Death of a festival

Surrounded by students in a three-college town, it’s easy to overlook the Missourians who reside outside the downtown bubble. This ignorance-is-bliss mentality is common in university towns. Even when the city screams character like Madison, Wis., the home of my undergraduate alma mater, the locals somehow blend in.

Survival of the wittiest

Many signs make a true television fan stand out. Real fanatics don’t miss an episode, own each DVD of the show, have memorabilia proudly displayed in their bedrooms and would donate a pint of their own blood to save their show from biting the dust.

Bleacher buzz

For a long time, the best part of Mizzou football games was the tailgate outside the stadium. But now that there’s worthwhile action on the field, fans are finding it hard to leave the party in the parking lot. For those who are intent on breaking the law for a few extra sips, a new batch of products for the purpose of smuggling alcohol into games is on the market.

The life of a rockabilly legend

What do corn-chip cannons, caged go-go dancers and crazed Spanish-speaking Bob Dylan fans have in common? They are all part of the fascinating career of Columbia native and rockabilly legend Deke Dickerson.

On the job: Q&A with hot air balloonist Jan Sines

She flies through the air with the greatest of ease, this daring young woman on the flying — hot air balloon?! Since beginning to fly hot air balloons in 1972 with her husband, Gary, Jan Sines has traveled the skies worldwide. When they find themselves grounded, the couple runs BalloonStormers Inc., which offers local rides and pilot training. To get the bird’s eye view on her high-flying trade, Vox chatted with Sines and found out one thing for sure: This pilot isn’t full of hot air.

The good, the bad & the ugly

Big Baby born in Barranquilla! Doctors delivered a 13-pounder in Barranquilla, Colombia on Aug. 31. Baby Angelly is the local clinic’s largest infant. The newborn’s size is nearly double the average birth weight. Both the baby and mom are in stable condition. We would talk to the doctor about stretch mark treatments.

The Sun Sets On Twilight

Nineteen years ago, Columbia was a much different town. The ’80s were ending, the majority of MU’s current freshman class had yet to be born, and downtown was struggling. Trying to bring locals to this section of Broadway, the city launched Twilight Festival — a modest party that transformed the area and in the process became a CoMo institution.

Columbia's Downtown Fall Festivals

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