One of Missouri's Biggest Summer Festivals Is Happening Right Next Door
Every first weekend in June, the small historic town of Kimmswick, Missouri, transforms into one of the most vibrant festival destinations in the entire Midwest. The streets fill with vendors, the air smells like fresh strawberries, and tens of thousands of visitors pour in from across the region to celebrate the start of summer.
That event is the Kimmswick Strawberry Festival, and in 2026, it takes place on Saturday and Sunday, June 6th and 7th, from 10 am to 5 pm.
If you're planning to attend, here's the most important thing to know: where you stay makes or breaks your experience. And the smartest place to base yourself is right here, at Next Home Stays in Pevely and Festus, Missouri, just a short drive from Kimmswick.
What Is the Kimmswick Strawberry Festival?
Kimmswick is one of Missouri's most beloved small towns, a historic Mississippi River community with cobblestone streets, unique local shops, and the kind of charm that's genuinely hard to find anywhere else. Once a year in early June, it becomes the centre of the state's summer social calendar.
The Strawberry Festival is a two-day outdoor celebration packed with things to do for every type of visitor:
- 220+ vendors selling handmade crafts, jewellery, clothing, woodworking, artwork, and speciality goods
- Live music throughout the day across multiple locations in town
- Strawberry-themed food and treats, strawberry shortcake, chocolate-covered strawberries, strawberry cheesecake, fresh strawberries from local farms, and much more
- A full range of festival food, including barbecue, Chinese cuisine, breakfast burgers, Italian shaved ice, and dozens of other vendors
- Kids' activities, including a petting zoo, train rides, pony rides, bounce houses, face painters, and caricature artists
- The famous Original Kimmswick Strawberry Jam, a local institution that tends to sell out each year
- All local shops and restaurants are open for the full weekend
The festival draws between 40,000 and 80,000 visitors over the two days, which tells you everything you need to know about how popular it is and why planning your stay is essential.
Practical Details: What You Need to Know Before You Go
Location: Downtown Kimmswick, MO, 314 Market St, Kimmswick, MO 63053
Dates & Hours: Saturday, June 6 and Sunday, June 7, 2026, 10:00 am to 5:00 pm each day
Admission: Free to attend
Parking: Vehicle traffic is not permitted in town between 8 am and 5 pm during the festival. Paid parking is available at Windsor Intermediate and High School on Highway 61/67, with free shuttle buses running throughout the day. Limited parking is also available off Highway K within walking distance of town.
Accessibility: Handicap parking is available at Windsor Elementary School, though spaces are very limited; plan to arrive early if needed.
Tip: Come early. The festival opens at 10 am, but the most popular food items and craft vendors draw crowds quickly. Arriving at the opening gives you first access and the most relaxed experience.
Why Staying Near Kimmswick Makes All the Difference
Here's the reality of festival weekends: tens of thousands of people all need somewhere to sleep. Hotels close to the event fill up fast, prices spike, and you end up either paying a premium for a cramped room or driving 45 minutes each way from wherever you could find availability.
There's a better option.
Next Home Stays properties in Pevely and Festus put you just 10–15 minutes from downtown Kimmswick, close enough to make the shuttle commute easy, far enough to come back to a quiet, comfortable home at the end of a full festival day.
And unlike a hotel room, a Next Home Stays property gives you:
- A full kitchen to prepare breakfast before the festival and dinner when you return, no scrambling for restaurant reservations on a packed festival weekend
- Real living space to decompress after a day of walking and crowds
- Enough room for families or groups to spread out comfortably, no one sharing a single hotel room
- A home base for the full weekend so you can attend both Saturday and Sunday without rushing back on day one
Make It a Full Weekend, Not Just a Day Trip
The Strawberry Festival is a two-day event for good reason. One day is never quite enough to experience everything Kimmswick has to offer, and when you have a comfortable place to stay nearby, there's no reason to rush.
Here's how a perfect Strawberry Festival weekend looks from a Next Home Stays base:
Friday evening: Arrive, settle in, grab dinner at Main & Mill Brewing Company or Taytro's Bar & Bistro in Festus before the weekend crowds arrive.
Saturday: Head to Kimmswick for opening at 10 am. Work through the vendors, catch live music, eat everything strawberry-related you can find. Come back to the rental in the afternoon, rest up, then head out to Edg-Clif Vineyard for an evening glass of wine.
Sunday: Return to the festival for the second day, you'll catch vendors you missed, revisit favourites, and have a completely different pace without the pressure of it being your only day.
Sunday evening: Relax at the rental, cook a simple meal, and head home Monday morning fully rested instead of road-weary.
That's what a real weekend away feels like, and it starts with having the right place to stay.
Book Direct and Save Before the Weekend Fills Up
Festival weekends are the first to sell out in any area. The combination of 40,000–80,000 visitors and limited quality accommodation options means availability around the Kimmswick Strawberry Festival weekend goes fast.
When you book directly through nexthomestays.com, you skip the 14–16% platform fees charged by Airbnb and VRBO, and you deal directly with your host, a real person who will make sure your stay is exactly what you need it to be.
The 2026 Kimmswick Strawberry Festival is June 6–7.
Secure your stay now at nexthomestays.com, direct booking, best rate, no platform fees.
Don't Miss Everything Else Kimmswick Has to Offer While You're Here
The Strawberry Festival is the headline event, but Kimmswick is worth exploring beyond festival hours too. The town's unique local boutiques, antique shops, and restaurants are open all weekend, and the historic river town atmosphere is genuinely special even when the vendors pack up at 5 pm.
LaChance Winery & Restaurant is one of the area's most beloved dining experiences and well worth a reservation for one of your evenings. The Blue Owl Restaurant & Bakery is a Kimmswick institution famous for its levee-high lemon pie and homestyle cooking.
And from your Next Home Stays base in Pevely or Festus, you're also within easy reach of Mastodon State Historic Site, the wineries and breweries of Jefferson County, and all the dining and entertainment the area has to offer.
Come for the strawberries. Stay for the weekend.
👉 Check availability and book your Strawberry Festival stay at nexthomestays.com
