“We’re not at all 50 states yet, but we’re pretty close,” said Tom Watkins, president and co-owner of McMurray’s. “I think we’re at 600 registrations. I would like to get to 2,000.”

Registrations are spread from California, Oregon and Washington on the West Coast, to Georgia and South Carolina in the south, and New York and New Hampshire on the east, to many Midwest states.

What would the first Murray McMurray have to say about that?

Back in 1917, he was just selling a few chicks as part of a side business from his bank on “Main Street USA.” But people liked the chicks he offered. The hatchery grew and became one of the best-known suppliers of, not just favorite meat birds and reliable layers, but rare and exotic breeds of poultry.

“I talked to one of the McMurray cousins, and he was so excited when he heard about Murray Fest,” Watkins said. “He told me that in the 1950s they had an event kind of like this.”

That early festival included a talent show and the McMurray twins singing on stage. It was mid-century America at its finest.

So, what is Murray Fest Midwest 2024?

If Watkins has anything to say about it, it will be today’s Midwest at its finest, bringing together people with similar interests to learn about sustainable living. Watkins travels often, speaking at similar events throughout the nation, and decided Webster City would be a wonderful place to host an event of this kind.

“It’s kind of what I do a lot,” Watkins said. “I travel and talk at events, homesteading conventions, chicken and garden conventions.”

But Murray Fest Midwest is not just for poultry growers. Rather, it will speak to a way of life that focuses on sustainable living, purposeful choices, and permaculture. Watkins has invited a broad range of speakers for the three-day event that will spread over three buildings at the fairgrounds. The speakers and entertainment will be featured during the first two full days, with the festival concluding on Monday morning with a live chick sale at the hatchery.

“We will have speakers going in the show arena, Ed Prince Building, and Van Diest Building, so people will be able to choose the sessions they want to attend,” Watkins noted.

The featured speaker each day will be British gardener Charles Dowding. Known worldwide, with large followings on social media, Dowding is a champion of “no-dig” gardening. His focus is growing healthier food through healthy soil management. Dowding operates a teaching garden and small market in Somerset, England. He is a well-known speaker on sustainable living and healthy eating.

Full slate of speakers

Dowding is just one of about 20 speakers lined up for the two-day event. Many of them come from vast corners of the nation. Here’s a sneak peek at just a few more speakers:

• Holly Callahan-Kasmala and Chrisie Dicarlo are long-time best friends and chicken keepers from Maryland and creators of “Coffee with the Chicken Ladies” podcast. In addition to poultry, they raise sheep and an abundance of heirloom fruits and vegetables on their farms.

• Jordyn and Josh Kelly are homesteaders from North Carolina where they breed Australian shepherds and train working farm dogs.

• Clyde Majerus is a master gardener from the Ozarks of southern Missouri.

• Dr. Yuko Sato is an expert on poultry health from Iowa State University, where she specializes in diagnostic and production animal medicine.

• Ann Accetta-Scott is author of “The Farm Girl’s Guide to Preserving the Harvest” and operates a website called “A Farm Girl in the Making” from her homestead in Tennessee.

A full listing of speakers can be found at murrayfestmidwest.com

The event will also include a youth poultry show, herding dog demonstrations, and guests from the Blank Park Zoo in the kids’ tent.

Live entertainment and a beer garden will be featured each evening at the fairgrounds. Saturday, June 29, will feature Brad and Kate and the Seth Kessel Band. Sunday’s performance will be by Rory Feek and the Damon Dotson Band.

Tickets for Murray Fest are available on the website. While a VIP pass is tagged at $300, regular admissions tickets are on sale in May for just $60 for both days. (See the code on the website for the reduced price.) Entertainment-only tickets will be available in June.

Local vendors welcome

Food trucks will be set up on the fairgrounds and local vendors are welcome and encouraged to take part. Watkins said people selling crafts, antiques, agricultural and like items are encouraged to contact the hatchery to find out more about joining the event.

Much like that small town festival in the 1950s, Watkins is hopeful that this event will draw people together who enjoy the outdoor life and all that it has to offer. It will be a learning event, a time to have some fun, and meet people from across the nation who are passionate about living.

“It’s kind of like a family get-together for like-minded people,” Watkins said.

To order tickets

To order tickets, go to murrayfestmidwest.com/tickets. Children 13 and under are admitted free if their tickets are reserved in advance and if accompanied by a paid adult. All tickets must be reserved in advance.