The 41st Annual Ozark Black Gold Walnut Festival is set for Saturday, October 3, 2026, between 10 am and 3 pm on the court square in Alton, Missouri.
Friday Night
Friday, October 2nd, will be a Tom Clary Classic Car Cruise-In. In honor of the late Tom Clary, the Alton Chamber of Commerce decided to have the cruise-in this year be named after him. The cruise-in will start at 4:30 pm and go until 6:30 pm on the square in Alton. There is no entry fee to bring your classic or antique car.
Saturday
The actual Walnut Festival will be on Saturday, October 3rd, on the court square. It’s looking to be a fun day full of activities, foods, and raffles for everyone!
Music
The junior and senior high choirs will perform first at 10:15. The Creek Rocks will perform at noon, and Sarah Jo Sample and the Tonedaddys will perform at 1:30 pm.
Contests
A variety of contests will be held at the Walnut Festival. For all the contests, prizes will be awarded. The pumpkin carving contest will be open to kids 5-12, and is a first-come first-serve basis. The woodworking contest is happening again this year. Entries must be made of walnut wood and submitted by 10:30 to the empty lot between the library and JoElla’s Beauty Collective.
New to the Walnut Festival this year is the Walnut Idol Talent Show! Registration will open at the start of the festival at the Chamber booth and is limited to the first ten people. The talent show will be at 10:30 am. The final contest is the baking contest. The categories are cookies, breads, cakes, and pies. Submissions are due by 10:30 to JoElla’s Beauty Collective. A new prize is the People’s Choice Award. Festival attendees can stop by between noon and 1 pm and sample the baked goods and vote for their favorite one.
Vendors
A variety of vendors already have spots at the festival. Vendors range from food trucks to kids games to craft booths to clothes booths to soap booths to so much more! There will be a booth for everyone!
