Things to Know

Is this festival family-friendly?

Yes. Children 14 and under will be admitted for free to the Festival when accompanied by an adult. Children are wristbanded with a matching paper wristband to be worn by the accompanying adult to ensure the safety of our underage attendees.

The Roots N Blues Whole Hog VIP experience requires the purchase of an additional $50 VIP ticket on site for each child ages 10-14 to access the VIP areas with a VIP adult ticket holder.

Can I leave the festival and come back in later in the day?

Yes, re-entry will be allowed. Individuals seeking re-entry will need to wear and present their valid day-of or weekend wristband to re-enter. Wristbands that have been tampered with are not considered valid. Damaged, lost, or stolen wristbands will not be replaced or allowed entry.

What can I bring to the Festival?

The following items are allowed at Roots n Blues Festival:

Blankets
Strollers and small wagons (only for the purpose of transporting your children)
Folding chairs- you will be asked to remove camping chairs from cases upon entry for safety inspections.
We ask that everyone follow our festival seating guidelines and keep all chairs, blankets, and children’s strollers/wagons within the marked point to keep pedestrian pathways clear at each stage. All are subject to search and wand by our security each day upon entry.
Non-professional recording equipment (point & shoot cameras, flip video cameras, etc.)
Re-fillable water bottles (they must be empty upon arrival at the gate)
Backpacks and bags are permitted. All patrons and all bags are subject to search and wand by our security personnel at entry each day upon entry.

The following items are NOT allowed at Roots n Blues Festival:

Glass Containers of any kind
Guns, pocket knives, or any other weapons
All outside beverages are prohibited. Free water is available inside the gate. The water refilling station is located at the East end of vendor row near the Missouri Lottery Stage.
All outside food is prohibited, multiple food vendors have a variety of options available for sale.
Coolers
Umbrellas or canopy tents
Noisemakers and laser pointers
Professional recording equipment
Pets (however, service animals which have been trained to provide assistance to an individual with a disability are welcome). Questions? Contact Chuck Graham, Accessibility Coordinator chuck2419@gmail.com

*All fans are subject to search by festival security upon entry.

Where can I pick up will call tickets?

Will call tickets can be picked up at the festival box office near the ticket gate. Please bring your photo ID and/or confirmation number with you to make the process quick and easy. Will Call is only available to those who purchase tickets on September 3 or later.

What kind of arrangements do you have for accessibility?

We are happy to do our best to accommodate everyone and have been working with a committee to make the festival accessible for all our fans. ADA parking will be available at the Riechmann Pavilion Lot (2300 E Walnut Street) on a first come, first served basis. If you are in need of assistance or have any requests, please contact us at info@rootsnbluesfestival.com or call 573-442-5862 to identify your needs and give an approximate arrival time in order that we may better serve you. Visit the accessibility page for more details.

Do you offer a Military Discount?

Yes! Together with Veterans United, we are happy to honor our service members with a 40% ticket discount on weekend passes. Valid Military ID must be presented at ticket gate upon entry. 1 ticket per valid ID please. Use code V3T3RANS at checkout.

What about the weather?

We are a rain or shine event, so the show will go on. We work closely with the City of Columbia and Boone County Joint Communications to monitor the weather conditions for the safety of our guests. In the case of inclement weather, announcements from the stage and push notifications to the Roots n Blues Festival smartphone app will provide instructions. If weather interrupts or delays the festival, we will shuttle guests to Boone Hospital. Volunteers will direct guests to the shuttles. To download the official Roots n Blues Festival mobile app, click here: Google Play & iTunes.