CELEBRATE LIFE ON THE RIVER AT THE 19th ANNUAL
MISSISSIPPI EARTHTONES FESTIVAL on 9/20/2025!
The Mississippi Earthtones Festival, brought to you by Alton Main Street, the Sierra Club Illinois’ Three Rivers Project and Jacoby Arts Center, is a celebration of our river through art, music, and conservation which is held every 3rd Saturday in September.
When: September 20th 2025 – Noon-10pm
Family-friendly activities take place from Noon until 6:00pm, and festival goers will enjoy artist booths and live music which continue until 10:00pm.
Where: Alton Amphitheater (#1 Riverfront Drive – Alton, IL 62002)
At this free & family-friendly event, we will feature 100+ educational booths, live music, interactive art experiences and performances, as well as great local food & beverages. Our goal is to bring locals and tourists alike to Downtown Alton to celebrate life on the Mississippi River and learn about ways that we can all be good stewards of our environment.
Entertainment schedule:
12:00-2:00 Spillie Nelson
2:00-3:00 Jason “Gordo” Gordon
3:00-3:15 Confluence Conservation Awards
3:15-6:00 Any Major Dudes – Steely Dan Experience
6:00-7:00 Jason “Gordo” Gordon
7:00-10:00 Jake’s Leg
Alton Main Street, the Sierra Club Illinois’ Three Rivers Project and Jacoby Arts Center are announcing the return of the Mississippi Earthtones Festival to Alton’s Riverfront Amphitheater on Saturday, September 20th from noon until 10:00 p.m. This 19th annual free event boasts 25 environmental education exhibits, 95 eco-friendly artists and makers, and 10 culinary vendors. The popular festival attracts approximately 5,000 community members and tourists to Downtown Alton to celebrate our river through art, music, and conservation every third Saturday in September.
The theme of this year’s MEF is ‘Bloom Where You’re Planted’, and Alton’s riverfront will be filled with art that reflects this message. Local artists have been commissioned to build large installations that will enhance the festival grounds and delight festival goers. The Riverbend Yarn Bombers are adding onto last year’s fantastical walk-through yarn cottage and garden with a “chicken shack” full of adorable crocheted birds. Artist Michael Snider of Kooliverse has created an enormous water-powered record player which will wow visitors and will also unveil his in-progress 40 foot long trumpet statue tribute to Miles Davis! Plus students from Marquette Catholic High School’s Art Club will decorate the festival grounds with floral chalk art.
Jacoby Arts Center has cultivated an amazing art playground, featuring performances and interactive experiences including music, live painting, dance performances, tarot reading, wheel throwing demos and sidewalk chalk mural drawing for kids and adults alike. Plus, stop by and create a “tiny work of art” with the JAC Outreach Committee that will be installed as an art exhibition in their brick and mortar space starting in December.
A big top tent will provide a shady “Zen Zone” with programming coordinated by Josephine Van Deusen from In Safe Hands Massage Therapy, featuring an opening ceremony with Leah Sprout, yoga classes, a dream workshop, reiki, and massage sessions.
Live music will fill the air throughout the day; the entertainment lineup on the main stage will feature: Spillie Nelson (reggae, rock & blues) from 12:00-2:00, Any Major Dudes – Steely Dan Experience from 3:15-6:00, Jake’s Leg (the longest running Grateful Dead tribute in the world) from 7:00-10:00, and between each act will be a performance by Jason “Gordo” Gordon (1-Man, 10-Piece Band) from 1:45-2:45 and 6:00-7:00. Musical performances are part of this free festival and no additional ticketing is required to enjoy the shows. 3A’s Sign Language Interpreting Services will be on the main stage to interpret the Jake’s Leg performance from 7-10pm.
Come hungry because there will be a large selection of delicious local eats and treats available for purchase. The Old Bakery Beer Company has created a special “Earthtones IPA”, an India Pale Ale made with kernza, a sustainable perennial grain that is great for the soil, drought resistant, and can help capture carbon, which can be enjoyed at the festival at their booth and purchased at the brewery. Additional offerings of food & beverages will be provided by: Gentelin’s on Broadway, Stina Snacks, Taqueria Los Toros, The Brown Bag Bistro, Taqueria Maya, Rollin Dogs, Big Boys Q & Southern Soul, Rosie’s Bake Shoppe, Daisy Boba Milk Tea, Flourish Farmstead, Mo’z Sweet Treats, and Bubba Grump’z Smoked Pretzels. Illinois American Water will provide their trailer of spigots offering free chilled water; our guests are encouraged to bring a reusable water bottle.
Local artists will offer nature-inspired, hand-made, and environmentally-friendly wares for sale throughout the entirety of the festival. A variety of fun and educational activities are planned for families from Noon until 6:00 p.m., kids can complete their passport to be entered into a gift certificate for Funky Planet Toys & Gifts! There will be several agencies on hand to teach festival-goers how to incorporate more sustainable practices into their daily lives. Conservation-based organizations will offer exhibits to showcase their missions, and environmentally-conscious businesses will have booths to promote their products to the crowd while also supporting our community’s commitment to protect the Mississippi River—our region’s most important natural resource.
You can learn about and visit with many animals at this year’s MEF! Hear about the importance of our region’s birds and their importance to local ecosystems at The Audubon Center at Riverlands booth. From 2:00-4:00 Treehouse Wildlife Center will be on hand with reptiles and birds, and World Bird Sanctuary will have an American bald eagle in attendance. The Illinois Department of Natural Resources will offer a fishing game for kids, and then drop by the popular Legendary Mustang Sanctuary booth to meet horses and feed them carrots while learning all about the organization’s efforts to rescue wild mustangs and burros. And while they won’t be bringing the kittens with them, Meowtown will be representing Alton’s cool cat cafe with merch, swag, and information on their mission to place cats into loving homes.
Trinity’s Way will offer interactive environmental education activities where kids can take their carbon footprint quiz and test their knowledge about recycling. The United Congregations of the Metro East will share about their efforts to support environmental justice and will offer a sensory station to teach children about pollutants that you cannot taste or smell. Play water safety games to win prizes with The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and learn about USACE’s mission. Also back this year, the St. Louis Canoe and Kayak & Team River Runner will offer participatory arts projects, photo opportunities, and giveaways. Make sure to check out the Principia Solar Car, a solar powered electric vehicle used in competitions at colleges across North America.
Visit the Sierra Club’s booth to enjoy a flower themed art activity, then create a bookmark at The Hayner Public Library District’s booth and find out more about their ongoing programming, which includes a seed library! Face painter Vicky Cacciottoli is offering free face painting for festival goers, and the RideFinders booth will highlight the benefits of riding together instead of making solo commutes for air quality improvement – children will be encouraged to draw earth friendly art on the RideFinders van!
Visit with Heartlands Conservancy to learn about watershed planning while the little ones cool off at their water table activity area. Missouri Prairie Foundation and Grow Native! Program is offering a mix & match tile game for native insects and plants + a prairie root demo. Enjoy a “Paint with the Prairie” art activity with the National Great Rivers Research and Education Center, using real Mississippi River water and ancient clays left behind by Ice Age glaciers. This hands-on activity teaches about geology, soil, and our connection to the land—while making beautiful earth-toned art to take home.
At the Madison County Resource Management booth you can check out the Wheel of Recycling and an Electric Generation Wheel, and at the South West Illinois Wild Ones booth you can gather information about native plant landscaping while kids enjoy plant and pollinator tactile models and activities. Visit The Nature Institute to check out information about the organization’s upcoming events as well as participate in a grip strength activity to compare your strength to those of animals in our region. The Climate Reality-Missouri River Region Chapter will provide plastic pollution activities, and a mangrove cleanup model.
Flowers will abound at the “Bloom Where You’re Planted” themed Mississippi Earthtones Festival! Children can create a free mini bouquet of flowers for their grown-up at the Midwest Members Credit Union booth, and Riverbend Flower Farm will offer a bouquet bar. Stop by Funky Planet Toys & Gifts for fun kids activities, and then take your passport to The Wedge Innovation Center booth where they’ll have adorable flower lego kits which you can either take home or leave behind to be exhibited at The Wedge. The flower theme continues at the Purple Martin Coaching tent where you can learn about holistic horticulture with experts skilled in plant identification, organic pest and disease care, plant sourcing & propagation, native and edible plant garden design, and ecological land tract management. Then be sure to also find Sam’s Native Nursery and Flourish Farmstead’s booths and grab free native seeds for kids to take home and plant!
Dozens of local artisans will offer nature-inspired, hand-made, and environmentally-friendly wares. You’ll find wearable art such as tie dyes, knit and crocheted items, leatherwork, handmade pet accessories and upcycled jewelry. A variety of handmade all-natural soap and handcrafted body care products will be available, and you’ll also find unique home décor, pottery, bird feeders, nature themed artwork, photography, products made with local honey, woodworking items, thrifted clothing, hemp products, and plants. Plus, enjoy a live glass blowing demonstration from Alley Cat Glass!
A fun recreational paddle on the Mississippi River called the Great Rivers Rendezvous is being coordinated by the Mississippi River Water Trail Association. Participants can choose from launch points departing 3 miles, 7 miles, or 12 miles upriver, which conclude at the Alton riverfront to enjoy the festival, or join their all new 2-day paddle on the Great Rivers of the Illinois, Mississippi and Missouri on Saturday and Sunday. Participants on all routes will be accompanied by trained safety boaters from paddling organizations associated with the Missouri Paddling Association. Full details and registration information can be found at www.MississippiRiverWaterTrail.org
At 2:45, three local champions for the environment will be presented with this year’s Confluence Conservation Leadership Award: Jo Anna Pollock, environmental litigation partner at Simmons Hanly Conroy, Elise Ratcliff, volunteer program coordinator at the National Great Rivers Museum, and Amy Cloud, community-centered farmer at Three Rivers Community Farm.
Volunteer slots are still available for short shifts on September 20th at the festival grounds, as well as for the MEF River Clean Up which will take place the following Saturday, Sept. 27th; to date over 50 tons of trash have been removed from the river at MEF clean ups. Anyone who pitches in at either event will receive a free festival t-shirt, exclusive for only volunteers!
Festival-goers will have the opportunity to engage with various non-profit organizations during the event, taking action for both people and the planet while enjoying a festive atmosphere. Christine Favilla, Three Rivers Project Co-coordinator, emphasized, “Attendees can feel assured that we are taking significant steps to minimize the environmental footprint related to the lights, sounds, hotel stays, and transportation to and from the festival.” The Sierra Club will purchase carbon credits to offset the carbon emissions associated with the festival’s footprint, ensuring that we maximize our positive impact on the environment.
“We look forward to filling our riverfront with a celebration of the beautiful Mississippi River,” said Sara McGibany, Executive Director of Alton Main Street, adding “This event attracts the most wonderful artists, agencies and attendees who are passionate about protecting Alton’s greatest natural asset.”
This event is held annually on the third Saturday in September as part of the State of Illinois’ “It’s Our River Day” initiative to celebrate Illinois watersheds through education, recreation and conservation activities. Alton’s free community river celebration would not be possible without the generosity of our community. Alton Main Street, the Sierra Club, and Jacoby Arts Center express their sincere appreciation to the following local businesses and organizations for supporting the event: City of Alton, Village of Godfrey, Simmons Hanly Conroy, Revity Credit Union, Jacob Sunrooms Exteriors and Baths, Imperial Manufacturing, Kooliverse, Audubon Center at Riverlands, HeartLands Conservancy, Madison County Resource Management, The Old Bakery Beer Company, Midwest Members Credit Union, First Mid Bank & Trust, Citizens Equity First Credit Union (CEFCU), Chiro One, Taqueria Los Toros, Illinois American Water, Elementally Legit, The Telegraph, Riverbender.com, AdVantage and WBGZ Radio with support from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. For more information, please visit www.DowntownAlton.com/Events. To stay up-to-date on announcements, please visit: www.facebook.com/EarthtonesFestival.
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Our 2023 event was featured on StudioSTL ~ check out our segment below!