08/28/2026
Ozarks Homesteading Expo Returns to Marshfield for Labor Day Weekend
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
August 24, 2026
The Ozarks Homesteading Expo will return to Marshfield September 4-5, bringing thousands of homesteaders, farmers, gardeners, families and people interested in greater self-reliance together for two full days of hands-on education, demonstrations, speakers, vendors and community.
Founded in 2019 by Cheryl Franklin, the Ozarks Homesteading Expo was created to bring together people who want to learn practical skills, connect with others and become more capable of providing for themselves and their families.
What began as an experiment has grown into one of the region's largest gatherings focused specifically on homesteading and self-sufficiency.
“This has always been a labor of love,” said Franklin, founder of the Ozarks Homesteading Expo. “We want people to come to the Expo and learn something they can take home and actually use. But just as importantly, we want them to find community. There is something pretty special about gathering people who still want to grow their own food, raise animals, preserve what they grow, learn old-fashioned skills and take responsibility for the things they can control.
The 2026 Expo will feature more than 120 homesteading-themed vendors, along with educational sessions covering a wide range of topics including gardening, livestock, food preservation, food freedom, homesteading skills, off-grid living, foraging, mushrooms, hog and poultry processing and more.
Attendees will also have opportunities to watch demonstrations and learn from experienced homesteaders, farmers, authors and educators.
The Expo's speaker lineup includes nationally recognized voices as well as experienced people from the Ozarks and surrounding region, giving attendees an opportunity to learn from people who have spent years putting these skills into practice.
The Expo also serves as a meeting place for a growing community of people interested in food independence, gardening, livestock, preservation, traditional skills and rural living.
For some attendees, homesteading means a large farm and livestock. For others, it may mean a backyard garden, learning to can food, raising chickens, installing an off-grid water system or simply becoming more prepared and self-sufficient.
Franklin said that diversity is part of what makes the event special.
“You don't have to have 40 acres to be a homesteader,” she said. “You don't even have to call yourself a homesteader. If you want to learn how to grow something, preserve something, make something or provide something for your family, there is something here for you.”
Because the Expo falls on Labor Day weekend, organizers are encouraging visitors to make a weekend of their trip and explore the Ozarks while they are in the area.
But first, Franklin said, stay for church. A old-fashioned tent church service will be held on Sunday morning at 9 a.m. at the fairgrounds. You don't have to have a ticket to attend.
The Expo will be held at the Webster County Fairgrounds on Friday, September 4, and Saturday, September 5, 2026. The gates open at 7 a.m. and sessions start at 8 a.m.
Additional information, including tickets, schedules, speakers and vendors, is available at
www.ozarkshomesteading.com/2026-homesteading-expo
Ozarks Homesteading Expo
September 4-5, 2026
Marshfield, Missouri
www.ozarkshomesteading.com/2026-homesteading-expo
Media Contact:
Cheryl Franklin
Ozarks Homesteading Expo
www.ozarkshomesteading.com
