July, 2012 Branson Events

A New & FREE Event!

Location: Branson Landing Promenade

Schedule:

• 12:00 pm (Noon) - VW Parade at the Landing
• 12:30 pm - VW Display
• 1:00 pm - 4:00 pm - Bugs and Vans on display and judging
• 5:00 pm - Door prizes
• 6:00 pm - Award Ceremony on the stage

FREE Groovy concert follows at 8:00 pm by the Fountains featuring The Devonshires performing '70's rock and American '60's hits

Yea, baby!

The Branson Landing Town Square is the place to be in July for FREE LIVE entertainment!

The Devonshires are the FREE grand finale of the 1st Peace, Love & VW Bugs Parade & Show

Concert 8:00 pm at the Fountains

A FREE concert! Go early - get a good seat!

Saturday, July 28, 2012 at 8:00 pm: The Devonshires  

Address: 3001 N Grant, Springfield, MO 65803 (located at I-44 & Highway 13 at Exit 77) about 40 miles north of Branson

2012 is the 76th Anniversary of the Fair!

This year's theme: 76th Ozark Empire Fair

Concerts at the Grandstand: (here's the schedule and pricing; seats 8,000)

• Glen Campbell
  
• What A Band Showdown
  
• Dierks Bentley
  
• Gospel Night featuring The Trinity Trio, Eric Hinson & Hinson Revival,
  Brenda McClintock, and Eagle Heights Worship Team
• The Chapmans & The Cleverlys
  
• Motorhead Events: Monster Energy Insane Drifting & Freestyle Show
• Bull Blast
• Truck & Tractor Pull

Plus:

• Street performers
• Incredible animals
• Missouri Mule Tent
• Shopping
• Motor Sports
• Missouri Department of Conservation
• KidzZone entertainment & activities
• Over 40 thrilling Rides
• Livestock & NEW Life & Arts Contest/Exhibits
• NEW Midway games and rides!
• Discovery & History exhibits
• FREE local bands
• Fair Food

Admission: Adults (age 13+) $6; child (age 6-12) $2; kids 5 & under FREE ; Superpass (admission and unlimited rides) $20

Parking: $4 per day

Here's a map of the Fairgrounds

Fair Hours: 11:00 am to 11:00 pm (carnival midway opens at 1 pm; gates close at midnight)

You can buy Ozark Empire Fair tickets online, click here

at The Branson AquaPlex, 500 Branson Hills Parkway

Date: Wednesday, July 25, 2012

Time: Noon to 7:00 pm

The Branson Parks & Rec Department is offering a day at the pool – FREE for everyone! Keep in mind that it's first-come, first-serve and the Branson AquaPlex does have a maximum person occupancy.

Hot tip: this FREE event happens on a Wednesday and the pool opens at noon...so arrive early!

Bring money if you want to purchase snacks or drinks; otherwise all you need is your swimsuit and a towel.

One more thing, admission is FREE – but you must also bring 1 non-perishable food item per person to donate.

Sponsored by State Park Marina

Extra cool: There are 2 FREE Swim days this year! June 27, 2012 & July 25, 2012

New! Expanded Moonlight Madness dates for 2012 – July 21 through August 5, 2012.

Silver Dollar City stayed open late in 2008 for its first Moonlight Madness. It went so well that Moonlight Madness is now in its 5th season in 2012!

Great stuff:

• Rides will be running in the DARK – try out the roller coasters, the Giant Swing, the rides in the Grand Exposition, and the water rides like Tom & Huck's RiverBlast and the American Plunge.
• Niagara Falls Daredevil Nik Wallenda performs through August 4 with The Fabulous Wallendas! Famous Family Circus for high-wire excitement.
• The park's country music show, GAC Nights in Echo Hollow is FREE to Silver Dollar City guests, the show begins at 7:00 p.m. Wednesdays through Mondays
• There will be special deals on meals and shopping. Bring your friends!

Moonlight Madness happens during Silver Dollar City's National KidsFest. There will be nightly street dances (Macarena, Electric Slide, The Chicken Dance, Cotton-Eyed Joe) at the Town Square and lots of fun!

Rides will be running until 10:00 pm!

The park will be open during Moonlight Madness from 9:30 am to 10:00 pm. If you arrive after 5 pm, admission is only $25!

Location: 500 Branson Hills Parkway

New event in 2012!

On Saturday, July 21, 2012 The AquaPlex is open from 6:00 pm - 11:00 pm for ALL to enjoy some nighttime swimming!

Admission: $4 child / $5 adult

Bring your family and friends...and bring your quarters! There are 50 cent specials on chips, Capri Suns, icy pops and ice cream sandwiches.

The AquaPlex is open to the public from Memorial Day through Labor Day

Event 10:00 am till 10:00 pm on Friday, July 20, 2012

FREE concert at 8:00 pm: City Limits and the American Idols

Activities include raffle items, food, fun for the kids (bounce house, face painting, etc), raffles, t-shirt and bracelet sales, and more.

This is a fundraising event for Homes of Hope Joplin, a nonprofit organization founded in Branson. All proceeds raised will be donated to Homes of Hope Joplin.   

Homes of Hope Joplin, founded in Branson, was created to build homes for those whose homes were destroyed in the May 22, 2011 tornado. The goal is to build 20 energy-efficient, cost-effective, small carbon footprint homes.

Now at the Mansion Entertainment and Media Center, 189 Expressway Lane (highway 248 & Gretna).

One show only for rock music group Three Dog Night on Saturday, July 14, 2012 at 8:00 pm.

A FREE Branson Event! at The Branson Landing

Time: 6:00 pm - 8:00 pm

NRG is kids ages 10-15 who study music at Pellegrino's School of Music and Art in Springfield, MO. They are performing an eclectic mix of Rock n Roll, covering four decades, from Pink to Pink Floyd.

The dance portion of this performance features members/students from Dance Branson Studio.  

Both of these groups are very excited to promote kids' arts programs through the Branson Arts Council.

You're invited to come watch!

A FREE event!

Branson's 100th Birthday Block Party, Festival & Street Dance is now called Branson at the Bridge

Location & parking: Lower Lake Taneycomo Bridge and Branson Landing Parking Lot (note: the lower bridge will be closed to traffic for this event; upper bridge will be open to traffic; park at the Convention Center, Branson Landing, and along city streets. The Downtown Trolley will be running for shuttle service too)

Time: 5:00 pm till after 10:00 pm

Festivities include:

• Live entertainment - The World Famous Platters, Wade Benson Landry, Austin Wilson and the MSU Horns, The Cat's Pajamas, Lennon Cathcart Trio, Dance Branson
  
• Food from Branson restaurants
• Local artist displays & demonstrations
• Boats Aglow - lighted boat parade
  
• Fireworks Show choreographed to music at 10:00 pm
  
• 8:00 pm - Branson's first "Blessing of the Fleet," a unique regatta of local watercraft "blessed" by Branson's own Foggy River Boy, Bob Hubbard (more than a dozen boats led by the Lake Queen Paddlewheeler)
  

Join the celebration!

It's back by popular demand!

Meet your friends and family under the stars to splash and play at White Water on these dates in 2012:

• July 5, 6, 7
• July 12, 13, 14
• July 19, 20, 21
• July 26, 27, 28
• August 2, 3, 4
• August 9, 10, 11

White Water is open from 10:00 am to 10:00 pm on all the dates listed!

If you arrive after 5:00 pm, park admission is only $25 (+ tax).

NEW! Independence Day Celebration – July 4th – Silver Dollar City will be open until 10:00 pm!

July 4th: 9:30 am - 10:00 pm

The day starts with a special opening ceremony and morning salute to veterans, an old-fashioned ice cream social, AND ends with FIREWORKS!

All the fun details:

• a special patriotic opening ceremony featuring a performance by Missouri State University's 20-member instrumental ensemble, Brass & Sass
• see bald eagle presentations
• participate in fun activities on the City's Square including a checker contest and a dunk tank
• fabulous food specials after 7:00 pm
• see the GAC Country Nights in Echo Hollow at 7:30 pm
• Fireworks Finale at 9:00 pm
• Street Dance on the Square at 9:30 pm
• Arrive after 5:00 pm and admission is only $30

Happy July 4th at the Park!

The name says it all! A 5-day sidewalk sale at Tanger Outlet Mall!

Visit here for the latest sales & coupon information at Tanger in Branson

Oh, yeah!

The Chateau On The Lake's Annual Fireworks Show begins at dark.

You can watch from your boat on Table Rock Lake, from the public areas of The Chateau or from your car (park at the loop just south of the new floodgates of Table Rock Dam). The fireworks show is free, and you can also enjoy The Chateau's additional festivities which includes the outdoor BBQ Event and a LIVE band (paid admission required for BBQ & Band).

You'd better call asap if you'd like a room reservation. This date fills quickly!

Rockaway Beach is located on the shores of Lake Taneycomo, about a 10 minute drive from Branson.

A FREE Event!

The Fourth of July Gala Celebration is a big event for Rockaway Beach every year. Come early to downtown Rockaway Beach and bring a chair!

Special event this year: there will be a reading of the names of fallen Missouri soldiers from the Iraq & Afghanistan Wars (by the memorial garden at the lake front park)

Family activities begin at 1:00 pm and the fireworks begin at 9:30 pm:

• 1:00 pm - Presentation of Colors
• 1:15 pm - Reading of the names of fallen Missouri soldiers
• 3:00 pm - water slide, games, dunk tank and bounce house
• 6:00 pm - Flag show
• 6:30 pm - Low-rider Hydraulic Super Show
• 7:45 pm - Brad Bennett Motorcycle Stunt Show
• 9:30 pm - Fireworks Show!

The longest held, continuously running fireworks show on Table Rock Lake is happening again on Wednesday, July 4 (rain date Thursday, July 5). It's the 37th consecutive year!

Fireworks display begins at 9:30 pm about one mile east of the Larry Gene Taylor Memorial Bridge (Shell Knob Bridge). The show can be seen from land or water. Remember to arrive early!

Hot tip: The Fire & Thunder Fireworks Show is best viewed by water. The fireworks are shot from a platform on the water, allowing for some awesome special effects.

Safety tip: if you watch from your boat, turn on your anchor lights. There are also state statutes that prohibit fireworks from being shot from, or at, a boat.

Area radio stations will broadcast cancellation information in case of bad weather.

A FREE event!

You read that right - 59 years of fireworks in Hollister! This is Taney County's oldest, longest-running fireworks spectacular.

This is a hand-lit fireworks show by Pyrotechnic Don Klein, the Hollister Parks Department and Western Taney County Fire Protection District personnel. They have completed training in safety and show technique to allow them to put on this annual show.

Fireworks begin at dusk.

Extra cool: Enhance your "bright sky" experience with a pair of 3-D glasses (get yours by making a nominal contribution to the Fireworks Fund). Purchase at the Town Hall or from a boot passer the night of the 4th.

Radio station KRZK 106.3 FM will be playing patriotic music during the Fireworks Show, so bring a portable radio, lawn chairs, blankets and non-alcoholic drinks and snacks...AND your family and friends. Enjoy the show!

Location: Downtown Hollister

Direction tips: Hollister is located 35 miles south of Springfield on Highway 65 & it's only 11 miles North of the Arkansas State Line on Highway 65 in the Southwest corner of Missouri. To get to Hollister from Branson, just drive across the Taneycomo Bridge near The Branson Landing and you're in Hollister. Turn right and continue down the highway to go to downtown Hollister (the Train Depot is there).

Location: 612 Devil's Pool Road, Ridgedale, MO 65739

Time: 3:00 pm till after dark (Events subject to change due to weather)

Patriotic Picnic - at the Swimmin' Hole Lawn. Wednesday, July 4th, 2012 from 3:00 pm - 9:00 pm. Enjoy games, contests, crafts, entertainment, pony rides and more. Come hungry and enjoy a menu of mouth-watering foods prepared by the Big Cedar Culinary Team. Tickets and all-you-can-play wristbands available at the ticket booth.

Clay Self Band Performance - FREE! - After enjoying the Patriotic Picnic, stick around for a special performance by the Clay Self Band at the Swimmin' Hole Lawn on Wednesday, July 4th, 2012 from 7:00 pm - 9:30 pm, weather permitting.

Sunset Fireworks Cruise on the Spirit of America Catamaran - Relax on this one-of-kind sailboat as it takes you on a cruise of Table Rock Lake and then back into Cedar Hollow cove to watch the Independence Day Fireworks show. $40/adult, $35/child (ages 3-12).  Children 2 and under admitted FREE. Wednesday, July 4th, 2012 from 7:00 pm - 9:00 pm, weather permitting. Reservations Required

Fourth of July Fireworks - FREE! - The sky will light-up with spectacular fireworks! Bring your lawn chair or blanket. At the Swimmin' Hole Lawn on Wednesday, July 4th, 2012 at dusk. Weather Permitting.

The Shepherd of the Hills Outdoor Drama - 8:30 pm show

Just stay in your seats – a spectacular Fireworks Show lights up the sky immediately following the evening show.

A favorite Branson tradition!

The Branson Landing Town Square is the place to be in July for FREE LIVE entertainment!

Kick off the 5th Annual Liberty Light Up! Concert & Fireworks Extravaganza

A FREE concert! Go early – get a good seat!

Tuesday, July 3, 2012 at 8:00 pm: Chain Reaction - A Tribute To Journey

Notice the date – Tuesday, July 3rd, 2012 – the celebration begins at The Branson Landing! This is a fun event for the whole family. Enjoy shopping, great restaurants, an evening concert and a choreographed fireworks show.

The concert begins at 8:00 pm in front of the Branson Landing Fountains. The concert is by Chain Reaction - A Tribute To Journey, from Nashville, TN.

After the concert, the choreographed Liberty Light Up Fireworks Display Show takes place (produced and provided by Gateway Fireworks Displays out of St. Louis). Watch for Gateway's Signature Grand Finale. Awesome!

A spectacular fireworks display with Lake Taneycomo as the background for breathtaking reflections. Don't miss it!

The Presley' Country Jubilee 1-hour Tribute To Veterans airs on RFD-TV on Monday, July 2, 2012.

8:00 pm EST/7:00 pm CST

One of the nation's best celebrations for the kids – National Kids Fest – begins June 9 and runs through July 22, 2012. Kids Fest features Silver Dollar City's two dozen themed rides offering thrills for the whole family! There are high-speed roller coasters and mega-splashing water rides, and even an area with smaller rides for smaller kids. Don't forget about the Trailblazer Pass. It's a new pass you can purchase that lets you go to the FRONT of the line for up to 8 of your favorite rides, or to the front of the line of your favorite ride up to 8 times! Choose from the NEW RiverBlast, PowderKeg, WildFire, The Giant Swing, Thunderation, Fire-In-The-Hole, Lost River and the American Plunge.  Open Daily. Festival highlights include:

• NEW! LUMA – an en-LIGHT-ening production using high-tech lighting techniques PLUS gymnastics, juggling, puppetry and dance for a truly innovative entertainment experience. Performances are in the Red Gold Heritage Hall, June 9 - July 22, 2012 (Friday - Wednesday 11:30, 2:00 & 4:00 pm)
• NEW! Gazillion Bubbles – an interactive show featuring bubbles like you've never seen before, with lasers, special lighting effects and incredible bubble masterpieces created before your eyes! Shows are in the Riverfront Playhouse, June 9 - July 22, 2012 (Tuesday - Sunday, 11:00, 2:30 & 4:30)
• NEW! Independence Day Celebration – July 4th – Silver Dollar City will be open until 10:00 pm! The day starts with a special opening ceremony and morning salute to veterans, an old-fashioned ice cream social, AND ends with FIREWORKS!
• Back by popular demand! The Legendary Fabulous Wallendas, Guinness World Record High Wire-Walkers & winners of the coveted international Silver Clown Award. The Fabulous Wallenda Family Circus performs in the Opera House June 9 - August 4, 2012 (Monday - Saturday at 11:15, 1:30 & 3:30. No shows on Sundays or Friday, June 15)
• The $7 million ride adventure Tom & Huck's RiverBlast (new in 2010), the super-soaking, super-fun water raft ride
  
• Back by popular demand! Meet-and-greet's with favorite characters like SpongeBob Squarepants, Dora The Explorer, Scooby Doo, The Backyardigans, Tom and Jerry and more
• Character Breakfasts – have breakfast with some of your favorite cartoon character friends. It's buffet-style in the Reunion Hall. Click here for specific character schedule. (Park admission required. Season Pass Holders receive 10% off breakfast price)
• Championship Cloggers – some of the nation's most talented dancers present a high-energy show on SDC's Gazebo Stage. Click here for specific schedule of the groups performing (June 9 - August 4, Monday - Saturday, and Sunday, June 10 weather permitting)
• Webkinz Road Trip behind the Frisco Barn, June 28, 3:00 pm - 5:00 pm – Be part of the Webkinz Summer Adventure! Meet the Webkinz Road Trip team and visit Webkinz World in the real world. Sing along to Kinz Karaoke, spin the Wheel of Wow, play fun games, enter cool contests and win awesome Webkinz prizes. Plus, get a FREE Virtual Webkinz Van Feature Code for your account.
  
• Moonlight Madness - for nighttime fun at Silver Dollar City from July 21 through August 5, 2012. During Moonlight Madness, rides will be open till 10:00 pm!
• Half Dollar Holler, a new million-dollar play area for kids, with treetop fun houses and climbing nets, box crawls and slides, mini-wave swings and Silver Dollar City's hand-carved Carousel with whimsical woodland creatures to ride
• The Grand Exposition – a 2-acre area featuring 10 family rides and games of skill
  
• Of course, the 30 themed and fantastically fun rides like PowderKeg, American Plunge, the GIANT Swing and the Silver Dollar City Steam Train

Dates: April 2 through July 2012

Stay alert: Highway 65 between Ozark and Branson will be reduced to two lanes (one lane in each direction) in two different areas through early July. Each area will be 1 1/2 miles long.

Reason: contractor crews are replacing the decks on two bridges along southbound Route 65

Highway Patrol troopers will help with traffic control

Click here to see the MoDot Southwest District News release. It has the full details on the traffic shift schedule.

Good reminders from MoDot:

• Pay attention to messages about the work zones that will be posted on electronic message signs
• Observe reduced speed limit of 55 mph. It will be easy to drive faster than that going down the hill approaching each bridge
• Northbound and southbound drivers should merge carefully into one lane approaching each bridge
• Southbound drivers should drive carefully through the median crossovers
• Southbound Route 65 drivers at the Woods Fork bridge are urged to watch for drivers who may be slowing to make a right turn onto Sawmill Road near the south end of the bridge