Summer Lake Breaking Newsletter

LAKE BREAKING NEWS

-- FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE -- FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE --

-- April 12, 2013 --

SUMMER 2013

LAKE BREAKING NEWSLETTER

hat's new at the Lake of the Ozarks? Read all about what's coming up for the summer vacation season in this edition of the quarterly Lake Breaking NewsLETTER. For more information, color images or other assistance, please contact us toll-free at 800-544-8474 or email Marjorie, Jo, Deb or Kyle.

SILVER DRAGON ...

Celebrate automotive excellence and enjoy great family fun at the Magic Dragon Street Meet Nationals' silver anniversary on May 3-5 on the historic Bagnell Dam Strip (Business Hwy. 54) in Lake Ozark. The Street Meet Nationals, now in its 25th year, is a nationally-known, open-class car show, featuring all makes, models and years of cars, trucks and motorcycles. Each year, thousands of spectators attend this automotive festival to view over a thousand of the country's finest custom autos and motos. The Magic Dragon Street Meet's other attraction, the Generation NEXT Magic Dragon (located at Monarch Plaza in Lake Ozark), returns for its third year. GenNext runs May 3-4 and is specifically designed for the next generation of car enthusiasts. The GenNEXT location features tuner cars (Scion and other imports) and other highly customized foreign and domestic rides. Each Magic Dragon festival location features vendor villages, music, DJs and plenty of fun for the entire family. Admission is free. Judging-by-classification also is set to return to the Street Meet Nationals this year. Entry fee for these judging contests will be $5, with judging classes to be announced in the upcoming weeks. For more information on this event, call 800-451-4117 or visit the Magic Dragon website at MagicDragonCarShow.com.

LAKE AREA B&B FEATURED IN
THE HUFFINGTON POST ...

The Inn at Harbour Ridge (6334 Red Barn Road in Osage Beach) was recently recognized by BnBFinder.com founder Mary White in an article featured in the U.S. Destination section of The Huffington Post. In the article, the Inn was honored as one of five select Bed & Breakfasts in the U.S. perfect for a girlfriend getaway. The article highlighted the Inn's relaxed setting, its proximity to the Lake of the Ozarks and its Pajama Party package, perfect for women who are looking to escape the madness that comes in March via the NCAA Tournament. Harbour Ridge's Pajama Package features complimentary wine, appetizers and dessert, followed by a choice of a makeup consultation, pedicures or a skincare party. To read this article in its entirety, please visit The Huffington Post's U.S. Destination site here. For more details about money-saving packages, rates and availability at the Inn at Harbour Ridge, phone 877-744-6020 or visit the Inn's website at HarbourRidgeInn.com. To learn more about other B&Bs and lodging options in the Lake of the Ozarks area, contact the Lake of the Ozarks Convention & Visitor Bureau at 800-FUN-LAKE (386-5253) or visit the Bureau's website, FunLake.com.

WELCOME TO CAMP VARIETY ...

Those who enjoy

staying in the great outdoors can vacation their way at the Lake of the Ozarks' many campgrounds and RV parks. The Lake has a wide range of options to suit anyone, from hardy mountain men who like "roughing it" to weekend campers who prefer to enjoy the outdoors with the creature comforts of home. For those who like the experience of tent camping, campsites at the Lake can range from the primitive (a tent space with no frills) to sites with full electrical access. People who drive RVs will have no trouble finding a place where they can park their vehicles and get all the amenities they need with ease. "The advantage of RVing and camping is that you are technically bringing your 'house' with you," said Osage Beach RV Park owner Larry Jones. "You have everything at your fingertips with an RV or campground because you're traveling with your lodging and you've got the space to pack everything you need. You also have the fun of being a part of a community where you'll get to know your neighbors, and RV and campground people are some of the nicest people you'll ever want to meet." For those who don't have a tent, camper or an RV, some of the campsites and parks at the Lake have cabins available for rent. And for the kid in all of us, there are even treehouse cabins available at Cross Creek RV Park and Campground in Lake Ozark that can sleep up to six people. Fishermen and boaters can enjoy Lake or river access with the convenience of boat launches and docks at select Lake-area campgrounds. Some parks, like the Red Oak Resort and RV Park in Camdenton, have a large banquet hall or pavilions that are perfect for family gatherings or corporate retreats. And you'll find that wherever you stay at the Lake of the Ozarks, you'll be close to a variety of area restaurants, shopping centers and family-friendly attractions. For more about the campgrounds and RV parks in the Lake of the Ozarks area, call the Lake of the Ozarks Convention & Visitor Bureau at 800-FUN-LAKE (386-5253) or visit the Bureau's website, FunLake.com.

TRIPLE YOUR GOLFING FUN ...

Fun comes in threes at a unique Lake-area golfing tournament, the Third Annual Three-Course Three-Person Scramble, set for May 7 at Dogwood Hills Golf Resort, The Oaks at Tan-Tar-A Resort and Sycamore Creek Golf Course. Golfers will play their way through 27 holes of tournament golf (nine holes on each of the three courses) for cash prizes. Participant sign-in begins at 10 a.m. at Dogwood Hills on the day of the event. At this registration meeting, starting and event instructions will be presented to tournament participants. The scramble starts on all three courses simultaneously at 11 a.m. with a shotgun start. At the conclusion of the tournament, scoring and an awards ceremony will take place at Chicago Brothers Pizza, with complimentary appetizers for all tournament players. Tournament entry fee is $80 per person. In order to register for the Three-Course Three-Person Scramble, entry forms and fees must be received no later than April 23. For more information, call Dogwood Hills Golf Resort at 573-348-3153 or visit DogwoodHillsResort.com and download the Three-Course Three-Person Scramble entry form.

Looking Ahead...

The summer season is loaded with fun events at the Lake of the Ozarks. For more information about getaway packages, 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 Bureau's website, FunLake.com.

APRIL 18-21

DOGWOOD FESTIVAL

The Dogwood Festival returns for its 63rd annual celebration of Missouri's state tree, the flowering dogwood, on April 18-21. This fun festival in Camdenton features food, rides, and entertainment for the entire family. Visitors can enjoy a carnival, live music, arts, crafts, beauty pageants, a hog roast, a fish fry, a parade, garage sales, a shoebox float contest for kids, a golf tournament, a 5K fun run and much more. For more information about the Dogwood Festival, call the Camdenton Area Chamber of Commerce at 573-346-2227. For a full schedule of events, entry forms or details, visit the festival's website at CamdentonChamber.com/DogwoodFestival.htm.

APRIL 20-21

BIG BASS BASH

A $150,000 payout awaits amateur anglers to the Lake of the Ozarks on April 20-21 for the Spring Big Bass Bash, sponsored by the Anglers in Action Tournament Trail. First place in the Big Bass competition earns $40,000, second place nets a cool $20,000 and third place wins $10,000. Two-day entry fees are $165 per person and one-day entry fees are $115 per person. Kids Division registration is $10 per day. To find out more about this tournament, including complete registration information and rules, visit BigBassBash.com or call 866-515-0102.

MAY 4

SPRING HARBOR HOP

The Spring Harbor Hop, May 4, kicks off the boating season at the Lake of the Ozarks. This event, sponsored by the Lake of the Ozarks Convention & Visitor Bureau, is a boating festival in which participants "hop" (by water or land) to and from waterfront restaurants and marinas to draw playing cards and build a winning poker hand for prizes. Players can donate $15 per seven-card hand and start the hop by drawing their first card at any of the sponsoring restaurants and marinas along the Lake's main channel, the Big Niangua and Gravois arms. For more information about the Harbor Hop, call 800-FUN-LAKE (386-5253). For a full list of participating Harbor Hop locations and event hours, visit FunLake.com/HarborHop.

MAY 10, JUNE 14, JULY 12, AUG. 9, SEP. 6

HOT SUMMER NIGHTS

Hot Summer Nights, a five-part automobile cruising series spectacular, returns for another season of cars, music, food and family fun on the historic Bagnell Dam Strip (Business Hwy. 54) in Lake Ozark. The series begins on May 10 from 6 until 11 p.m., and continues once a month on select Fridays during the summer (June 14, July 12, Aug. 9 and Sep. 6). Admission and cruise participation is free. In addition to food and drink, each Hot Summer Nights event features a live DJ, caricature artists, street-performing clowns, helicopter rides and other forms of entertainment. For more information about Hot Summer Nights, call the Lake Area Chamber at 800-451-4117, visit the event's website at CruiseHotSummerNights.com or visit the event's Facebook page at facebook.com/cruisehotsummernights for additional updates.

MAY 17-18

LAKE OF THE OZARKS

BLUES & BBQ WEEKEND

See amateur and professional chefs try to "smoke" the competition and enjoy cool blues music during the second annual Lake of the Ozarks Blues and BBQ Weekend, May 17-18, on the historic Bagnell Dam Strip in Lake Ozark. This Kansas City Barbeque Society-sanctioned event is open to the public and features a barbeque cook-off, live blues music, a vendor village, and all-you-can-eat barbeque for $5. On Saturday, visitors can catch a shuttle to and from the Blues & BBQ festivities to the nearby Oma and Noma Heritage Festival activities to enjoy even more great music and great Lake-area fun. For more information about the event or for more information about how to enter the cook-off, please contact Jon Hartenstein at 573-480-9866 or email JR@LakeBBQ.com.

MAY 18

OMA AND NOMA HERITAGE FESTIVAL
Travel back in time during the Oma and Noma Heritage Festival on Saturday, May 18, on the historic Bagnell Dam Strip in Lake Ozark. This festival celebrates Oma and Noma Degraffenreid, the two ladies who were the first to travel across Bagnell Dam when it opened in 1931. The festival features arts and crafts, vintage automobiles, Ozark storytellers, pageants, Bagnell Dam tours, a dog show and much more. There are a couple new features to this year's festival, including live music that progresses through the decades as the day goes on featuring blues, bluegrass and Ozark folk music in the morning, live jazz from the '30s and '40s in the afternoon, and classics from the '50s, '60s and '70s in the evening. And,
since this year's event is held in conjunction with the Blues & BBQ Weekend, visitors will be able to catch a shuttle to and from both events. To find out about all things Oma and Noma, call 573-365-7132.

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Note to Media: The summer season is full of exciting travel stories at the Lake of the Ozarks! For more information, media assistance or high-resolution photos, please call The Beenders-Walker Group toll-free at 800-544-8474 or email Marjorie, Jo, Deb or Kyle.