Bear City Fall Festival
The vendor application is now live online for our 2026 festival!
We have several options to sign up to be a vendor.
Our application and payment is online here.
If you would rather print the form and mail it in with a check, the printable form is here.
And finally, you can stop in the office and there are good old-fashioned paper copies of the form there you can fill out and make payment.
One notable change this year is the approval of Food Vendors.
If you are a Food Vendor, please fill out the registration form, but you will NOT be able to make payment online. Your form is subject to approval. If you are approved you will be sent a payment link for you to make payment at that time.
Please note for both Vendors and attendees:
Per City Ordinance Section 205.335. Animals Prohibited At City Sponsored Or Sanctioned Public Gathering.
[Ord. No. 1492 § IV, 8-20-2015]
Okay…this is one I’m REALLY excited about! We’re adding something completely new to this year’s Bear City Fall Festival, "The 76 General Store"!
If you’ve ever been to Silver Dollar City and wandered through the General Store, you know the feeling I’m talking about. That old-fashioned, come-on-in-and-see-what’s-happening kind of place.
Well, we’re bringing a little bit of that feeling to our Bear City Fall Festival right here in Willow Springs!
The 76 General Store will be located inside the Star Annex, where the Chamber office is located, and we’re filling it with things that just feel like the Ozarks.
You’ll find locally made items, handmade goods, and some good old-fashioned craftsmanship, but we’re also going to have people actually making things!
We will have pie-making demonstrations, pottery demonstrations, & lots of locally made goods...and we’re still adding more!
I love the idea of having a place at the festival where you can walk in, slow down for a minute, watch someone create something, maybe pick up something made right here in our area, and just enjoy that true General Store vibe.
And honestly…who doesn’t love a little Silver Dollar City-style fun without having to drive to Branson?
So when you’re making your list of things to see and do at this year's Bear City Fall Festival, make sure the 76 General Store is on it!
Come see what we’re putting together. I think this is going to be a really fun addition to the festival!
MEMBER SPOTLIGHT
Chamber Business Spotlight – September 2026
Big Broad Bearded Bread Man LLC
Good bread, made fresh, and with a little bit of heart, that’s the idea behind The Big Broad Bearded Bread Man.
Based in Springfield, The Big Broad Bearded Bread Man is a bakery that has been in business for just over a year. The bakery specializes in a variety of homemade favorites, including sourdough, pretzels,cookies, and cinnamon rolls, with new items regularly being added to the menu.
The business operates primarily on a pre-order, for-pickup model.Customers place their orders at least a day in advance and select a pickup date, allowing the bakery to make each order as fresh as possible. The Big Broad Bearded Bread Man also regularly delivers to communities including Bolivar, and Strafford, and Willow Springs customers have an added opportunity to order when the bakery makes its every-other-Monday delivery run.
So,where did the idea for the business come from?
As the owner, Steven Main puts it, it actually started by accident. Coworkers at his day job discovered that he made sourdough and offered to pay him for it. From there, things simply “spiraled out of control in the best way possible.”
His passion for baking comes naturally. Growing up in a family of cooks and bakers, and later marrying a phenomenal cook, gave him an appreciation for good food. He describes himself as an “absolute food snob” and believes everyone deserves to be a little spoiled when it comes to what they eat.
That philosophy is also reflected in the bakery’s approach to pricing.The goal is for good bread to be something people can enjoy regularly, rather than an occasional luxury. The Big Broad Bearded Bread Man works to keep prices a little lower than other bakeries so that quality baked goods can be accessible to more people.
The connection to Willow Springs came through family. His wife has family in the area, her mother is Dr. Ann Hines, founder and owner of Main Street Wellness Center and once he learned that the community didn't have someone locally making the kind of quality baked goods he was offering, everything seemed to fall into place.
When asked how the community can support the business, the answer is simple: order bread and spread the word.
But supporting the community is important to the bakery, too. Even while operating below full capacity, The Big Broad Bearded Bread Man has already donated several hundred dollars' worth of goods to food pantries and nonprofits in the Springfield area.
Looking ahead, the goal isn't to become a large franchise or open a traditional storefront. Instead, the dream is to grow the bakery to the point where Steven can leave his day job and run the business alongside his wife, Elaine. Ultimately, he says, the business is a“vehicle to achieve freedom.”
And one of the biggest rewards of doing business in this area? The people. He says everyone has been incredibly friendly.
For those who are thinking about starting a business of their own, he offers an honest reminder: getting started is far from easy. But sometimes the best businesses are the ones that begin unexpectedly,and grow because someone is willing to take a chance on something they love.
If you're looking for fresh sourdough, pretzels, cookies, cinnamon rolls, or whatever new creation has made its way onto the menu,consider giving The Big Broad Bearded Bread Man a try. After all, good bread doesn't have to be something you splurge on once in awhile.
The Big Broad Bearded Bread Man
Phone:(417) 501-4949
Email:bigbroadbeardedbreadman@gmail.com
Website: www.BigBroadBeardedBreadMan.com
CONTACT US
P.O. Box 322
209 E. Main Street
Willow Springs, MO 65793
willowspringschamber@gmail.com Tel: 417-469-5519