As amazing as MU is, sometimes all a student needs is some off-campus fun. This list consists of the 10 coolest festivals in central Missouri, most of which are right here in Columbia. Worried about stretching your budget with an off-campus excursion? No worries, some of the events are completely free!
**Midway Music Festival**: 5 p.m. Aug. 24 at the Midway Expo Center
Tickets: $36
Info: [thebluenote.com](thebluenote.com)
Pretty Lights, Curren$y, Coyote Kisses and Keys N Krates will take over Midway, where Dayglow was held only a few months before. Think you’re ready for round two?
**35th Annual Heritage Festival and Craft Show**: 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Sept. 15 to 16 at Nifong Park
Tickets: Free
Info: [gocolumbiamo.com](http://www.gocolumbiamo.com/ParksandRec/Activities_and_Programs/heritage-festival.php)
Go back to 1859 and celebrate with old crafts and trades. Events include cowboys and wagons, ghost stories and village tours!
**Roots ‘N Blues ‘N BBQ** on Sept. 21-22 in Downtown Columbia
Tickets: $55+
Info: [rootsnbluesnbbq.com](rootsnbluesnbbq.com)
Roots ‘N Blues ‘N BBQ is an annual festival that benefits music education in Columbia schools. This year’s fest features major headline artists such as Edward Sharpe and the Magnetic Zeros, the folksy darlings behind “Home.”
**Artrageous Fridays** at 6 to 9 p.m., Oct. 12 to 13, in Downtown Columbia
Tickets: Free
Info: [artrageousfridays.com](artrageousfridays.com)
A self-guided art crawl through downtown, Artrageous Fridays are a celebration of the arts in central Missouri.
**Citizen Jane Film Festival** on Oct. 19-21 in Columbia
Tickets: TBA
Info: [citizenjanefilmfestival.com](citizenjanefilmfestival.com)
In collaboration with Stephens College, Citizen Jane showcases films directed by women in an effort to increase awareness of females in the movie industry. Expect diverse films and rowdy after-parties. It’s OK, boys, you can come too.
**Deutsch Country Days** at 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., Oct. 20 to 21, in Marthasville
Tickets: $13.50
Info: [deutschcountrydays.com](deutschcountrydays.com)
Check out how the early German settlers of Missouri kicked it Ñ Deutsch Country Days offers all the German culture you could ask for. Eat delicious homemade dishes, watch artisans master their craft and even practice your sausage-stuffing skills!
**Living Windows Festival** at 6 to 8 p.m. Dec. 7 in downtown Columbia
Tickets: Free
Info: [http://www.discoverthedistrict.com/events.html](http://www.discoverthedistrict.com/events.html)
Every year, the shopkeepers of CoMo fill their windows with living figures of holiday cheer. Three words: “free,” “food” and “discounts.”
**True/False Film Fest** in March 2013, downtown Columbia
Tickets: TBA
Info: [truefalse.org](truefalse.org)
Easily one of central Missouri’s most prestigious festivals, True/False showcases ruthlessly independent documentaries, often fresh from Sundance.
**St. Louis Storytelling Festival** in May 2013, St. Louis
Tickets: Free
Info: [stlstorytellingfestival.org](stlstorytellingfestival.org)
Local and nationally acclaimed storytellers gather in St. Louis for this event sponsored by the UM-St. Louis. Go on, you’re never too old for stories.
