The 2020 Missouri Cherry Blossom Festival ended up being held as a virtual only festival due to the outbreak of COVID-19. Links to the different videos can be found under 2020 on the menu bar. Read below to find out more about the VIP guests who were confirmed as 2020 guests prior to COVID. To discover more about our special guests, click on their names when a link exists!
Check out the 2020 Festival Sponsors
This year the 2020 Cherry Blossom Vendor Show was to be hosted by Grace Place Children’s Home. Click on the link to find out more about this worthwhile ministry.
Michael Learned (Olivia Walton, The Waltons); Michael is a four-time Emmy Award-winning actress. This will be Michael’s 4th visit to the Cherry Blossom Festival.
Radames Pera (John Sanderson Jr., Little House on the Prairie) Radames also played (Grasshopper, Kung Fu). This is his first visit to the festival.
Duncan Sandys (great grandson of Sir Winston Churchill) will be a VIP guest at the 2020 Missouri Cherry Blossom Festival in Marshfield, Missouri. He will be the first guest interviewed on the Jonathan Sandys History Lecture, which is honoring the memory of his late brother. This will be his first visit to the festival.
Tammi Bula (Marcia Woolery, The Waltons), this will be her third visit to the festival.
Shigeko Sasamori (Hiroshima bombing survivor), this will be her second visit to the festival. Shigeko is a former recipient of the Edwin P. Hubble Medal of Initiative.
Charlie Robinson (Night Court), this will be his first visit to the festival.
Louis Graziano, the last living eyewitness to the unconditional surrender of Germany on May 7, 1945. This surrender would mark the end of WW II in Europe. This will be his first visit to the festival and he will be honored with the Edwin P. Hubble Medal of Initiative.
Richard Thomas (John Boy, The Waltons), this will be his second visit to the festival.
Mickey Kuhn (Beau Wilkes, Gone with the Wind), this will be Mickey’s second visit to the festival.
Richard Gatchell (descendant of President James Monroe); The Gatchell family has been in attendance at many Missouri Cherry Blossom Festivals. Excited Richard is able to join us again this year!
Julie Hedgepeth Williams (author); Julie is a former recipient of the Ella Dickey Literacy award and this will be her 7th visit to the Cherry Blossom Festival. She will be participating in a panel on the 150th birthday of Carrie Ingalls Swanzey (sister of Laura Ingalls Wilder).
Kami Kotler (Elizabeth, The Waltons); Kami has been a longtime supporter of the festival and is a favorite among festival guests.
Joseph Yakovetic (Click on Joseph’s name to explore his website.) Joseph is a very talented artist. He has worked in the entertainment industry for over 30 years. Some of his many accomplishments include: 1) a Cherry Blossom Award recipient , 2) award winning theatrical set and costume designer, 3) illustrated over 50 books, 4) graphic artist/designer with NBC, CBS & KTTV (programs include: the Tonight Show, Sanford & Son, Midnight Special, Dick Van Dyke & Co, Tony Orlando & Dawn, Rainbow Hour, Diana Ross Special, Dean Martin Roaring Twenties), 5) theme park designer for Universal Studios, Disneyland and Walt Disney World. The festival is proud to call Joseph our friend, his original bio from 2015 can be read by clicking here: (Yakovetic resume from 2015).
Randy Travis (Country Music Singer); Randy will be participating in the autograph show for limited hours. Times to be determined and will be posted at a later date.
Dorinda Nicholson (Pearl Harbor Child); Former Ella Dickey Literacy Award Winner
Charlotte Stewart (Miss Beadle, Little House on the Prairie); Former Ella Dickey Literacy Award Winner
Clifton Daniel (Grandson of President Harry S Truman); Former Ella Dickey Literacy Award Winner
Louis Picone (Presidential Historian & Author) 2nd Visit to the festival
Margaret Clark (Great Granddaughter of President Rutherford B. Hayes – will be receiving the Edwin P. Hubble Medal of Initiative
Ginger Alden (fiancée to Elvis Presley); Former Ella Dickey Literacy Award Winner
Michael Spyres (Opera Singer & one of the most sought-after Tenors of his generation) – 2020 Inductee on the Missouri Walk of Fame
Andrew Och (“The First Ladies Man”) 1st visit to the Cherry Blossom Festival
Jill & Neita Campbell (Members of President Polk’s family)
Karolyn Grimes (Zuzu, It’s a Wonderful Life). Karolyn also servers as honorary chairwoman of Zuzu’s House, a Marshfield based organization whose mission is to help vulnerable teens.
Ron Masak (Sheriff Mort Metzger, Murder She Wrote) 1st visit to the festival
Bertram Hayes-Davis (great, great grandson of Jefferson Davis)
Lana Wood (Actress) 1st visit to the festival
Massee McKinley (great, great nephew of President William McKinley) 2nd visit to the festival
Dreama Denver (Author & widow of actor, Bob Denver). Dreama was a 2015 recipient of the Ella Dickey Literacy Award. This will be Dreama’s 2nd festival visit.
Tweed Roosevelt (Great grandson of President Theodore Roosevelt) – 1st visit to the festival
Jennifer & Sheridan Harville (great granddaughter and great, great granddaughter of President Calvin Coolidge) Jennifer was present for the first festival and has returned with members of her family on numerous occasions.
Maggie Peterson Mancuso (Charlene Darling, The Andy Griffith Show). Frequent festival VIP!
Shannon Lanier (descendant of Thomas Jefferson and Sally Hemmings) Shannon attended the first festival and has returned numerous times since then.
Margaret Cleveland (granddaughter of President Grover Cleveland) 2nd visit to the festival
Wendi Lou Lee (Baby Grace, Little House on the Prairie) 2nd visit to the festival
Marie Clinton Bruno (cousin of President Bill Clinton) present at the 1st festival and a longtime festival attendee
George Cleveland (grandson of President Grover Cleveland) present at the 1st festival
Philip Smucker (fifth great-grandnephew of President George Washington) 2020 recipient of the Ella Dickey Literacy Award. 2nd visit to the festival
Felix Silla (Planet of the Apes, The Addams Family, and more! ) 1st festival visit
Lulu Roman (Hee Haw) 6th visit to the festival
Larry Cook (Presidential Historian) 4th festival visit
Alison Arngrim (Nellie Oleson, Little House on the Prairie) frequent festival guest
Mary Eisenhower (granddaughter of President Dwight Eisenhower) Mary is a patron of the festival and has been a favorite, frequent guest over many years.
