The 2013 Scott Joplin International Ragtime Festival Kicks Off in Sedalia

The 2013 Scott Joplin International Ragtime Festival has officially begun. Music lovers can walk through Downtown Sedalia to hear ragtime music from some of the best musicians in the world.

Today (June 5) through Saturday, June 8, ragtime music will fill the air around town. Each day is a different with ragtime artists at different spots throughout Downtown Sedalia, so be sure to check the official guide for the free shows and venues. One of the nicest things about the Scott Joplin Festival is that you could walk from the John Stark Pavilion on 5th Street and Ohio to the Maple Leaf Club Site at 1st and Lamine and catch four different venues along the way.

If you have never gone to catch the entertainment, I highly recommend to embrace the history at Maple Leaf Club Site and see where Scott Joplin played in his heyday in Sedalia. For the next couple of days, that history comes alive.

There are paid shows that cap off each night, which are well worth it to see the best play for a longer duration and hear more about how the artists may have put their own spin on Scott Joplin's work.

For all those visiting, I hope you enjoy Sedalia and the Scott Joplin Festival while you're here.