The Oldfield Opry, located just a stone’s throw from Springfield, MO, at the junction of Highway 125 and Highway T in Oldfield, is an Ozark music tradition that has stood the test of time. The gathering began “on a cold January night” in 1977. It has endured for more than 45 years.
The original Oldfield Opry location was a vacant commercial building owned by John W. Walker. The original band? Well, that would be Johnny Walker and local musicians Hank Thompson, Bill Gardner, and Steve Beyers. These four compadres were known as Kountry Kornfusion. You could find them pickin’ and grinnin’ every Saturday night at the Oldfield Opry. The fellas even had a theme song. The first verse of the song tells it all: “Come on out to Oldfield on a Saturday night, you won’t see no drinkin’ and you won’t see no fights, just good friends and neighbors, they’ll sure treat you right, at the Oldfield Opry on a Saturday night.”
In the beginning, the audience, consisting of family and friends – and they slightly outnumbered the band. As word got out of the good time to be had at the Oldfield Opry, the crowd began to grow. It wasn’t long before the audience outgrew the building which seated roughly 50 people. By the mid-80s, it was common knowledge that if you wanted a seat – you better get there real early.
By the late 80s it was apparent that demand for the long-standing Saturday night tradition had far exceeded the space. In March of 1990, a fundraising effort was implemented to raise money for a new building to house the Oldfield Opry. By mid-summer, funds had been raised and construction began on the new building in August. Remarkably, the building was constructed with labor donated by members of the surrounding communities. The Oldfield Opry moved into its new building in December of 1990. The building seated 200 people and featured central heating and air conditioning… and indoor plumbing!
Fast forward to 2021. Amid the COVID pandemic, which forced some outdoor shows and other changes in the way folks gathered for the Oldfield Opry, another issue surfaced. Mold. It’s not certain what caused the issue, but it was extensive. Estimated to correct the problem hovered above $20,000.
Once again, the kind folks in the surrounding communities pulled together to help. Anchored by a generous $10,000 grant from the White River Valley Electric Cooperative's Trust Program, Operation Round UP, the Oldfield Opry building mold problem was remediated. Live indoor shows resumed in April of 2022.
What can you expect when you attend a Saturday night Oldfield Opry? Lots of smiles and laughter, tasty concessions, a superb family atmosphere… and of course, some great music. The show features a house band and many popular country and old-time tunes are featured. There is lots of singing, and of course, folks with guitars, banjos, mandolins, and fiddles. People come from all over the country to attend the Saturday night festivities. The doors open at about 5:30 p.m. and the show begins at 7:00 p.m.
Admission to the Oldfield Opry is by donation only. Dedicated volunteers work the concessions, act as ushers and help clean up after the show. The musicians literally “sing for their supper.” These people play for the love of the music and the friendships that they build through the music. The Oldfield Opry truly is a labor of love, and an Ozark treasure. Something you should experience first-hand.
For more information please visit the Oldfield Opry website at https://oldfieldopry.com, or their Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/Oldfield-Opry
