A hidden gem of weekly, unpredictable entertainment
“If you’re looking for a choreographed show, you won’t find it here. It’s different every time,” says Perry Robertson, one of the many volunteers who keep the Oldfield Opry running strong. Sitting along Highway 125, this hidden gem in northeast Christian County draws a crowd every Saturday night for honest and unfiltered downhome music and banter—a fun evening of pickin’ and grinnin’.
Weekly entertainment spans bluegrass to country rock, gospel to rock-a-billy. Folks come for the music but stay for the community. Like many, longtime volunteer Peggy Grimes doesn’t hesitate to share why she stayed for over 45 years, “It’s the people. They are my friends.” Over the years, Peggy has made new friends from California to China, Maine to Switzerland.
We are one big family is a comment often made by regular attendees like Mona Decker. She enjoys the music, laughter and camaraderie. One minute you’re hearing a heartfelt gospel tune, and the next you’re listening to down-home chuckles or a sincere tale from the dinner table. As devoted fan Marie Day said, “Every time is a special event—always something new.” It’s unpredictable, unscripted and always entertaining.
There was a the time bass player Eddie Goins’ 90-year-old father-in-law sat down to play his harmonica during open mic – and nearly fell off the stage. Eddie grabbed his ankle just in time, and the band played on. “You never know what might happen,” is said often with a grin. That is why farmers, neighbors and folks from all over have been coming to the Opry for 48 years.
In early 1977, members of the local band Kountry Konfusion – Johnny Walker, Bill Gardner, Hank Thompson and Steve Beyers – opened their practice sessions to the public in an old store building Johnny owned. What started with a few neighbors eventually grew to standing-room-only crowds.
Thirteen years later, as the crowds grew and the building deteriorated, neighbors and supporters came together to raise money for the current building – complete with indoor plumbing, air conditioning, seating for 200 and plenty of room for toe-tapping. When Johnny passed in 2006, the community once again raised funds to buy the land. Co-founder and guitarist Steve Beyers remarked about “how good people are about donating.” Oldfield Opry survives on weekly donations.
New expensive challenges began in 2020 with COVID-19, followed by a mold remediation that continued until 2022. However, they remained enthusiastic and resourceful. Oldfield Opry continued entertaining crowds with “Opry Outdoors.” Bands played from a stage on a gooseneck trailer, and a food truck kept folks fed. As always, the show went on.
The Opry runs on volunteer power. From mowing the grounds to lining up second Saturday musicians, like true Ozarkians, volunteers do what it takes to keep Oldfield Opry alive and well. For years, farm wives baked 25 pies every week to satisfy the crowd’s sweet cravings. Health department regulations eventually required store-bought pies, but the food still hits the spot – BBQ, burgers, chili, nachos, or Frito pie, a variety of drinks and a slice of pie for dessert – all for less than $10! There is no cover charge, just good music, great fellowship and yummy pies.
Every Saturday night the Oldfield Opry pickers play at 7:00 pm with open mic for amateur performers later on. It’s a come-and-go kind of place, with music winding down at 9:30 p.m. On many nights, performers passing through join the band impromptu. Second Saturdays are a special treat with a guest band opening the show at 5:30 pm. (You can find a schedule on their website, https://oldfieldopry.com.)
Oldfield’s proximity to Branson brings well-known performers to its stage. Steel guitarist Tom Brumley – son of Albert Brumley, who wrote “I’ll Fly Away”– performed here. So did Emmy Award winner Jim Owen, who portrayed Hank Williams, Sr. in An Evening with Hank Williams and wrote “Louisiana Woman, Mississippi Man.” Others included Chadwick, Missouri, native Harold Morrison, who played banjo for Loretta Lynn and appeared on the Grand Old Opry and Ozark Jubilee, and singer/songwriter Tommy (T.O.) Overstreet, a familiar face from Hee Haw and The Tonight Show.
Family ties run strong in bluegrass, and that’s clear at Oldfield. You’ll hear bands like Lost Creek (Wests), Faith Zimmer & Friends (Sam Zimmer), Melinda Mullins of the Layton Hollow Gals (Johnny Mullins), Flyin’ Buzzards (Clevengers), Lindley Creek (Greers), Southern Raised (Reiths) – groups made up of spouses, siblings, and in-laws singing their own songs and those handed down through the generations. Many balance music with farming and other jobs. For some, like Koltyn West of Lost Creek, the love of music led to a college scholarship. He now plays banjo for Bethel University’s Renaissance Bluegrass Band in Tennessee.
Oldfield Opry is a great place for young talent to get started. Each night, artists of all ages – cloggers, singers, pickers – are invited to perform. It’s a wonderful opportunity to overcome stage fright, with a warm and welcoming crowd cheering you on.
Many of today’s Ozark bluegrass artists grew up sitting at their parents’ feet, watching and learning. Oldfield Opry band members, Kerre Thompson (fiddle-player, Jess Grimes’ daughter) and Denise St. Clair both started singing with their dads. After her father, Johnny passed, Melinda Mullins, discovered boxes of his songs; she brings them to life for all to enjoy. Johnny – the “Ozarks’ own Grammy-nominated songwriting elementary school janitor” – wrote lyrics recorded by Loretta Lynn, Porter Wagner, Emmylou Harris, Sinead O’Connor and Elvis Costello.
Oldfield Opry is one of the oldest stages of its kind. Teenagers sit alongside grandparents, tapping their toes and clapping their hands. It a true gathering place where generations come together for an evening of music, laughter and pie.
It takes a community to keep the Opry going. I’m grateful this community works hard to bring evenings of fun and laughter—free for all to enjoy. It’s clear that they are proud of what they’ve built. As Denise St. Clair put it, “If you’re having fun, we’re having fun.” And, that’s why they’re still pickin’ and grinnin’.
