A citywide celebration of music, film and arts is back this year in Springfield.

The Queen City Shout is set to begin on Monday.

Musicians and organizers have been preparing for the week-long festival.

“Working on new material, or refining old material, because we’re anxious to get out and play again,” said Musician Mike MacPherson.

Due to the pandemic, this is the first year the event has been held in-person since 2019.

Founder and organizer, Eddie Gumucio, said his plans to expand the event are coming to fruition this year.

“The Queen City Shout now is going to be on C-Street, Downtown and in the Rountree District,” said Gumucio.

He said, in total, there are 10 venues and more than 100 musicians.

“They’re mostly from this area,” said Gumucio said. “I would say 80 percent of them. We have some bands and songwriters coming down from Joplin, from northwest Arkansas, Columbia, Kansas City. We’ve got a songwriter coming down from Seattle, Washington.”

MacPherson said his band has been practicing for their performance set for Saturday at White River Brewing Company.

He said they are thrilled to be back playing in front of a crowd.

“The nerves go, the adrenaline, everything,” said MacPherson. “It’s just a lot more fun. We’re certainly glad to be back out doing it.”

The festival, Gumucio said, is more than just celebrating the arts here in the Ozarks.

“More importantly we’re asking folks to support poverty relief and the nonprofits that this is for,” said Gumucio. “There is a ticket price. We sell merchandise as well. All of those moneys at the end of the festival are collected and distributed six ways to the participating nonprofits.”

Back in 2019, organizers said they raised around $14,000 for the cause.

Click here to find the full schedule of events.