LoveSpringfield

Springfield through the eyes of locals and visitors. Curated by the Springfield Convention and Visitors Bureau.

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Hey Springfieldians! I'm @allyjeppsen and am SO PUMPED to host this #weekendtakeover! Here are some things you should know about me before we spend the weekend together.

I'm an 18 year old photographer, living in the Springfield area since I was 5 and taking pictures since I could hold the ol' family Kodak.

I love old junk and abandoned buildings. Love. Them. I would probably have a hay day in your attic.

Sweaters, Chinese food, and 50s music are my vices.

DOWNTON ABBEY.

My house is completely decorated for Christmas. No fussing people. I LOVE CHRISTMAS.

I am positively the clumsiest human alive and cannot even walk up the stairs without wiping out. Here's hoping I live through this weekend.

Okay so that's enough about Ally Jeppsen and all her oddities. Come have some adventures with me on my weekend guys!!

Follow Ally through Springfield this weekend on Instagram.

A photo posted by Springfield Missouri (@lovespringfield) on Nov 13, 2015 at 12:00pm PST

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Waiting On His Turn

A photo posted by Jedidiah N (@gotham_gaslight) on Oct 7, 2015 at 5:44pm PDT

I shot this image during Midnight Drags a few months ago at Rogersville Speedway. I'm an avid automotive enthusiast and thrill seeker, having been involved with the automotive world since birth. My father owned a 4WD business in Little Rock, Ar. before the Bigfoot boom of the late 70's, and he indoctrinated me to the culture. The 1970's were an automotive era in which I hold high regard, given my first car was from the middle of the decade (1975 Pontiac Lemans).

The bike in this photo may or may not be a classic, but it sure looks like it. I gravitated toward it due to its sleek profile and classic look, as well as the late 10-second 1/4mi. passes he made during the event. Plus, the driver's posture is so killer. He looks like he's going 100mph, though he's actually sitting still, waiting on his turn to stage for his next pass.

gotham_gaslight via Instagram.

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No class today so...

No class today so..... #vscocam #417spots

A photo posted by Hannah Goodwin (@hannahjgoodwin) on Sep 24, 2015 at 11:02am PDT

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Candlewalk.

There was a festival last weekend and before one of the performances they had some people come up and learn a dance. A lot of kids went up with their parents and some would get up in the platform.

The festival itself was set up all around the Japanese Stroll Garden with a bunch of kiosks and some music groups from St. Louis (and probably other places). Saturday is the day I went and they had a "candelwalk" at dusk, meaning all the big candels along the paths in the garden were light along the sides.

natalie.gardner.photography/ via Instagram.

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The Zen Garden

I have been living in springfield going on six years and was never quite able to make it to the Japanese Fall Festival. Each year something would come up the same weekend and I wouldn’t get to go. This year, I am in SLT’s production of Grease and had shows all weekend. While usually we have a matinee on Saturdays, we did not this weekend so I saw my chance and took it.

I decided to bring along my good friend, Janna, and snap a few photos of her in her imported Lolita dress (Lolita is a Victorian-esque style originating in Japan and widely popular today). Though it was busy, I was able to take a few isolated photos of her as we strolled the garden. This one on the path to the zen garden is my personal favorite.

coniffism via Instagram.

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InstaMeet at the Gillioz

We're hosting the first ever #lovespringfield #instameet next Tuesday, September 8 at 6:00 PM. Join us for a tour of the Historic @gillioztheatre by venue staff.

RSVP at http://www.meetup.com/lovespringfield

A photo posted by LoveSpringfield.co (@lovespringfield) on Aug 31, 2015 at 9:47am PDT

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Exploring Springfield

I am new to Springfield, having moved here from St. Louis only a couple of months ago for my dream job. Not knowing anyone in town, I was a bit apprehensive about the move. Luckily for me, I was able to bring my best friend with me- Daisy, my English coonhound rescue. We love exploring Springfield and the surrounding areas together and Daisy has turned into quite the model. This photo was taken one hot afternoon when we decided to venture over the South Campbell pedestrian bridge in search of some cold, refreshing Pineapple Whip.

I'm so happy to say that we made the right move and Springfield is a perfect fit for us. The Ozarks has a ton to offer here- beautiful natural areas, interesting culture, and the friendliest people around. I cannot wait to see what adventures we find ourselves in next!

dogwoodchannelcat via Instagram.

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The Fountain of Youth

Generally speaking, Downtown is defined as the main business and commercial area of a town or city. The best part about Springfield is the little hidden gems our downtown has such as Jordan Valley Park.

In stark contast to the every day hustle and bustle, here you can kick back, relax, and be a kid again in the serene beauty of this park. This fountain can wash away all the cares of the day and bring a smile to anyone's face.

There is something to be said about "the fountain of youth" as you watch people of all ages suddenly become a gleeful kid in this fountain.

This is a must see spot of Springfield MO! I love bringing my little nephews here and even when they aren't around to take, I enjoy bringing a friend and playing in it ourselves!

tiffanyrochelle86 via Instagram.

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Candid Moments

The girl in the picture has been my best friend since middle school. Last year I introduced her to Elle's Patisserie. Now every time she visits it's a "must" that she indulge in some of Elle's French treats. Iced lavender coffee and lavender ice cream are her favorites.

She lights up any room and has a laugh that is contagious. Honestly, I can't remember what was said that was so funny. We both love taking pictures and capturing candid moments.

adrianne_shoe via Instagram.

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Downtown Reflection

The photo is of my best friend, Josh. We didn't grow up together, but within the past five years, we've really grown with each other. Since the beginning, Downtown has been our place of exploration, a place where we sought out and found ourselves and our lasting friendship.

Now, life often throws Josh and myself in different directions. Every once in a while we find ourselves back in Springfield together, like the night of this photograph. While walking, his reflection bouncing off a big puddle caught my attention. He knew me spontaneously saying, "stop!" meant I wanted to take his picture.

In this moment, he froze as I crouched to snap a few photos. Thinking back on this, the context of this photo captured is extraordinarily relevant, as his figure reflected in the water, memories reflected and beamed in our minds and conversations. One place, two lives, one friendship, many memories.

karleyjoelle via Instagram.

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River Jam

I work in downtown Springfield, less than a block from the square. If you walked out the front door of my office on this summer day, you’d be able to hear bluegrass and smell food wafting down the street. If you follow this, you’ll find a community of people enjoying and helping keep alive the parts of their city they love the most.

There are a lot of places right outside of town that you can go for “Ozark culture” but River Jam brings it front and center. Springfield festivals are just like that – from helping us celebrate the seasons to remembering that canoe trip with dad where he taught you how to catch a crawfish. They make you feel like part of the community, and remind us what we love about the Ozarks. The unity and good feeling of this festival make me feel proud to be a Springfield native, and I can’t wait to see how the city continues to evolve and grow.

anne.mauldin via Instagram.

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My Favorite Spot

I usually come here after work or before ..sometimes to reflect, sometimes to exercise, but I never leave without at least one picture :)

This place has so much beauty and so much to take in. On this day I was walking. I always look over once I get to the picnic table. It's always breath taking. I start out here and make my way to the bluff, another spot I usually take a moment to soak in the view.

sweete83003 via Instagram.

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Giraffey: A Girl's Best Friend

This image was taken of my daughter Emree at the Dickerson Park Zoo last summer. I am a local Wedding & Family photographer here in Springfield and I typically have one of my cameras on me wherever we go. I'm really glad I did since I was able to get this shot which I simply fell in love with.

My family and I had just recently moved back to Springfield after living in Hawaii and Washington the past 5 years, so we were introducing the kids to some of the local attractions. Emree had been waiting the whole day to see her favorite animals, the Giraffes. If it were up to her she probably would have been climbing into their exhibit with them.

jessica.yahn via Instagram.

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The Contrast of Colors

This picture was taken Friday evening on my way to a dinner arrangement at Springfield Brewing Company. The contrast of colors were very breathtaking walking west on Park Central West.

kevinallen81 via Instagram.

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My Friends Are Amazing

I had all of my camera equipment stolen in January and from then until now, I have been able to raise $3500 for a new set of equipment (my friends are amazing).

This was my very first photo shoot with my new camera! I had been walking around with another freelance photographer I had just met, and when we approached the last leg (hehe) of the Color Run, he told me he wasn’t going to get any closer to the sparkle station.

I know that some of the best photos come from risking yourself and your camera, so I inched closer and closer to the sparkles, eventually matching myself to my camera in a top layer of glitter, but before that happened I stood at this spot getting a lot of reaction shots and victorious poses upon completing the run.

This guy saw me photographing and came from behind me for this surprise shot.  If I hadn’t have gotten it, I could have probably asked him to redo it, but I like to think that I captured this single moment in time.

I didn’t get his name and he didn’t get mine, so there was a good chance he would have never seen the photo. Luckily, a friend of mine recognized his face through the color-coating and tagged him on Facebook!

Photo of Matthew Levingston.

br.e.nn.a via Instagram.

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Perfect weather. Good Spirits.

We've kinda made running the Color Run a sort of tradition. We had a blast this year. There was one other team member who we lost for a minute when this was taken. She had recently had both hips worked on less than two months ago and she not only completed the 5k, she jogged over half of the route! Perfect weather & everyone was in such good spirits. I guess it's difficult to be in a bad mood when you're being saturated with colored powder haha.

That night, we went with another friend and his dad and nephew to the Cardinals game. Our other friend, Keith Wilson (local therapist) had invited us since this was his nephews first Springfield Cards game and he also held a cookout after for all of our friends to meet his parents from central Missouri. The Cards lost, but it was a good game. In fact, the entire day was fantastic. It's great we live in an area that has this and many other things to offer instead of TV & naps. Even if the weather changes at the drop of a hat ;)

11cmb via Instagram.

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Park of Stone

I had never been to Springfield, Missouri before, but circumstances brought my girlfriend and I from Columbus, Ohio, and we spent hours walking around town. We love experiencing new cities and enjoying the local scene, so we visited coffee shops and restaurants, explored parks, and enjoyed each other's company. I always say that every town has its own special places to discover, and this park of stone was one of our favorites.

andrew_bashaw via Instagram.