Abby Burnett, who has written extensively about Arkansas cemeteries; Randy Ridgway, the leader of a cemetery in Huntsville, Arkansas, and Jessica Leroy, who runs the social media platform Headstone History, for their thoughts.

Learn more in this month's Ozarks Notebook column in The Daily Yonder — a link to the story is in the comments.

These are the faces of someone smiling because you’re supposed to in photos, and the same person’s real feelings as they...
06/16/2026

These are the faces of someone smiling because you’re supposed to in photos, and the same person’s real feelings as they prepare to eat a pie…topped with sour cream.

Also known as Ozarks Pie Project entry #139: Sour Cream Raisin Pie.

OK, don’t get me wrong. I love sour cream. It’s a great ingredient. But it wasn’t until today that it has ever topped one of my pies.

I know that there are strong feelings about raisin pies. Some have meringue. Others have nuts. Some are raisins cooked incredibly sweet. And then there’s this one, which I knew I had to make when I found it in a Vanzant, Missouri, vintage cookbook. It was sour cream cooked with eggs, sugar, raisins, corn starch and lemon juice. After you cook that thick, you spread it in a baked pie shell and top that with even more sour cream.

And, of course, I had to try it, too.

I’m happy to say it’s actually pretty good. Others liked it, too. I did decide to soften the pure sour cream with some cinnamon sugar, which may have been a greater benefit to my attitude than anything else. In any event, it didn’t hurt.

I’m sorry to say that I ran off to the McClurg Jam without taking a picture of the recipe, but if you’re interested, please check back later — I’ll add it in the comments. In the meantime: Have you tried a raisin pie like this before?

Two new oral histories — featuring storyteller Marideth Sisco and forager Bo Brown — are now available to hear online th...
06/15/2026

Two new oral histories — featuring storyteller Marideth Sisco and forager Bo Brown — are now available to hear online thanks to the Missouri Folk Arts Program. Marideth, who passed away last month, and Bo were longtime friends and recognized last year as Living Traditions fellows by MFAP by their many years of work in sharing and preserving Missouri traditions.

I am very glad their stories have been preserved (and I was honored to conduct the interview with Bo). Check out the link to listen if you'd like to hear their stories.

https://www.youtube.com/

06/15/2026

Just a reminder: Today's the deadline! Nominations for the Rock Picking Awards are accepted until midnight. Please submit people and organizations who are making a difference for the culture of our region. A link to make nominations is in the comments.

A brand-new opportunity to experience Arkansas culture is coming up later the month at the Arkansas Folklife Festival. T...
06/14/2026

A brand-new opportunity to experience Arkansas culture is coming up later the month at the Arkansas Folklife Festival. The festival — which runs from June 26 to 28 in North Little Rock — showcases traditions including music, dance, food and more. Headliners include Bobby Rush and Lucinda Williams, musicians who each have won three Grammy Awards.

And, a key note: All sessions in this celebration are free to attend.

“(It’s a) cool opportunity to have three days where all the different cultural regions are in one place,” says Rachel Reynolds, the festival’s organizer, native Arkansan and folklorist. “You can experience it, and then be like, ‘Oh, well, I'm super interested in that,’ and come back and dig deeper in that thing that lights your fire.”

Learn more about the festival's background and what's ahead via a link in the comments.

The Ozarks Alive Cooperative's roadtrip down Route 66 was a great success!We stopped today at three landmarks along the ...
06/13/2026

The Ozarks Alive Cooperative's roadtrip down Route 66 was a great success!

We stopped today at three landmarks along the route west of Springfield: Yeakley United Methodist Church, said to be the oldest operating church along Route 66 in Greene County; Spencer Station - Route 66, a ghost town that's coming back to life; and Phelps School, a one-room rural school that was recently restored.

I want to thank our hosts at these sites for allowing us to stop and learn about these landmarks. I also want to express my appreciation for Ozarks Alive Cooperative members — both those who attended today, and those who couldn't.

Cooperative members help support Ozarks Alive. For just five dollars a month, they receive a special email newsletter and free access to field trips like this one. However, in my mind, it's about more than what they "get." It's about supporting the overall mission of Ozarks Alive.

If you enjoy this content and want to help support it, a link to become a member is in the comments. You can join (and cancel) at any time.

Thanks to everyone who came out for tonight’s Folk Lure Exchange on “Ozarks Ghost Towns and Lost Landmarks” at the Oldfi...
06/13/2026

Thanks to everyone who came out for tonight’s Folk Lure Exchange on “Ozarks Ghost Towns and Lost Landmarks” at the Oldfield Opry building. I had so much fun, and I hope you all did too!

The highlight of the evening was having guest Francis Skalicky share about Karlin, a settlement of immigrants in rural Polk County. They arrived around the turn of the 20th century from Bohemia, land that today comprises much of the Czech Republic.

Next up: “River Power and How Water Has Influenced the Ozarks” on July 17. Tickets go on sale soon!

A sweet story of community good is found in the middle of Springfield, where Summer Benedetti stocks a box in her yard w...
06/12/2026

A sweet story of community good is found in the middle of Springfield, where Summer Benedetti stocks a box in her yard with treats for her neighbors to enjoy. Today, the box is filled with berry jam, gluten-free cinnamon roll biscotti, peanut butter granola and tea.

And it’s all free.

“I don’t want to charge people because it’s what I do for joy,” Summer told me when I knocked on her door today and asked what inspired her to this mission.

It seems it's bringing others joy, too: When she began, she figured she’d have a handful of people stop by.

That wasn’t quite what happened.

“It’s been 20 people a day sometimes,” she says. There have been so many, in fact, that the box is already wearing out and her brother is working on making a new one.

While Summer does accept donations to help offset the cost of the good – and “people across the board have been donating,” – she says no part about this is about making a profit. In fact, the week she did have a surplus of cash, she donated it to the local community garden.

“It just brings me happiness when people go and get their treat for the weekend,” she says.

Summer’s mission reminds that making a difference may take work, but it doesn’t have to be complicated — and it’s in our power.

“We love Summer's goodies,” one person commented in the neighborhood Facebook group. “My daughter has been going through some serious medical issues and the highlight of her week is to go to the box for fun new items when it is restocked.”

Address

Springfield, MO

Website

Alerts

Be the first to know and let us send you an email when Ozarks Alive posts news and promotions. Your email address will not be used for any other purpose, and you can unsubscribe at any time.

Contact The Business

Send a message to Ozarks Alive:

Shortcuts

Share

Category