Celebrate America's 250th with a handcrafted gift basket filled with student-made favorites, from delicious homemade treats.

College showcases handcrafted goods inspired by faith, patriotism, and American tradition

POINT LOOKOUT, MO — As Americans gather to celebrate the nation's 250th birthday, College of the Ozarks will showcase its America 250, Student-Made Products on Saturday, June 13. Special food tastings and exhibits will take place from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. at Edwards Mill & General Store, the Stained Glass & Candle Shop, and The Keeter Center gift shop. In addition, a special, student-curated exhibit at the Ralph Foster Museum, “Celebrate America’s Stories,” highlights the history and heritage of America.

For more information regarding America 250 events and products, visit the website: america250.cofo.edu

A selection of student-made America 250 products—including the Patriots Coffee Cake, fruit spread, Patriots Park Candle, and handcrafted gifts—celebrates American heritage while showcasing the skills students develop through meaningful work at College of the Ozarks.

Among the featured products is the Patriots Coffee Cake, a rich buttermilk coffee cake handcrafted by students and swirled with the College's signature Straw-Blueberry Fruit Spread. The fruit spread, made with strawberries, blueberries, sugar, and lemon juice, captures the comforting flavor of a homemade summer cobbler. Each of these items are packaged in commemorative packaging specific to celebrating America’s 250th anniversary. 

The collection also includes the Patriots Park Candle, inspired by one of the College's foundational pillars: fostering an understanding of American heritage, civic responsibility, love of country, and a willingness to defend it. Featuring a clean fragrance profile of smoke and sweet musk, this serves as a tribute to the patriotic traditions embraced by the College and its students.

Beyond specialty foods and home goods, the celebration highlights a diverse array of student-created and thoughtfully curated merchandise available only through the College. Guests can purchase campus designed stationery, Celebrate America apparel, patriotic plush, commemorative ornaments, handcrafted stained-glass art, and woven baskets that showcase enduring skills passed from one generation to the next. These products reflect both creativity and craftsmanship while providing students with valuable opportunities to develop practical skills through meaningful work experiences.

 “Every product tells a story. Whether it is baking a coffee cake, crafting a candle, designing apparel, creating stained-glass artwork or weaving a basket, students gain hands-on experience while contributing to a tradition of excellence that has defined College of the Ozarks for more than a century,” said Kiley Hutcheson, director of retail operations.