Missouri 2021 Presents

Missouri 2021 Presents highlights bicentennial commemorations around the state.

Videos

To conclude the 2021 year, the Missouri Bicentennial Commission, State Historical Society of Missouri, and Choral Alliance of Missouri sponsored a special multimedia concert featuring the Columbia Chamber Choir performing music including the world-premiere composition by Hans Bridger Heruth. The concert was conducted by Edgington Andrews and Nathan Lange; Anthony Hernandez, pianist; Andrew Lewis, cello.

August 10, 2021, marked the two hundredth anniversary of Missouri’s entry as the 24th state to enter the United States. A state with many different regional cultures, geographies, and industries, we celebrate the accomplishments and diversity of all these regions while seeking to create a better understanding of our one Missouri and the ties that bind us together.

Presented from inside the Missouri State Capitol, immigrants to the United States took the Oath of Allegiance to complete a lengthy process for this final step to becoming a U.S. citizen.

August 10, 2021, marked the two hundredth anniversary of Missouri’s entry as the 24th state to enter the United States. A state with many different regional cultures, geographies, and industries, we celebrate the accomplishments and diversity of all these regions while seeking to create a better understanding of our one Missouri and the ties that bind us together.

Presented from the front steps of the Missouri State Capitol, this formal ceremony marks the two hundredth anniversary of Missouri statehood.

Voices of Arrow Rock is a theatrical production bringing to life voices of early Arrow Rock citizens whose experiences help us understand what life was like during the early to mid-19th century on the Missouri frontier. These voices transcend time and geography and help give a platform for underrepresented voices of the past.

Watch as Missouri Humanities Council Native Heritage speaker Galen Gritts of St. Louis talks about land acknowledgment of Indigenous people in Missouri and their history long before statehood. Gritts, who is a tribal member of the Cherokee Nation, relates the story of the historic tribes in Missouri and their forced removal from their home by the U.S. government. Gritts also speaks about what it’s like to be a Native person in Missouri and the continued presence and importance of Indigenous people to the future of Missouri history, life, and culture.

Becoming Missouri's official state American folk dance in 1992, the square dance is a partnered dance with lively music and cues directed by a caller. Thus spirited square dance exhibition was filmed live from the Missouri Theatre during Together for '21 Fest.

Shirley Winans and Fred Goucher from the Missouri State Federation of Square and Round Dance Club organized the demo with Merle Hall calling.

Missouri Humanities Council and KCUR introduced Hungry For MO at Together for '21 Fest in Columbia. Co-hosted by Jenny Vergara, foodie and freelance writer, and Natasha Bailey, a chef, cheesemaker, and home gardener, the show celebrates how local cuisine connects us as a community and shapes our region’s identity.

 

Grupo Atlántico is an ensemble of folk dancers whose purpose is to share the rich tri-ethnic heritage (African, Indian and Spanish roots) of the Caribbean and coastal regions of Colombia, South America. Filmed live from the Missouri Theatre as part of Together for '21 Fest, experience Grupo Atlántico performing traditional dances from Colombia.

A Spoonful of History: A Culinary Tour of Missouri and our Governor's Mansion is a cookbook released in commemoration of the Missouri Bicentennial and the 150th anniversary of the Missouri Governor’s Mansion. Watch as Rebecca Gordon, executive director for Friends of the Missouri Governor’s Mansion, explores beloved recipes from the book and the history that made them.

In collaboration with Special Olympics Missouri, the University of Missouri and Missouri 2021 hosted a softball demonstration game in honor of the Missouri Bicentennial. “The Friends” from Kansas City played the “Jets Unified” from St. Louis. Filmed live at Together for '21 Fest.