FULL MOON FLOAT & FESTIVAL
SATURDAY, AUGUST 9, 2025
MOTHER NATURE’S RIVERFRONT RETREAT
878 Gardens Road
Macks Creek, MO
573-363-5408
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Live Music with
Grateful Dead Tribute :
THE SCHWAG
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CONCERT
CAMPING
VENDORS
SWIMMING
BONFIRES
FLOAT TRIPS
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TICKETS : $20
- includes concert, camping, parking, & admission
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We are coming together for a midnight float trip on the full moon of Saturday, July, August 9. This time there will be vendors and a concert by The Schwag right by the beach. The float trip is 3 miles long and will start at 11:00 pm and will last around 2 to 3 hours. We will start on the beach at Mother Nature’s Riverfront Retreat and then float to the other side of the property. The float trip is on the Big Niangua River. You are welcome to bring your own boats to join the float for the $20 per person admission fee which includes concerts and camping. You can also reserve and rent kayaks or canoes from the campground. Bring glow sticks and lights to decorate your boat for the nighttime float. There will be a bonfire along with a concert by The Schwag from 8:00 pm to 11:00 pm in the amphitheater area next to the beach. There will be an assortment of vendors in the vending area next to the beach. There will also be a bonfire at the end of the float trip on the other side of the property. This float trip happens during the Schwagstock 54 event the same weekend at the campground which is on Friday and Saturday. Come early for the weekend for $40 or just pop in for the concert and float trip on Saturday evening for $20. Tent camping space is first come first serve so there is no need to reserve ahead of time. Full RV sites and Electric sites are available and can be reserved ahead of time on the ticket link.
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NOTES :
The campground is 300 acres and has a clean shower house and flush toilets by the beach. There is also a general store and office when you pull into the campground. Everyone must check in upon arrival to get a wristband and car tag.
You can reserve and pay for your boat rentals at the ticket link. You can also pay for your admission ahead of time at this link. You can also rent an RV site at this ticket link. Just click the button that says “Buy Tickets” :
https://bit.ly/452NNky
Tubes and inflatable rafts are not allowed to go on these nighttime float trips. You must either bring a kayak or canoe of your own or rent one from the campground to go on this float trip.
We are now launching the night time float trip later in the evening starting at 11 pm that way the full moon will be high in the sky for the entire float trip. We used to launch at 9:30 pm but it seemed the moon was low and behind the trees for the first hour of the trip.
It is advised to show up for the event by 7 pm or before. This gives you plenty of time to see the vendors and concert as well as time to prepare for the float trip and camping. It is best to show up early and just make it a weekend camping event. There will be live music and vendors and Friday and Saturday at the campground.
The full moon floats and gatherings are designed as an adult activity and for experienced floaters. We suggest not bringing young children or first time floaters.
We strongly suggest you do not take your car keys and wallets and phones on the float trip.
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CLARIFICATION :
We need to make the following statement for clarification because occasionally there has been some confusion in the past.
Everyone coming to this event pays $20 per person admission fee. Everyone. This is even if the person chooses to not camp or float or watch the concert or see the vendors. Again this fee is per person (NOT per carload.) This charge is an admission fee to come on the property to enjoy the river and beach and concert and bonfires and vendors and social activities and for optional tent camping. There is no additional fee on top of the $20 if you bring your own boats for the float trip. There is an additional fee if you choose to also rent a boat from the campground - in other words you still pay the admission fee per person and then an additional fee to rent the boat (sometimes people think they get free admission if they rent a boat - which is not the case.) This is also the same for those people that also want to rent an RV site or electric site for the evening - it is an additional charge on top of the admission fee (sometimes some people think they get free admission if they rent an RV site - which is not the case.) One more time just to clarify : everyone pays $20 admission per person to get on to the property (sometimes some people come in the campground office and insist they don’t have to pay admission because they are just “visiting” a friend camping on the property for the event - this is not allowed just like at most other campgrounds.) Please keep in mind that Mother Nature’s Riverfront Retreat is a privately owned commercial campground business. It is a vacation & recreation destination. It is NOT a trailer park and NOT a publicly funded state park. We like to create events that bring people together for fun and good vibes on a beautiful piece of property. We like to have fun but we are also a business with a lot of overhead costs. We really need everyone to gladly chip in a few bucks to make it all happen. This event takes a lot of work and staff so please gladly pay the fees so we can keep doing these events. Please think about what you can do to contribute energy and love to the event.
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VENDING INFO :
There will be a Shakedown Street vendor village at the event by the stage area. Those interested in a vendor spot fill out the application
https://www.schwagstock.com/vendor-info.html
CAMPING INFO :
Most of the people coming to this event are tent camping. You park where you camp. Tent camping space is in three different areas on the property and include shaded and riverfront space. These camping areas do NOT have marked off or numbered spaces. All these areas are first come first serve. The property is 300 acres so there is room to camp thousands of people.
RV & ELECTRIC SITE INFO :
There are only 30 RV sites and Electric Sites available. These are the only designated and reservable camping sites on the property with everything else being tent camping general admission space. These limited number of sites cost an additional charge on top of purchasing a general admission ticket (in other words you still have to buy regular tickets and then one person from your group pay an additional fee to reserve an electric or RV site.)
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- SUGGESTED ITEMS TO BRING -
CAMPING GEAR
LAWN CHAIRS
LAWN BLANKETS
FLASHLIGHT
HAMMOCKS
HULA HOOPS
FLOW TOYS
HAND DRUMS
BICYCLES
SUNSCREEN
FOOD
BEVERAGES
WATER & SNACKS
COSTUMES
FACE PAINT
ACOUSTIC GUITARS
COLORFUL CLOTHING
SWIMMING GEAR
WARM CLOTHING FOR AT NIGHT
RAIN COAT (just in case)
BUG REPELLENT
GOOD ATTITUDE
We encourage everyone to set up cool and colorful campsites with tents, flags, tapestries, canopies, lawn chairs, folding tables, lawn ornaments, etc…. We also encourage everyone to dress in colorful festival clothing or costumes or face paint, etc…
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RULES :
NO ILLEGAL DRUGS
NO ALCOHOL SALES
NO WEAPONS
NO FIREWORKS
NO NITROUS OXIDE
NO BAD ATTITUDES
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DIRECTIONS :
FROM ST. LOUIS (3 hour drive) :
44 west for 160 miles to north on Route 5 (in Lebanon) for 10 miles then a left on E for 4 miles to a right on D for 8 miles then a left on Tunnel Dam Road for 3 miles then right into the campground.
FROM COLUMBIA, MO (1.5 hour drive) :
63 South for 27 miles to a right on Highway 54 West for 69 miles to a right on U for 3 miles to a right on Whistle Road for 1/2 mile to a left on Gardens Road (at Whistle Bridge) then 1 mile to a left into the campground.
FROM SPRINGFIELD, MO (1.5 hour drive) :
65 North for 34 miles to a right on Highway 73 for 20 miles then right on Highway 54 for 7 miles then a right on U for 3 miles to a right on Whistle Road for 1/2 mile to a left on Gardens Road (at Whistle Bridge) then 1 mile to a left into the campground.
FROM KANSAS CITY (2.5 hour drive) :
71 South for 29 miles to a left on Route 7 North (at Harrisonville) for 69 miles to a right on 65 South (at Warsaw) for 26 miles to a left on Highway 54 (at Preston) for 19 miles to a right on U for 3 miles to a right on Whistle Road for 1/2 mile to a left on Gardens Road (at Whistle Bridge) then 1 mile to a left into the campground.
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GRATEFUL DEAD EXPERIENCE : THE SCHWAG
The Schwag is a group of musicians performing songs of The Grateful Dead. The group was founded in 1990 and has performed over 4000 concerts and a song list of over 200 songs by the Grateful Dead, Jerry Garcia Band, and related artists. For a span of four years, band leader Jimmy Tebeau also toured the country as the bass player for JGB (Jerry Garcia Band). The Schwag has opened for many notable acts including String Cheese Incident, Marshall Tucker Band, Leftover Salmon, Sammy Hagar, Little Feat, and Railroad Earth. Some of the guest musicians that have played with The Schwag over the years include Chuck Berry, Bill Nershi from String Cheese Incident, Drew Emmitt and Vince Herman from Leftover Salmon, Butch Trucks from The Allman Brothers Band, Fred Tacket from Little Feat, Mike Gordon from Phish, Doug Wimbish of Living Colour, and Vince Welnick from The Grateful Dead. Honorary band members for full Schwag shows include Merl Saunders, Melvin Seals, Johnnie Johnson, Jason & Travis & Kang from String Cheese Incident, and Devon Allman (Gregg’s son.) For many years, The Schwag has hosted its own “Schwagstock” and “Byrdfest” music festivals, drawing crowds of thousands several times per summer to enjoy shows from acts such as George Clinton & Parliament Funkadelic, Keller Williams, Big Brother & the Holding Company, New Riders of the Purple Sage, and The Schwag. The band is still together after all these years performing a different show every night of high energy organic interpretations of the Grateful Dead’s music.
http://www.theschwag.com/
https://www.facebook.com/schwagofficial/
https://www.instagram.com/theschwagdead/
https://www.youtube.com/THESCHWAGBAND
https://twitter.com/SchwagOfficial
https://bit.ly/4d8p9SX
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