SPOTLIGHT FESTIVAL: FREE STATE YOGA FESTIVAL

Looking for something to do this August? We are thrilled for this year’s festival season and can’t wait to check out all the amazing events taking place around the world. This week we had a chance to connect with Krystal Denham, Creator and Director of Free State Yoga Festival. Complimentary copies of our magazine will be available at this festival! 

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What makes this year’s festival unique? 

2026 marks our milestone 5th year of Free State Yoga Festival — and we are expecting our biggest turnout yet. Reaching five years feels powerful. It’s proof that the community wanted this and continues to show up for it.

This year we’ve expanded to a 6th session of classes and will host 30+ Kansas City local yoga, meditation, breathwork teachers, and healers. Our Vendors Market continues to highlight incredible local health and wellness businesses, creating an immersive, high-vibe experience that supports the entire wellness ecosystem in KC.

We are still very much in the creative phase of designing the day, so we aren’t spilling the beans on special features just yet — those will start dropping in May. We love building anticipation and sharing hints (and throwbacks to past favorite presenters) across our social media.

Year five feels expansive. 

Bigger energy.

Deeper roots. 

More magic.

Who are some new presenters or offerings you are excited about? 

While we’re keeping specific names under wraps for now, what excites me most is the diversity of modalities represented this year. We continue to grow beyond traditional asana into meditation, breathwork, healing arts, and embodied practices that reflect the evolution of yoga in our city.

Every year I’m blown away by the depth of talent we have locally. Kansas City’s yoga community is rich, experienced, and deeply heart-led.

What advice would you give to someone who wanted to start their own local yoga  festival? 

Go hard. 

Dream big. 

The sky is the limit.

If you can see it, it’s because some part of you has already been there.

Don’t overthink it. Take the next step. Then the next one. Momentum builds clarity. The steps forward will lead you exactly where you’re meant to go.

And most importantly — build relationships. A festival isn’t about the schedule. It’s about the people who believe in the vision and choose to co-create it with you.

The theme of our Summer 2026 issue is Community. Can you share with us what the  word community means to you? 

Community means belonging.It means walking into a space and feeling seen without having to perform. It means shared breath, shared movement, shared laughter, and sometimes shared tears.

Community is when people show up not just for themselves, but for each other.

In a world that feels increasingly disconnected, intentional gathering matters more than ever. 

Community is medicine.

Why are yoga festival communities important? 

Yoga festivals create a rare container where collective energy amplifies individual transformation. For one full day, we get to step out of routine and into presence. We get to move, breathe, connect, and remember who we are — together.

I’ve been told by many that Free State Yoga Festival is “the best day of the year for yoga in Kansas City.” That is such a beautiful thing to hear. What I think they’re really feeling is the synergy — hundreds of people choosing alignment, wellness, and connection at the same time.

Festival communities matter because they remind us we’re not doing this alone.They elevate local teachers. They support small businesses. They strengthen the fabric of our city’s wellness culture. When people leave at the end of the day, they don’t just leave stretched — they leave connected. That’s powerful.