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Hot Summer Nights kicks off May 13 on the Bagnell Dam Strip.
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Lake of the Ozarks, Mo. - Small is the next big thing this year at Hot Summer Nights, a spectacular car exhibition and street fair, on the Bagnell Dam Strip (Business Highway 54) in Lake Ozark, Mo. An all-new micro cars exhibit, including the "World's Smallest Production Car," is part of the 2011 Hot Summer Nights series, which runs select Friday evenings, beginning May 13. The family-friendly event continues June 10, July 8, August 12 and September 9 at Central Missouri's Lake of the Ozarks.  | |
The "World's Smallest Production Car" will be one of six micro cars at Hot Summer Nights.
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The "World's Smallest Production Car" is the smallest fully-functional micro car on the planet and is one of six micro cars in the exhibit. For the automotive uninitiated, micro cars are defined as economy vehicles with either three or four wheels and powered by petrol engines of no more than 1000cc or battery-powered electric propulsion engines, manufactured since 1945. "The micro cars are a sight to behold," said Hot Summer Nights organizer Bob Schwartz. "Some of the micro cars that will be on display have never been seen before in this area; one of the cars on display appeared on the television show, Fantasy Island." Hot Summer Nights is in its fourth year and the event draws spectators, classic car owners and motorcycle riders from throughout the country. Last year, the car exhibition boasted visitors and participants from 12 states. Visitors to Hot Summer Nights will have an up-close-and-personal view of almost 500 cars and over 90 motorcycles each night of the series. According to organizers, when vehicles park from end-to-end in the center lane of the Strip, the line of cars can stretch for over a mile from the Boulevard to the Dam. Organizers are hoping to surpass last year's number and encourage classic car owners, show car owners and motorcycle riders of every make and model to come out and join the exhibition on the Strip.
The Bagnell Dam Strip provides the perfect backdrop for this celebration of classic vehicles and envelops patrons in the thick nostalgia of a vintage Ozark street. A casual stroll down the Strip bombards the senses with the sounds of an old-fashioned arcade, the eye-popping visuals of giant "Muffler Men," the delicious smells of a fudgery and the tastes of an old-fashioned ice cream parlor. Countless other specialty shops and restaurants are all within your reach on this stopover to memory lane.
"The people who come out to enjoy Hot Summer Nights love seeing all the classic cars and bikes on the Strip," said Schwartz. "With all the activities we have available to guests, it's the perfect start to a great weekend on the Lake."
If a visitor to Hot Summer Nights wants to see the Strip and the mile of classic cars from a breathtaking aerial perspective, Lake Ozark Helicopters, Inc. is offering helicopter tours during the street fair. Lake Ozark Helicopters' heliport is located on the corner of Horseshoe Bend and Bagnell Dam Boulevard (Business Highway 54) and tours start at $25 per person for a six-mile flight. "We fly to the Dam and right over the middle of the car show," said Lake Ozark Helicopters, Inc. President Jerry Bice. "It's an incredible way to see Hot Summer Nights. People have no idea how many cars are actually on the Strip until they see them from the air. We have plenty of other flights available but this is one of our most popular ones during this event."  | |
The Hot Summer Nights series offer fun and games for all ages.
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Kids will have a great time at Hot Summer Nights, too, and will get a charge out of activities such as face painting, clowns and artist Charcoal Chuck, who draws special cartoon portraits of kids 10 and under. Hot Summer Nights also presents live radio remotes, contests and giveaways, plenty of vendors to visit and lots of fantastic food and family fun. Local DJ Leo Case will be on hand to spin the tunes via his massive sound system. Visitors and participants can tune their radios to 98.3 FM to hear all of Case's music. Throughout the street fair, raffle tickets for a Hot Rod BBQ grill will be available from the Bagnell Dam Strip Association. The winner of the raffle takes home a BBQ grill that looks exactly like a hot rod engine block. Tickets can be purchased from the Lake Area Chamber of Commerce or the members of the Bagnell Dam Strip Association for $1 each or six for $5. This grill, valued at $700, will be raffled off on September 9, the final evening of Hot Summer Nights. Call the Lake Area Chamber of Commerce at (573) 964-1008 or visit the Hot Summer Nights' website for more information. Also, you can follow Hot Summer Nights on its new Facebook page by clicking HERE and hitting the "like" button. For more information about lodging, dining, shopping, events and attractions throughout the Lake area, contact the Lake of the Ozarks Convention & Visitor Bureau at 800-FUN-LAKE (386-5253) or visit the Lake of the Ozarks Convention & Visitor Bureau's web site, www.FunLake.com. # # # | 
