Cole Camp was laid out in 1839, and most likely was named after pioneer Captain Stephen Cole.  The city prides itself on its annual Fair in September, the Maifest in May, Oktoberfest in October, and a Christbaumfest in late November.

The German influence is strongly evident in the annual Cole Camp Fair and it is touted as one of the biggest, and longest-lasting fair of any in
mid-Missouri, dating from its first fair in 1916.  For one-hundred years, the community has built very detailed floats for this annual event. These floats are covered with ten to twenty thousand handmade flowers, all created by local churches, organizations, schools and in homes all around the town. These beautiful floats are the highlight of the Fair’s parade which continues to delight the large crowds that come to view them. Following the Fair the floats are totally dismantled, ready to start anew for the next year.  This tremendous effort has given the community an appreciation for creativity and art, that has resulted in an abundance of public art, located throughout the city in many of the local businesses.

We invite you to take a tour of Cole Camp and its wonderful works of art. Locations are marked on the map.