Real Estate - Tim Tiller, MSW

Can't Miss Events at The Lake of the Ozarks

People are often surprised that you can find incredible events year-round at the Lake.

January

Enjoy fine dining WAIT FREE

This is the best month to enjoy some of the best local restaurants at prime time without having to wait for a table. Restaurants that don’t typically have special deals during high season offer some amazing dinner and happy hour specials in January and February. Check out places like Baxters, JB Hook’s, and The Reserve … you won’t be disappointed.

VIEWS, VIEWS, VIEWS!

On milder days, it’s also a great time for hike at Ha Ha Tonka or the state park. Hiking is beautiful year-round, but in January when the trees are bare, you’ll have views that don’t exist April through November. It’s the best time of year to hike for spectacular scenery and vistas around the Lake.

February

Mardi Gras Pub Crawl

Lake of the Ozarks is home to the world’s largest pub crawl every February. People travel to the area from surrounding cities to imbibe and listen to live music at the Lake’s best off-water bars. What used to be a one day event ultimately evolved into a weekend event! Hotels sell out, so if you are travelling make sure you book early. For more information visit LakePubCrawl.com.

Winterfest

Our local Rotary club hosts their annual Winterfest fundraising event each February. Every year there’s a different theme for attendees to enjoy. Complete with food, dancing, and silent auction, this is one of the most popular winter fundraisers every year. Billboard around the lake announce the theme and tickets go on sale in January. Watch LakeExpo.com or FunLake.com for event details.

March

Lake of the Ozarks St Patrick’s Day Parade

The entire community looks forward to the annual St. Patrick’s Day Parade. Local businesses build great floats and celebrate residents lining Bagnell Dam Boulevard. Many people setup tents to tailgate along the road! The parade ends on the historic Bagnell Dam Strip where the local pubs on the strip await with all kinds of St Patty’s day food and drink specials. Put on your green and bring lawn chairs!

St Patrick’s Day Parade on the Water

Captain Ron’s hosts St. Patrick’s Day on the Water each year. The event starts with breakfast after which everyone climbs aboard a Celebration Cruise boat to watch an on-water decorated boat parade. It’s a festive event in true Lake of the Ozarks style!

April

Spring Big Bass Bash

Don't miss one of the largest Big Bass fishing tournaments in the nation, the Lake of the Ozarks Spring Big Bass Bash. Amateur anglers from all over the Midwest flock to Lake of the Ozarks for this one! You have a chance to win huge cash prizes like the pros. Over $325,000 in cash & prizes are paid out at this event, including a whopping $100,000 in cash to the angler that catches the Biggest Bass of the tournament. Visit Big Bass Bash for more details.

Dogwood Festival Parade

The Dogwood Festival marks Spring at Lake of the Ozarks. The dogwoods are blooming and locals celebrate on the square in Camdenton with a parade, pageant, carnival, and games. It’s a family-friendly events and one of the most anticipated of the year by locals from all areas of the Lake. Visit Camdenton Chamber for more information.

May

Ozark Amphitheater

The summer concert series at Ozark Amphitheater seems to get better every year! OzarkAmp.com is where you’ll find the lineup for the season. The amphitheater has hosted some big names like Cody Johnson, Aaron Lewis, REO Speedwagon, Kansas, ZZ Top, and more. The season lineup is announced every spring and the concerts sell out. It’s one of the most popular attractions at the Lake for locals and visitors alike. Concerts generally run from May through August.

Memorial Day

Memorial Day weekend at Lake of the Ozarks is the official kick-off to the summer season! The town busts at the seam with visitors from all over the country. The lake is packed with incredible boats, the local/bar restaurant lakefront pools are flooded with partiers ready to celebrate the summer and honor service members who gave all. Your best bet for events on this holiday weekend is to visit LakeExpo or FunLake.

June

LOTO Powerfest

June is Lake Race month, one of the most anticipated events at Lake of the Ozarks every year! There's a street party Friday night ahead of race day where you can come out and get up CLOSE to the very PERFORMANCE boats taking to the water racing on Saturday! You can talk with RACERS & CREW and get some AMAZING pictures! It's a very cool event and draws attendees from all over the country and the world to Lake of the Ozarks. Click here for more details.

Canine Cannonball

How far and high can your dog jump? The annual Dock Dogs jumping contest is held at Dog Days lakefront bar and grill every year. If you are a dog lover, this event will have you smiling from ear to ear! Canine competes in Big Air, Extreme Vertical, and Speed Retrieve at this super-exciting family friendly event. For more information visit DockDogs.

July

Independence Day

Independence Day weekend at Lake of the Ozarks is even bigger than Memorial Day weekend. Fireworks are everywhere and the Lake is rocking with big boats from all over the globe. You’ll want to visit FunLake.com or Lake Expo.com for the fireworks and live entertainment schedules. This is easily the BIGGEST weekend at Lake of the Ozarks.

Aquapalooza

The biggest boat party in the Midwest is hosted at Captain Ron's in Sunrise Beach. Boat ties up all day long to listen to live music from the beach. It is the Lake's Largest FAMILY boating event hosted by the Lake of the Ozarks Marine Dealers. A quick search on YouTube for “Aquapalooza Lake of the Ozarks” will give you a really good idea of what to expect so you can be prepared. The sheer number of boats in one spot can be surprising to some!

August

Missouri State Fair

Need we say more? The Missouri State Fair is an awesome family-friendly event held in nearby Sedalia. Every year since 1901 the State Fair has attracted families, bands, agriculture, rodeo, vendors, and other entertainment to central Missouri. This 10-day event offers ample time to work it into your summer schedule and experience some of the best of what the state has to offer.

Great Dam Duck Drop

Every year the first weekend of August rubber ducks are tossed from a helicopter over the dam into the Osage River. The yellow happy duckies race to the finish line where the first-place winner gets $5000! This annual fundraiser benefits Ozark Coast Kiwanis and is one of the biggest of the year in support of local children. Duck tickets are available from local Kiwanis members, many local businesses, and online at GreatDamDuckDrop. There also a quacky golf tournament that proceeds the event - it's held on Friday before the Duck Drop and sells out every single year!

September

Bikefest

Lake of the Ozarks is the ULTIMATE BikeFest experience! Every September, motorcycle enthusiasts from all over the United States rumble their way to the area for the Annual Lake of the Ozarks BikeFest. With some of the nation’s most scenic rides, bikers enjoy the rolling Ozark hills with spectacular views of the water. There’s like music galore all weekend, so check out LakeBikefest.com for the lineup.

Turkey Festival – Eldon MO

Held at the end of September for more than 30 years, the quaint town of Eldon has hosted the annual Turkey Festival. You can shop vendors, enjoy a smoked turkey leg, listen to live music at two stages, enjoy a parade, and let the kids play at the children’s carnival, bounce houses and other activities. Visit EldonChamber for more information.

October

Harbor Hop

One of the last events on the water for the season, Harbor Hop is always a great time! Participants visit over 40 of our participating locations on the water to collect a poker hand. You can the Harbor hop by stopping at any of the check points. You sign up and pay an optional $20 donation at your first stop, then collect an addition 6 cards at other participating stops of your choice. Your hand is complete when the 7th card is drawn. Add this to your list of popular events at the Lake! Get all the details about Harborhop.

Versailles Olde Tyme Apple Festival

The annual festival is organized and produced by the Versailles Area Chamber of Commerce in early October of each year. Complete with a parade, live music, vendors galore, events for the kids, a demolition derby, and a car show, this festival draws huge crowds to farm country just 30 minutes from Lake of the Ozarks. Put this on your list of “must attend” events! Visit Versailles Apple Festival for more details.

November

Lake of the Ozarks Turkey Trot

Like many communities, Lake of the Ozarks has a Turkey Trot 5K. It’s a local family tradition held on Thanksgiving morning at Camdenton High School. This event is attended by many families who want to kick their holiday off with some exercise, friendly competition and camaraderie. For more information visit lototurkeytrot.com.

Enchanted Village of Lights

The Enchanted Village of Lights in Laurie Missouri is one of the most amazing light displays around the area. If you have not made it out to see the lights, you are really missing out. These 27 acres of lights is a sight to see. With over 250 displays. Lights in mid-November each year and run until January 1.

December

Christmas Around Versailles

In early December each year, the town of Versailles hosts a family Christmas event featuring food Trucks and local crafters showcasing their talents. Santa comes down from the North Pole to see all the children and get their last-minute wish lists. There’s also a Lighted Christmas Parade that leads up to the courthouse to the annual lighting of the Christmas tree.

For more information visit Versailles Chamber.