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August 2008

Silver Dollar City announces a quirky activity for summer fun, inviting guests to the park to participate in an official Top Spinning Event for the Guinness Book of World Records: "Most Spinning Tops Spun Simultaneously.”  On Saturday, August 16 at 2:00 p.m., Silver Dollar City will host the event, which invites the novice and the professional alike.

“This is going to take 200 top spinners to set this record, so the rally call is on,” said event organizer Roy Campbell. The only catch, says Campbell, is that participants need to have their own tops, resting assured that on-site lessons are being offered daily at the theme park. 

“It wouldn't be Silver Dollar City if we didn't have some teaching going right along with the activity,” said Campbell, assuring “spinner wannabes” that “Top-throwing Lessons” for skill seekers are now underway daily at the Homestead Barn at Silver Dollar City.

Those wishing to participate must register day of event. Registration will be at Silver Dollar City, Guest Relations, August 16th, from 8 a.m. - 1:30 p.m.   “Then at 2:00 p.m. the anticipated, cheering top spinners and fans will gather on Town Square. We'll say Go -- and they're off!” said Campbell.

To qualify, each spinner will need to have a peg top that is thrown with a string, and be able to spin it for more than 10 seconds. At least 200 string-spun tops must spin for a total of 10 seconds each. Officiators and judges will be on hand, one for approximately every twenty tops.

 “The craft of making and spinning tops has been around for hundreds of years, which fits perfectly with Silver Dollar City’s 1880s theme,” said Campbell. “Interestingly, in this day and age of video games and digital toys, we often see bright smiles from kids and parents or grandparents fiddling with our tops here at the park.  We decided there wasn’t a better time or place to set this world record!”

Information on the Top Spinning Event, 417-338-3886 or www.silverdollarcity.com

 

Popular Branson Tradition Has Many New Features

The 20th Annual Downtown Branson Fiddle Festival to be held on August 23, 2008 promises to be an exciting event, with new features including a Celebrity Pie Contest and, for the first time, free admission to all performances.

The music begins at 10 a.m. and will continue into the evening. The contestants and performers will be playing the various styles of traditional music that early settlers brought with them to the Ozarks.

This year, there will be performances all day long on the street corners in Historic Downtown Branson along with sidewalk sales and, of course, small town Main Street shopping. Just down the street, the Branson Landing Town Square will host the competition, returning the contest to its longtime home on the banks of Lake Taneycomo.

In addition to contestants from around the country, there will be guest appearances by some of Branson's best performers, including some who competed as youngsters in earlier Branson fiddle contests.

The new Celebrity Pie Contest will bring out some of the finest cooks among Branson"s celebrities. Mayor Raeanne Presley and Dee Dee Lennon of the Lennon Sisters have already signed on. Downtown restaurant owners will judge the pies.

For the first time, this will be a free festival, thanks to the many generous sponsors.

The fiddle festival is an important tradition in Branson, said Steve Hartley, owner of Dick's 5 & 10 in downtown Branson. "It honors the area"s heritage, and is enjoyed by residents and visitors alike,” Hartley said. "When people think of Branson, they think of these kinds of events, the down-homey type of thing,” Hartley said. "Many places have lost that.”

Mary Jane Rice, the receptionist at the Branson/Lakes Area Chamber of Commerce, said she gets a lot of calls about the Fiddle Festival every year. “People call from all over, but mostly from out in the rural areas within about 100 miles of here,” Rice said. “A lot of folks just like to get out and play and meet up with people who have a common interest in playing the fiddle. And the competition for young people coming up is a big part of it.”

Marc Williams, one of the owners of Branson Landing, said he's pleased that Branson Landing is one of the hosts of the Fiddle Festival. “This festival represents the Ozarks Americana that"s such an important part of our heritage,” Williams said.

Competition will be in five divisions: ages nine and younger, age 10 through 16, age 60 and older, an open category for any age and the new “Cross Tuning” category. Cross tuning refers to a way of tuning the fiddle that allows it to mimic the drone of the bagpipe, a style of playing once very popular at the old time dances. Fiddles were originally brought to the Ozarks by early settlers because they were easily portable yet were quite loud and suited for dance music.

More than $4,000 in cash and prizes will be awarded. The Fiddle Festival is being presented through the cooperation of organizations including the Downtown Branson Main Street Association, the Historic Downtown Branson Business Owners, the Branson/Lakes Area Chamber of Commerce, Branson Landing and the City of Branson.

 

Last year's Tour of Missouri cycling event—scheduled to return to Branson on Sept. 10—had a positive impact on local business, and perhaps improved people's health, said Craig Erickson, owner of Downhill Bikes.

Erickson, a member of the local organizing committee, was among those who attended Tuesday's kick-off for the Branson leg of the event. Again, Branson hosts the individual time trials following the same route as last year. The 18-mile event starts at 11 a.m. in Branson Landing. The last rider is expected to arrive at the end point at Shepherd of the Hills Homestead about 2 p.m.

Overall, a "deceivingly tougher” Tour of Missouri will challenge the field of 120 world-class cyclists from 15 professional teams for the race that runs Sept. 8 through 14, race organizers say. The race starts in St. Joseph and ends in St. Louis.

Erickson said, since the race last year, local residents and out-of-town visitors are calling to ask if there are organized rides on the Tour course, and people are buying more bikes, he said.

"The Tour of Missouri raised an awareness in Branson,” Erickson said. In a recent City of Branson survey, 45 percent of respondents asked for more biking and hiking trails. The City of Branson has been diligently expanding the current trail network, and recently got some easements needed to continue the project, Erickson said.

In its second year, the event is expected to attract more visitors than last year. The event will receive national and international coverage that will highlight Missouri"s countryside and communities including Branson.

Ross Summers, president and CEO of the Branson/Lakes Area Chamber of Commerce and Convention & Visitors Bureau—hosting the event with the City of Branson—said that local sculptor Tim Cherry will again provide the winner’s trophy, this year a piece called “Rabbit Flyer.”

 

Free Family Event to Honor Memory of Titanic’s German Passengers and Crew

Chainsaw art is sure to have Branson abuzz with excitement this October, when five professional wood carvers compete in a three-day Titanic wood carving event, announces John Joslyn, Titanic Museum Attraction owner.  The competition will be held in Titanic’s outdoor parking area from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., Friday, October 9 and Saturday, October 10; and from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m., Sunday, October 11.  

A first-of-its-kind event, this is the latest in a series of Titanic Family events following in the footsteps of Titanic’s crowd-pleasing ice carving and sand sculpting events.  Created in association with LogHoggers Chainsaw Sculpting, this Columbus Day special will give spectators an up-close look at artists as they carve intricate Main Event pieces and wield chainsaws during daily 75-minute speed-carving contests.

“Kids will be especially thrilled to see these carvers transform raw blocks of wood into amazing works of art with buzzing chainsaws.  Wildlife, human figures, cartoon characters, benches, chairs – whatever pops into each artist’s mind – created in just 75 minutes,” Joslyn says.  “These incredible pieces will be sold at auction each day,” he adds.  A select number of finished pieces will also be available for sale during the three-day event.

The art of wood carving has captivated the world’s imagination for ages – from ancient times through the Middle Ages, to the Gothic and Renaissance periods and Germany’s Black Forest carvings.  In fact, these whimsical German pieces were especially popular when Titanic set sail in 1912 with a contingent of  German passengers and crew members aboard.  This special wood carving competition is dedicated to their memory.   

The ship itself was a floating tribute to the wood carver’s art:  Exquisite examples could be found in the First Class Lounge, its walls decorated in the French Louis XV style of elaborate carvings called “boiseries.”  The First Class Smoking Room on the Promenade Deck boasted hand-carved Georgian-style mahogany paneling, inlaid with mother of pearl.  Today, the fine art of wood carving is evident throughout the Titanic Museum Attraction:  Its Grand Staircase features 17th Century William-and-Mary style solid oak paneling and detailed carvings, including an exact replica of Titanic’s famous clock carving that depicts Honour and Glory Crowning Time.


For more information, please contact us at (417) 334-9500 or visit titanicbranson.com.

The World’s largest TITANIC Museum Attraction is the new landmark family destination in Branson, Missouri.  In operation for just over two years, it has welcomed aboard more than a million guests.  The 7,000-square-foot ship-shaped structure – built half-scale to Titanic’s original size – towers more than 100 feet above its anchored position on Highway 76.  A 90-minute self-guided or optional audio tour covers 20 galleries on two decks that display more than 400 priceless artifacts that once belonged to Titanic passengers or crew.  None of the artifacts were retrieved from the ocean floor.



 

June 7, 2008 - August 10, 2008

Times: Open daily from 9:30 a.m. - 7 p.m.

http://silverdollarcity.com

Location:  Silver Dollar City

Phone:  800-475-9370

Admission:  Call for more information

Kids' Fest presents an all-new show: The Magic of Peter Gossamer, Circus of the Century on Ice, a circus-themed show with a cool twist for summer - playful animals and clowns on ice. Also a Kid Concoctions creativity center where kids can make their own Gooey Gunk or Splongee Balls, or learn to make a volcano, from the acclaimed Kid Concoctions books and television show.

July 31, 2008 - August 3, 2008   

Location:  Factory Merchants Branson

Phone:  417-335-6686

It's time to think back-to-school!  Find exceptional savings during this sale which coincides with the Missouri State Sales Tax Free Holiday.  There will be no state sales tax charged on exempt clothing, shoes, and school supplies.  Just look for the red roofs to find such great stores such as Crocs, Reebok, Rue21, Little Big Dogs, Famous Footwear, and Lane Bryant and more for all your back-to-school needs!

August 2, 2008     

Times: 4-9pm

Location:  Downtown Branson

Phone:  (417) 335-5088

Here's a chance for locals and vistors alike to discover one of a kind finds by artists in downtown studios, galleries and stores. Be sure to bring your walking shoes, then follow the map to visit all displays throughout downtown. Art walk maps available at Euro Cafe & Creamery and Premier Gallery to help guide you through the downtown area and ensure you don't miss any of the unique art displays.

August 2, 2008

http://www.Area57Events.com

Location:  Dick Clark's

Phone:  (417) 332-1960, (877) 588-1957

August 9, 2008  

Times: 11:15pm - 11:45pm

www.titanicbranson.com

Location:  The corner of Gretna Road and Hwy 76

Phone:  (417) 334-9500

Admission:  Free

the Titanic Museum Attraction presents a Shepherd Summer Cruise, entertainment special featuring the famous Liverpool Legends.   One of the prime, parade observation locations will be from the Titanic Museum Attraction’s parking lot.  All are welcome to watch the passing parade and to enjoy a pre-parade Beatles Concert featuring The Liverpool Legends, live, on Titanic’s Bow.

August 9, 2008    

http://www.dickclarksabbranson.com/area57/

Location:  Dick Clark's

Phone:  800-985-3144

August 15, 2008   

Times: 6pm - 8pm

http://www.discoverycenter.org

Location:  Discovery Center of Springfield

Phone:  862-9910

Admission:  Parent/Child duo member cost is $15.00 plus robot cost, non-members is $20.00 plus robot cost.

Build your own robot Super Solar Car  Attacking Inch Worm and take it home. Pre-registration is required. Super Solar Car  Attacking Inch Worm is appropriate for children age 6-10. For more information check the website.

August 15, 2008 - August 16, 2008    

http://www.dickclarksabbranson.com/area57/

Location:  Dick Clark's

Phone:  800-985-3144

August 21, 2008   

Times: 12 - 6 p.m.

mailto:ljohnson@bransoncvb.com

Location:  Hilton Branson Convention Center

Phone:  417-334-4084 ext 314

Admission:  Free

FREE Workshop "Retaining Talent" provided by Ozark Technical College 2-3pm

August 23, 2008    

Times: Music begins at 10 am

www.downtownbranson.org

Location:  Downtown Branson

Phone:  417-334-1548

Admission:  Free

Featuring a Celebrity Pie Contest and—for the first time—free admission to all performances!

This year, there will be performances throughout the day on street corners in historic downtown Branson along with sidewalk sales and traditional Main Street shopping. Just down the street, Branson Landing's Town Square will be the site for the competition.Competition will be in five divisions: ages nine and younger, age 10 through 16, age 60 and older, an open category for any age and the new "Cross Tuning” category.  More than $4,000 in cash and prizes will be awarded.

August 23, 2008   

Times: 8:00pm - 11:00pm

www.discoverycenter.org

Location:  Discovery Center of Springfield

Phone:  862-9910

Admission:  Adults (13+) $15, children (3-12) $10.00 day of the ride add $5.00 to each registration fee

Enjoy astronomy exhibits and music by "The Legacy" all youth band.   Ride through the streets of downtown and then enjoy Pancakes from Village Inn after the ride.  1st 100 riders to pre-register will get a bike headlight courtesy of Sunshine Bike Shop.    Registration required.  On-line at www.active.com or at Discovery Center.

August 28, 2008 - September 7, 2008   

Times: Open daily from10 a.m.-6 p.m. August 30 & 31 open 9 a.m. - 8 p.m.

http://silverdollarcity.com

Location:  Silver Dollar City

Phone:  800-475-9370

Admission:  Call for more information

The popular Southern Gospel Picnic returns with more glorious gospel music from some of the top names in Southern Gospel music, and a picnic feast of Chicken & Fixin's. See hundreds of performances from the top names in southern gospel music! The heavens will resound with the sweet sounds of your favorite southern gospel groups on stages throughout the park by day. Then Echo Hollow® Amphitheatre will be serenaded with music from the famed Southern Gospel Nights concert series each evening.

August 29, 2008 - September 1, 2008

http://www.BransonOutlets.com

Location:  Factory Merchants Branson

Phone:  417-335-6686

Join us for special savings during the Labor Day Sidewalk Sale at Factory Merchants Branson.  Find savings at such fine stores as Jones New York, Lane Bryant Outlet, Tuesday Morning, Reebok, Van Heusen and more!  Just look for the red roofs.

August 30, 2008    

http://www.dickclarksabbranson.com/area57/

Location:  Dick Clark's

Phone:  800-985-3144

September 2, 2008  

http://www.bransonveterans.com

Phone:  (417) 337-8387

At 12:00 p.m. to 12:01 p.m. all sirens from police, fireman, ambulance and storm warning systems will sound their sirens to commemorate the Formal Surrender of Japan on 9/2/1945 which brought an end to WWII, the single most defining event of the 20th Century. On that date, the Japanese formally surrendered aboard the Battleship USS Missouri in Tokyo Harbor. We ask that those driving do blow your horn, however if you feel that it is necessary please pull over to the side of the road or into a safe area to do so.

September 3, 2008 - September 7, 2008  

http://welkresortbranson.com

Location:  Welk Resort Theater

Phone:  800-505-WELK

September 4, 2008 - September 6, 2008    

http://www.dickclarksabbranson.com/area57/

Location:  Dick Clark's

Phone:  800-985-3144

September 11, 2008    

Times: 8 a.m.

http://www.bransonveterans.com

Location:  The back parking lot of the Grand Palace under the American High-rise Monument

Phone:  (417) 337-8387

A beautiful and moving ceremony will be held in observance of the tragedy which changed the world. For more information contact Steve Weyher.

September 11, 2008 - October 25, 2008   

Times: Open 10 a.m.-6 p.m. Saturdays 9 a.m. - 7 p.m. Closed Mondays & Tuesdays. Closed Sept. 8 - 10.

http://silverdollarcity.com

Location:  Silver Dollar City

Phone:  800-475-9370

Admission:  Call for more information

It's a new name, but the same great festival with two events in one! The Home of American Craftsmanship, Silver Dollar City welcomes over 100 visiting craftsmen, over 400 of the nation's finest musicians, and back by popular demand, our signature stage show Headin' West during the National Harvest Festival.

          Asleep at the Wheel - Echo concert

          Cowboy Rex working cowboy show

          Working Boot and Saddle Shop

          Buck Taylor and Friends/Frisco

          Native American Hoop Dancer

          Riverfront Playhouse Cowboy acts

          Cowboy Craftsmen

          BOMH Artists Area

          Bluegrass Now Stage

     Guest Celebrities

          Dan Haggerty - 9/13

          Edward Faulkner - 9/20

          Robert Horton - 9/27

     Arena Acts

          Missouri Mule Jump

          Roman Rider

          Bureau of Land Management Mustangs

          John Conlee - Echo concert

          John Deere Antique display

          Working Farm animal and carpernter shop

          Laddie and Timmy appearances

          South West Dairy mobile classroom

          Steam Engine display

          Farmer Timberframe

          Touch of Ear-Draft Mule Hitch

          Missouri Farm Bureau

     Arena Acts

          Border Collie Herding Demos

          FFA Show Cattle

          SDC Pig Races

     Farmer John's / Frisco

          Jim Victor - Food Sculptor

          Mini Antique tractors

          Baker Creek Seed Co

          Steve Rogers Barn Collection

          Farm related crafts

September 12, 2008 - September 14, 2008    

http://www.Area57Events.com

Location:  Dick Clark's

Phone:  (417) 332-1960, (877) 588-1957

September 13, 2008 - September 14, 2008   

Location:  Compton Ridge Campground

Phone:  800-233-8648

Come and enjoy 3 days of fiddling jam sessions and concerts. Also join the fish fry and pig roast.

September 18, 2008 - September 21, 2008   

Times: 9 a.m. to 6 p.m.

http://www.downtownbranson.org/

Location:  Downtown Branson

Phone:  888-322-2786

Admission:  FREE

The 35th Annual Autumn Daze Craft Festival will be held in the heart of downtown featuring more than 150 crafters.

September 20, 2008 

http://rockawaybeachchamber.com

Location:  Rockaway Beach

Phone:  800-798-0178

September 20, 2008  

http://www.Area57Events.com

Location:  Dick Clark's

Phone:  (417) 332-1960, (877) 588-1957

September 20, 2008    

Times: 9 a.m. - dusk when movie begins

www.bransonfunfest.com

Location:  Dick Clark's Area 57

Phone:  417-779-5374

Come for a fun day for the whole family starting with a great breakfast interwoven with live music.  Each hour there will be a drawing of gifts plus many types of prizes and contests.  There will be carnival games for all ages and many types of craft and merchant vendors.  A silent auction will be going on throughout the day and some items will be able to be bid on online.  The event will end with a music jam fest and an outdoor movie. Check our website to keep up to date with what is going on or to register your car or cycle or to sign up as a vendor.

September 20, 2008  

Times: 9 a.m.

http://www.bransonveterans.com

Location:  Whelchel Funeral Chapel parking lot, 310 S. Commercial, Branson

Phone:  (417) 337-8387

The "Silent March" will proceed down Commercial to Main St. taking Main St. down to the Town Square at the Branson Landing where a short commemorative service  will be held for those who have not returned from WWII, Korea, Vietnam or Desert Storm. "Help bring them home." For more information contact Tom Goldsworthy.

September 26, 2008 - September 29, 2008  

For admission information and to register: http://www.momg08.org/

Location:  Branson Convention Center

Learn the gardening secrets of the Ozark  Mountains.  Enjoy a variety of educational sessions, guest speakers and garden tours.

September 26, 2008 - September 28, 2008    

http://www.dickclarksabbranson.com/area57/

Location:  Dick Clark's

Phone:  800-985-3144

September 27, 2008   

http://www.Area57Events.com

Location:  Dick Clark's

Phone:  (417) 332-1960, (877) 588-1957

Hollister Grape and Fall Festival

September 27, 2008     Edit this Event  Delete this Event

Location:  Historical Downing Street in Hollister

Come and enjoy food, stage entertainment, crafts, and lots of fun activities in beautiful historic Hollister. Great for the whole family!

September 30, 2008 - October 1, 2008  

mailto:lionsheart@murderrockgolf.com

Phone:  (417) 334-7818 ext. 104

John Daly’s Lion’s Heart Invitational Golf Tournament has moved to the new course that bears the founder’s name.  The fall tournament and concert will be held at John Daly’s Murder Rock Golf and Country Club, located within the acclaimed Branson Creek Residential Community.  This celebrity filled event moves from Tunica to its new home and promises to become one of the area’s most popular and talked about events. Jan Stevenson, Marshall Faulk and Kevin Costner will be in attendance. This event is one of the biggest fundraisers for the Ozark Mountain Family YMCA, and contributes to an annual donation to the John Daly Foundation.  Sponsorships and players are now being accepted!