Spring 2026
About
Bring your lawn chairs or blankets and listen to live, local music in an extraordinary setting! Beer and wine are available for purchase (now $1 off for Sister Cities members). Kids will love the weekly make-and-take crafts and the playground nearby!
The concerts are free to attend; a $10 donation is suggested. In the case of inclement weather, the concerts will move inside the adjacent Springfield-Greene County Botanical Center. This season’s donations will go to the Traveling Musician Fund, which helps support the musician(s) selected annually to travel to Isesaki, Japan, and perform at the city festival and other events.
Performance Schedule
Chindon is a type of performance in Japan, utilizing musical instruments and walking around the neighborhood for advertisement. Recently, chindon has also been recognized as
a street musical performance, attracting many people with its unique sound.
Kirsten Weiss is local performer and teacher of both violin and viola. A native of Edwardsville, Illinois, Kirsten found her way to the Ozarks during the early ’90s, playing with the Lawrence Welk Show for 10 seasons. She serves as the principal violist with the Springfield Symphony and has been concertmaster of the Ozarks Lyric Opera. Kirsten can be seen around town playing Candlelight Concerts, weddings, church services, events and recitals.
Kirsten is performing in place of Allison Steiner, who had to cancel her Gigs performance.
SSCA Membership Benefit
Springfield Sister Cities members receive $1 off alcoholic beverages at Gigs in the Garden! Just show your membership card before purchase to redeem.
BECOME A MEMBERMother’s Day Craft Activity
A craft activity will be available for kids at the May 10 Gigs.
Location
Peace through People Pavilion
in the Kay Cummins Finnie Memorial Dogwood Garden
at the Springfield Botanical Gardens at Nathanael Greene/Close Memorial Park
2400 S. Scenic Ave., Springfield, MO
Nearby parking is available in the Botanical Center lot. Auxiliary parking is available to the north of the Dogwood Garden or at the Mizumoto Japanese Stroll Garden.
Organizers
The series is organized by lead volunteers Ric Mayer and Linda Chorice and managed by Springfield Sister Cities Association in cooperation with the Springfield-Greene County Park Board.
Sponsors
PRESENTING SPONSOR:
SUPPORTING SPONSOR:
Tom Finnie
About the PTP Pavilion
The Peace Through People Pavilion was funded by the Finnie family and constructed in late 2016 to encourage more cultural performances and community events in the Springfield Botanical Gardens. The Pavilion furthers the Friends of the Garden mission to bring people, nature, and gardens together as well as the Springfield Sister Cities Association mission of Peace Through People.
More Information
For more information, please call 417-864-1191 or contact us.