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| One of new events being held during Ozark Mountain Spring is "Hand-in-Hand Branson Honors Purple Heart Recipients.” |
Every spring the Redwoods and Dogwoods blossom forth to fill these Ozarks hills with their beauty. As spring spreads over the Ozarks, Branson blossom’s forth with a new year of the entertainment experience known as “Branson.”
This year Branson is celebrating spring with a new community wide festival called “Ozark Mountain Spring” running from March 1 through May 31. Although Ozark Mountain Spring has been in effect for over a month and has another month to go after April, the show, attraction, event, and Ozark Mountain Spring schedules for Branson destination websites, such as the Branson Tourism Center, show that April is the month during which Branson’s Ozark Mountain Spring really comes into full bloom.
From a show perspective, although a lot of its shows opened with limited schedules in March, in April just about every show that is going to be opened for the complete season is not only open, but performing on their normal schedule. As Branson celebrates its 50th year of live music shows the breadth and variety of the live shows it offers supports the claim that Branson is the live music show capital of the world.
The events of Ozark Mountain Spring are a blend of old and new events. A complete list of the events taking place during Ozark Mountain Spring in April is available on line on the Branson Tourism Center website. One of the highlight events is Silver Dollar City’s first festival of the year, its acclaimed “World-Fest,” which will run until May 3. “World-Fest” is an international festival featuring the food, culture and performers from six continents. The 2009 World-Fest is a brand new production and will feature the “Zhejiang Balancing Monks of China” who will be presenting a show that has never been seen in the United States before.
Two major new events that will be presented are “Branson’s Great American Pie Show” and the “Hand-in-Hand Branson Honors Purple Heart Recipients.” The first ever “Branson’s Great American Pie Show” will be held at the Branson Convention Center April. 24 and Apr. 25 in conjunction with “easy breezy spring Cooking Schools” presented by a “Taste of Home” magazine.
The celebrity judge for Branson’s Great American Pie Show will be NBC’s Al Roker. In addition to the judging, Roker will also be available for a book signing and question and answer session from 10:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. on April 25.
A very special Ozark Mountain Spring event will be the “Hand-in-Hand Branson Honors Purple Heart Recipients,” sponsored by Branson.Com, to be held on Apr. 24 and 25. It is a continuation of the Branson tradition of honoring those who have served to defend America and is specifically dedicated to the honor and remembrance of those who have received the “Purple Heart” for wounds received in combat defending their country.
Although there are a number of activities planned for the Purple Heart Recipients, all of which the public is invited to attend and are free to the participants as well as the public, the major event honoring the Purple Heart Recipients will be “the “Purple Mountain Majesty Twilight Ceremony” at the Branson Landing from 6:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m. on April 25. The ceremony will start with the Purple Heart Recipients riding down the Branson Landing promenade and being honored by members of the public lining both sides of the promenade holding candles.
After the promenade ride, the Purple Heart Recipients and the public will share in an exciting and moving ceremony at the Branson Landing fountains. The featured speaker will be “9-11 Pentagon” survivor Sergeant Major Tony Rose (ret.). Marlyce Stockinger, Director of Public Relations and Advertising, Branson.Com, said there is a full schedule of the events activities on the “Hand-in-Hand Branson Honors Purple Heart Recipients,” web page and to contact her at 417-334-2360 for additional information
In addition, Ozark Mountain Spring is just bursting forth with other April events. From princesses at the Titanic to Elvis, actually the “Branson’s Elvis Festival” and “The Ultimate Elvis Tribute Artist Contest,” “Kewpie dolls” and Kewpiesta, the Missouri Wine Festival, the Branson Car Collectors Auction and much more, April promises to be another extremely full and entertaining month for Branson’s visitors.
