The overall theme for 2016's Hot Summer Nights series is "Cruisin' to the Lake," but each monthly installment has it's own mini-theme. 

The theme for the May 13 event is "Route 66: Detour to the Lake," celebrating the 90th anniversary of this fabled highway, which first took root in 1926 in Springfield, Mo. Hot Summer Nights organizers have rallied multiple Route 66 associations from Missouri, Illinois, Kansas and Oklahoma, as well as other Missouri towns steeped in the history of the "Mother Road," to set up a Route 66 "village" along The Strip. Many representatives from these associations, communities and organizations will be on hand to tell tales of this storied thoroughfare and provide more information on Route 66 and Route 66 events. In addition, the famed Lennon Family trio from Branson will open the evening with a rendition of "The Star Spangled Banner."

On June 10, attendees are encouraged to put their tops down and cruise to the Lake to honor the classic "Rag Tops and T-Tops," so there should be no shortage of open-air carriages to check out.  The event on July 8 will focus on "Rats, Rods and Street Machines," where plenty of tricked out, street legal hot rods will be on full display. On August 12, "Since '66: 50 Years of Cruising the Strip" commemorates the history of the Bagnell Dam Strip as well as the Lake area; therefore, many vendors and businesses along "The Strip" will offer special 1960s prices on merchandise and more.

The final event of the season, which takes place September 9, is called "Vettes for Veterans" and will be a patriotic tribute to American veterans featuring the Lake of the Ozarks Corvette Club. This installment features a parade for local military veterans, a fly-over by the KC Flight Team, as well as a 21-gun salute. In 2015, more than 100 local military heroes joined the "Vettes for Veterans" parade and rode down the Bagnell Dam Strip in Corvettes as onlookers waived miniature American flags.