The Big Muddy Folk Festival is underway. This year the annual music event is also celebrating the 150th anniversary of its location, Thespian Hall. A celebratory event will take place on Sunday, but the festival kicked off on Friday with a bar-b-que. Visitors can find ribs, pork, and bratwurst just across from Thespian Hall at the corner of Main Street and Vine. It's how the day gets started and it's how the day finishes, too.

"After the show there is a country dance, and it is where all the performers, they get together, and they more or less sit in a circle, and they play their instruments, it's very interesting," said Terry Smith, BBQ Chairman.

But before the jam session, there's the concert itself.

"It's just something that a lot of people look forward to. It's folk music, it's in its 16th year. It was purely and solely founded by people here in Boonville," said Cheri Lester, Friend of Historic Boonville Director.

More than half a dozen groups come from all over the country to pick and grin, but this year they'll be one performer short. Bob Dyer, a Boonville resident and co-emcee, passed away earlier this week, but his legacy won't be forgotten.

"Bob was one of the founding members of the Big Muddy Folk Festival. Very important, very strong influence in the community. He was a historian, he was a teacher, he was a singer, songwriter," said Smith.

"Just having the festival is a beautiful sentiment to Bob. He was so passionate about his music and the history, and he was really part of the living history of this community as well as Thespian Hall," said Lester.

The music continues through April 15. Tickets are still available. Find a full musical line-up, craft workshops, and pictures from previous festivals by clicking on the Big Muddy Folk Festival link above.