The Lake of the Ozarks blooms in to life in the spring, with a bouquet of fun festivals, festivities and beautiful blossoms everyone can enjoy.

 

APRIL: 

Traders and guests set up camp at Jacob's Cave along Highway 5 in Versailles for the grand Jacob's Cave Swapping Days swap meet. Come browse through a variety of crafts, goods and wares, livestock and small animals the first weekend in April. Swapping Days will also take place the first weekends in June and October. 

 

Enjoy three days of outstanding Southern Gospel music featuring The Greater Vision, Triumphant Quartet, The Booth Brothers, The Crist Family, and more at the 13th Annual Great Lake of the Ozarks Gospel Sing at the Main Street Music Hall in Osage Beach the second weekend in April.

 

Fun for the entire family, the 

61st Annual Dogwood Festival

in Camdenton offers a craft show, pageants, fantastic food, entertainment, a parade and much more. And don't forget all the beautiful blooming dogwoods! See them for yourself the third weekend in April.

  

 

A unique show for all makes and models, the

23rd Annual Magic Dragon Street Meet Nationals

presented by O'Reilly Auto Parts is the largest street meet in Central Missouri with more street rods, customs, street machines, sleds and motorcycles taking over the Bagnell Dam Strip. "We're gearing up for the 2011 event and we're really excited about it," says Michelle Cook, director of marketing for the Lake Area Chamber of Commerce. "We hope to have another 1,000 plus cars again this year, and we've added a second show called GenerationNext at Prewitt's Point for the new age of car enthusiasts, so it should be a lot of fun." 2011 promises to be the best year ever with expectations of breaking last year's record of 1,004 vehicles. Come be a part of history the last weekend in April.

 

MAY:

Kick off the official boating season with a Lake-wide poker run on the water with stops at Lakefront bars, restaurants and marinas at the14th Annual Spring Harbor Hop the first weekend in May.

 

 

Step back in time to the 1920's on the historic Bagnell Dam Strip for the

5th Annual Oma and Noma Days Festival. Enjoy antique and vintage autos, trucks, tractors and equipment, live bluegrass, blues, and old time Ozark music. There will also be storytellers, Ozark crafters and a variety of other displays that depict the Lake's roaring '20s and the birth of the Bagnell Dam. Come enjoy the Ozark atmosphere and join us the second weekend in May for this celebration of our area's heritage, and leave with a sense of appreciation and awe for that bygone era.

 

Grab your racing jacket and head for the strip as Hot Summer Nights  

kicks off the second Friday in May on the Bagnell Dam Strip. This car show features an astounding number of hot rods, souped-up cars, trucks, and motorcycles as well as giveaways, helicopter rides, live music, great food and more. Hot Summer Nights will continue the second Friday in June, as well as July and August, and the Hot Summer Nights finale will be the second Friday in September. 

 

Summer Events

The most happening time of year at the Lake, and for good reason, is summer. Bring your friends, kids, pets and everyone else to enjoy the wonderful outdoors and festivals at the Lake.

 

JUNE:

The month of June kicks off with a festival unlike any other: the 18th Annual Olean Jaycees Testicle Festival.  This fest offers visitors and gawkers alike a chance to enjoy live music, raffles, crafts, wares, and, for the brave, even sample fried turkey testicles. Bring an open mind and your less-queasy friends to Olean the first Saturday in June and make it a festival not to forget.

 

Warm up your vocal cords and get ready to cheer on wonderful, lovable canine Olympians as they compete in the Big Air, Extreme Vertical and Speed Retrieve events at the

Dog Days Canine Cannonball in Osage Beach. "We are really excited about the Canine Cannonball being one of the largest fundraisers for the Dogwood Animal Shelter in Camdenton," says Ed Schmidt, one of the festival organizers. "It's a free, fun and interesting family-friendly event for a really good cause, so bring your families and your dogs and just enjoy yourself." The Cannonball brings in the top dogs from across the nation and takes place the second weekend in June and is free to watch and open to all dogs.

 

JULY:

There's nothing quite like the spectacle of fireworks bursting over the water- their colorful reflections rippling over the surface and lightening up the faces of friends and family. Visitors can experience the thrill of the Independence Day Fireworks Display and celebrate the Fourth of July with several fantastic fireworks displays scheduled around the Lake for the weekend of the Fourth. Come celebrate America's birthday on the water.

 

Marine Max and Sea Ray Boats invite all boaters to join them in Osage Beach for AquaPalooza in mid-July for a great day on the water. A part of Dog Days at the Lake, AquaPalooza features live music, prizes and activities that will keep you having fun all day long. Register online at www.AquaPalooza.com.

 

AUGUST:

August at the Lake is chocked-full of opportunities for interesting outings and cultured experiences beginning with the

18th Annual Missouri Wine Festival the first Saturday, which attracts hundreds of wine connoisseurs from various parts of the world to taste some of the finest wines produced in Missouri. Several local and regional wineries will be on hand at the Lake of the Ozarks Country Club Hotel and Spa offering several of their wines for tasting. Wines will be available for purchase by the bottle or case.

 

Bring a big napkin and a big appetite to Laurie the first weekend in August for the 19th Annual Hillbilly Barbecue Cook-off. Sanctioned by the Kansas City Barbecue Society, this delicious event offers big cash prizes and bigger bragging rights for the best barbecue. A dance, beer garden, prizes, raffles and a kids' barbecue contest attracts big crowds every year to the Laurie fairgrounds.  

 

The second Saturday in August you can show off your physical stamina, or lack thereof, at the Bagnell Dam River Park with a five-kilometer walk/ run at The Great Bagnell Dam Duck Drop 5K Fun Run/Walk/Waddle. There will be a Family Fun Zone with everything from clowns, face painting, games, and live entertainment to bounce houses and a variety of delectable dining options to replace all the calories lost during the 5K. There will also be a rubber duck race down the Osage River with big prizes for the luckiest ducks.

 

After you've completed the Duck Drop 5k Run/Walk/Waddle, grab your paintbrushes and join us at the Stone Crest Mall in Osage Beach for The 4th Annual Art and Ambiance Fair the same weekend. This event draws artists and art lovers from throughout the region and gives visitors a chance to pick up unique memories that will last a lifetime.

 

And what better way to conclude the month than attending or competing in

The 23rd Annual Lake of the Ozarks Shootout. Named one of the nation's eight must-see boating events by Powerboat magazine,

The Shootout is the largest unsanctioned boat competition in the U.S., and more than 100 boats individually race to be named the Lake's fastest boat. This thrilling spectacle takes place the last week of August at Captain Ron's, just south of the Hurricane Deck Bridge at the 34.5 mile marker.