Back for its fifth year, Shipyard Music Festival takes the stage Friday, Sept. 22, and Saturday, Sept. 23, 2023, at Century Casino Cape Girardeau. This year, 16 regional and nationally-touring bands come to downtown Cape for two days of music, food and fun on the Main Stage and The Scout Session Stage.

The music festival is a project of The Scout, a daily email newsletter with a mission to promote community through food, cheer and song. Jeff Rawson, founder of The Scout and producer of Shipyard Music Festival, says the hope for year five is to continue the momentum from 2022, which saw a large increase in attendance locally and from coast to coast.

“Our goal for 2023 is to build on the successes and learning experiences of previous years, welcoming music fans from around the country to Cape Girardeau,” Rawson says. “Music and food connect us all. That is the ultimate vision of Shipyard: to bring people together, to share a meal and a song with those we love and the new friends to come.”

Attendees dance to music by the band Pfunk Dat at Shipyard Music Festival 2022. The headliners for 2023 are Drew Holcomb and the Neighbors on Saturday night and The Infamous Stringdusters on Friday night. Photo by Ciara Potter

Attendees dance to music by the band Pfunk Dat at Shipyard Music Festival 2022. The headliners for 2023 are Drew Holcomb and the Neighbors on Saturday night and The Infamous Stringdusters on Friday night. Photo by Ciara Potter

This year, for the first time, Shipyard partners with the local nonprofit South Side Farms, an urban farm, housing, childcare and education project that is an independent 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization supported by funds raised by Saint Francis Foundation. The farm is located at the corner of West End Boulevard and Walnut Street in Cape Girardeau, an area that is a state-designated federal food desert. A portion of all Shipyard ticket sales will go to the nonprofit for buying supplies and equipment to build out the farm, as well as for use in educational programs with students in the area.

“We want to improve the visibility of what South Side Farms is, educate people on what we hope to achieve through it, which is frankly to eliminate the food desert that exists in South Cape within the next few years,” says Stacy Huff, executive director of Saint Francis Foundation. “To be able to align with the Shipyard Festival gives us a wonderful platform to tell that story.”

In 2022, festival goers came from 18 states across the country, from California to Montana to Florida. In addition to music, local food and drink, attendees can participate in experiences created by the six Anchor Partners who support the event. Past years have included activities such as tie-dyeing sponsored by Visit Cape, interacting with dogs with the Bank of Missouri and the Humane Society of Southeast Missouri, and making communal art with a local artist.

Attendees dance at Shipyard Music Festival 2022. Kids 10 and under get free admission with a ticketed adult.Photo by India Hampton

Attendees dance at Shipyard Music Festival 2022. Kids 10 and under get free admission with a ticketed adult.Photo by India Hampton

La Croix Church has sponsored the event for the past four years. Each year, they set up a pop-up coffee shop in a shipping container and serve complimentary affogatos and root beer floats from the local coffee shop Red Banner Coffee Roasters. They plan to do the same this year.

“When people experience La Croix at Shipyard, I just want people to feel welcome,” says Josh Reeves, creative arts director at La Croix Church. “I want them to feel loved. … Life becomes a little bit easier when we can walk alongside others so that we can help each other out.”

The event also hosts a kids’ tent throughout the weekend with activities for children. In the past, young music lovers have participated in activities such as kids’ yoga led by a local yoga studio, carnival games and shaving cream art. Children ages 10 and under receive free admission to the music festival with a ticketed adult.

Friday, gates open at 5 p.m., with the first performance at 6. Saturday, gates open at Noon, with the first act at 1:30 p.m. Come early to try food from local vendors who create special menus for Shipyard weekend.

An attendee raises his beer toward the stage during the first day of Shipyard Music Festival 2022. Local food vendors create menus especially for Shipyard.Photo by Josh Carbaugh

An attendee raises his beer toward the stage during the first day of Shipyard Music Festival 2022. Local food vendors create menus especially for Shipyard.Photo by Josh Carbaugh

Sign up for The Scout daily email at thescout.io to be the first to know the lineup when it’s announced in June, as well as to stay on top of this year’s sponsor experiences, food vendor menus and music from the artists. Tickets go on sale at www.shipyardfest.com this month. See you at the yard.