For Immediate Release Media Contact: Pam Jones or Marjorie Beenders
May 18, 2010 Phone: 573-636-8282 « Email: pam@tbwgroup.net
SPRING 2010… LAKE BREAKING NEWS… What’s new at the Lake of the Ozarks? We’re getting ready for another exciting season of festivals and fun for visitors from age 1 to 101. Read all about what’s coming up for the 2010 vacation season plus other up-to-the-minute news in this edition of the quarterly Lake Breaking NewsLETTER. For more information, color images or other assistance, please contact us.
River Park Opens … Visitors can add a new attraction to their list of must-see’s at the Lake of the Ozarks: the 65-acre Bagnell Dam River Park, located just below the dam off Business Highway 54, which celebrated its grand opening on Saturday, May 15. Developers say it’s sure to become the Lake’s premier family entertainment park, complete with a figure-8 demolition race track, and now through mid-October, drive-in movies every Thursday and Friday for just $10 per car. The family-friendly films will be shown in an amphitheatre setting with a huge screen…listen on the state-of-the-art surround sound or tune in the car radio. Concessions will be available. The park will offer bleacher seating for 1,500. Upcoming events may include a rodeo, circus, motorcycle races and more. Also new at the park is the Zip On The Strip zip-line, stretching 1,500 feet to the first landing and 800 feet back.
Reunion Central … Every year, the Lake of the Ozarks hosts hundreds of reunions—family, class, club, military, neighbors, fraternal, business, you-name-it. That’s because the Lake area offers everything a successful reunion requires, including a wide array of lodging, dining, activities and attractions for any group--and budget. The Lake’s central location makes it easily accessible by car – in fact, the Lake of the Ozarks is within a day’s drive for millions of people. And the area’s natural beauty makes it the perfect setting for any gathering. Reunion groups have a wide selection of lodging options, with approximately 7,000 accommodation units, including vacation home and condo rentals (with up to 5 or more bedrooms and fully equipped kitchens) and 1,500 campground spaces, plus B&B’s and houseboat rentals. Properties range from basic to luxurious, and many offer special rates, amenities and meeting areas just for reunion groups. Everyone from great grandpa to the little ones will find plenty to do, with indoor and outdoor water parks, miniature golf, go-karts, show caves, excursion boats, live music, arcades, museums, shrines and spas, as well as fishing, boating, horseback riding and bowling. There’s championship golf along the Lake of the Ozarks Golf Trail…plus outstanding shopping, including antique and specialty stores, the historic Bagnell Dam Strip, and the 110-store Osage Beach Premium Outlets. Any season offers a great reason to get together at the Lake! For assistance in planning a reunion, please contact at the Lake of the Ozarks Convention & Visitors Bureau, (800) FUN-LAKE.
Festive Springtime …Spring festivals are seriously fun at the Lake of the Ozarks! Hot Summer Nights event on the historic Bagnell Dam Strip (Business Highway 54) will take place on the second Friday of the month (June 11, July 9, Aug. 13 and Sept. 10-11)…this family-friendly cruise-in will feature souped-up cars, trucks and motorcycles, music, giveaways, food and fun for all. On June 12-13, spirits will soar at the Crossover Christian Music Festival at Lake Ozarks, featuring many of the nation’s top Christian contemporary and rock recording artists, talented rising stars and more than 10,000 spectators. On June 26-27, the Art & Ambiance Fair at Stone Crest Mall in Osage Beach will offer a chance to meet many of the Lake area’s finest artists and artisans, with wonderful food, local wines, and live music.
Heavy Traffic … Birds and birdwatchers flock to the Lake of the Ozarks in the spring. Because the Lake area is located on the migratory route called the Mississippi Flyway, springtime birders may spot a wide variety of eastern and western birds passing through as they migrate from their homes in Central and South America. In fact, with 1,150 miles of shoreline surrounded by thousands of acres of wooded hillsides, the Lake area is one of the best places in Missouri to spot some of its 400-plus bird species; about 150 species nest here. Among the returning birds are the neotropical migrants such as the indigo bunting, the scarlet tanager, the summer tanager and lots of warblers. Traffic will peak toward the end of May, making springtime the perfect time for Lake-area birding. Birders can pick up a bird list and map at the offices of both of the Lake area’s fine state parks--Ha Ha Tonka and Lake of the Ozarks State Park. (Photo courtesy of Missouri Dept of Conservation)
Getting Wild … Take a break from looking up at the birds and look down at the amazing show of wildflowers throughout the Lake area. Spring through late fall, there’s a stunning variety of colorful wildflowers in bloom, including Yellow Sunflowers, Black-Eyed Susans, Partridge Peas, Field Mustard and Goldenrod…Pink Spring Beauties, Henbit, Columbine and Clover…White Mayweed, Queen Anne’s Lace, Yarrow, Dutchman’s Breeches and Star of Bethlehem…and Purple Sweet William, Violets, Lobelia and Morning Glory…plus hundreds more! Visitors enjoy a quiet solo stroll or a wildflower walk with family and friends at Ha Ha Tonka State Park or Lake of the Ozarks State Park. Both parks offer hiking trails that wind through glades and woods, along streams, and over high bluffs. The blooms are ever-changing from week to week, offering a beautiful new floral array with every visit to the Lake. (Photo courtesy of Missouri Dept of Conservation)
Golf the TRAIL … The Lake of the Ozarks Golf Trail offers another kind of nature walk. The Trail features 13 fantastic golf courses, all mowed, trimmed, planted, seeded and beautified for the new season. The best way to play is with a Lake of the Ozarks Golf Trail Package. Just one call reserves the accommodations a golfer wants plus guaranteed tee times on Golf Trail courses—all for one special price that’s less than the cost of booking a room and golf separately. The Golf Trail’s 11 lodging options range from resorts and hotels to condos and houses—some right on the fairway. For more details, call (800) 490-8474 or visit www.golfathelake.net.
LOOKING AHEAD… Summer’s not far off, featuring a lot of exciting fairs and festivals at the Lake of the Ozarks! For more information about these and other upcoming events at the Lake of the Ozarks, please contact the Lake of the Ozarks Convention & Visitors Bureau at (800) FUN-LAKE or visit www.funlake.com.
JULY 17 * AQUA PALOOZA. The Lake's largest family fun boating event will take place at Dog Days and feature boats, family, friends, prizes and giveaways. Enjoy zydeco, New Orleans blues, reggae and Caribbean music plus the LoCash Cowboys and a special concert by Otis Day & The Knights of “Animal House” fame!
AUG. 6-7 *& 18th ANNUAL LAURIE HILLBILLY BBQ COOK-OFF. Sanctioned by the Kansas City Barbecue Society, this popular event offers prizes and bragging rights for the best BBQ. A dance, beer garden, prizes, raffles and a kids’ BBQ contest—as well as the delicious aromas—will attract the crowds to the Laurie fairgrounds.
AUGUST 28-30 * 21st ANNUAL LAKE OF THE OZARKS SHOOT-OUT. Named one of the nation’s eight must-see boating events by Powerboat magazine, the Shoot-Out is largest unsanctioned boat competition in the U.S., as more than 100 boats individually race to be named the Lake’s fastest boat.
SEPT. 16-19 * 4TH ANNUAL LAKE OF THE OZARKS BIKEFEST. Thousands of motorcycle enthusiasts will gather at the Lake for an action-packed weekend featuring poker runs, scenic rides, vendors, contests and concerts. Area bars, restaurants and attractions take part by offering special activities for participants.
SEPT. 18-20, 22nd ANNUAL OSAGE MOUNTAIN MAN RENDEZVOUS & MUZZLELOADER SHOOT. This fascinating and educational event in Lake Ozark pays tribute to the mountain men who opened the West in the 19th century through a living-history re-enactment that brings together traders, trappers, gunsmiths, artisans and storytellers in a frontier encampment circa 1800-1840. An eclectic Traders Row offers a variety of wares and gifts. Cover your ears during the French Artillery cannon shoots and the amazing anvil toss!
COME SEE US! At Central Missouri’s Lake of the Ozarks, we love to host journalists. Let us know when you’d like to come and we will customize an itinerary just for you and take care of all your on-site hospitality arrangements. Just call Marjorie Beenders or Pam Jones at 800-544-8474 (marjorie@tbwgroup.net or pam@tbwgroup.net) and we’ll get to work for you!
Note to News Media: For your convenience, you may download an electronic version of this article. Simply go to www.funlake.com. At the top of the home page, click on “Professional Media” to access this article and other Lake of the Ozarks news.
