A region encompassing more than 45,000 square miles in Northwest Arkansas and Southwest Missouri, the Ozarks is a region marked by geography, history, and popular imagination. From the frontier hillbilly stereotype to being the birthplace of Walmart, the Ozarks continually evolve despite the constant discussion of their attempt to avoid modernity. There are various mediums to explore the diversity of Ozark identity. However, this thesis will explore how Ozark festivals and celebrations most aptly highlight the highs and lows of calling oneself an “Ozarker.” Focusing on the author’s lived experience in rural Missouri in addition to field and archival research, this thesis will illustrate the conflicting identities and point of views found within Ozark traditions, contemporary media, and Ozarkers themselves. In so doing, it addresses a central question: how do these festivals provide respite and evidence against traditionally negative depictions of rural Americans as well as have the power to maintain dangerous imagery about who “truly” gets to belong in the Ozarks? Points of interest will include racial identity, gender dynamics, the focus on nostalgia, and traditional crafting methods/material culture found within the festivals.