Branson is full of surprise in 05

Guests visiting the area in 2005 can expect to see new shows, attractions, special events, festivals, restaurants, lodging amenities, retail shops, outdoor recreational activities and more as the Branson/Lakes Area continues to grow and expand its wealth of vacation amenities.

This year marks a record in new development for the Branson/Lakes Area with the addition of Branson Landing, now under construction in historic downtown Branson. The New Shanghai Theatre opens in May and a historic event to welcome home Vietnam veterans is scheduled for June. For updates throughout the year, call the Branson/Lakes Area Chamber of Commerce and Convention & Visitors Bureau toll free at (800) 214-3661 or visit, www.explorebranson.com to sign up to receive the Chamber’s monthly e-newsletter.

Shows

· Andy Williams and Petula Clark perform together at The Moon River Theatre in the spring and fall.

· David Copperfield at The Moon River Theatre June 13-16

· The New Shanghai Theatre on Hwy. 165, Branson’s newest theater, opens May 15 featuring the New Shanghai Circus.

· The Branson Variety Theater presents Bobby Vinton in concert with Vinton family members and a live orchestra.

· The Welk Theater hosts Larry Gatlin and the Gatlin Brothers with Pam Tillis (Sept – Oct), and Larry Gatlin and the Gatlin Brothers with the Lennon Sisters (Nov – Dec). Siegfried & Roy Present Darren Romeo, The Voice of Magic runs April – December.

· Circle B Chuckwagon Dinner & Show opens at the newly renovated Dinner Bell Restaurant across from The Grand Palace.

· Clay Cooper’s Country Music Express opens at the Caravelle Theater.

· Les Brown’s Band of Renown with Les Brown Jr. performs at the Mickey Gilley Theater.

· George Jones, Bill Engvall, Merle Haggard and The Von Trapp Children join the Biggest Concert Series at The Grand Palace.

· John Wayne and America’s Yodeling Sweetheart perform at the Nova Theater

· The Yeary’s Music Show and “Act of God” join #1 Hits of the 60’s at the Musical Palace.

· Neil Goldberg’s Cirque show appears at The Remington Theatre.

· The Sons of the Pioneers perform their chuckwagon dinner show at The Shepherd of the Hills Pavilion Theatre.

Location Changes

· Acrobats of China featuring the New Shanghai Circus mark the opening of their 8^th season in Branson with a new theater on Hwy. 165, the New Shanghai Theatre.

· Buck Trent, in his 14^th season, opens his show at the Grand Country Music Hall.

· “From Patsy to Present… ” plays at the Branson Mall Music Theater.

· Doug Gabriel opens his show at the Jim Stafford Theatre.

· River Run Outfitters fly fishing shop has recently moved from its downtown location to a location closer to the dam at 2626 State Highway 165 in Branson

Attractions

· Silver Dollar City presents Powder Keg, a new $10 million explosive-launch roller coaster that launches riders from 0 to 53 miles per hour in 2.8 seconds and hits speeds up to 64 miles per hour.

· Silver Dollar City presents a salute to the American cowboy during their Festival of American Music & Craftsmanship, September 8 – October 29. Performances by Riders in the Sky, Michael Martin Murphy, Buck Taylor, Roy Rogers Jr., and the palomino-riding Sons of Tennessee along with a tribute to John Wayne are part of the entertainment, along with hundreds of musicians playing bluegrass, string band, country and gospel. Visiting craftsmen demonstrate coppersmithing, stone masonry, and Best of Missouri Hands juried artists demonstrate pewtersmithing, pottery, weaving, watercolor and bentwood furniture making.

· Silver Dollar City’s Bluegrass & Barbecue festival, May 21- June 5, features the upbeat sounds of American bluegrass music along with the aromas and flavors of an all-American barbecue, with Kansas City-style, Memphis favorites and Texas traditional barbecue. Sample 300 barbecue sauces and visit the Barbecue Expo for the latest in grills, demonstrations and tips from the experts. See regional bluegrass artists and rising stars including Blue Highway, NewFound Road, Rarely Herd and the Chapmans.

· The Branson Balloon offers passengers a 15-minute ride 500 feet into the air over Shepherd of the Hills Expressway offering a bird’s-eye view of the Branson landscape. It is the largest tethered helium balloon in the U. S. at 200,000 cubic feet.

· “Titanic… The Legend Continues” opens on Hwy. 76 at the former site of Thunder Road Amusement Center. The attraction will feature re-creations of first class staterooms, third class austere accommodations, the Grand Staircase, plus an interactive area for passengers to experience the touch of an iceberg. Visitors can view over 200 priceless artifacts and historic treasures, and will be able to share the personal, heroic and tragic stories of its passengers.

· Playtime Pizza is a 30,000-square foot complex with indoor go-kart track, 2 levels of arcades, prizes and shops. The dining area seats 520 in individually themed party rooms and private group rooms.

· A new entertainment complex on Hwy. 76 also opening in 2005 will include a state-of-the-art live entertainment theater, The Belair, featuring Rock Legends of the 50s and 60s. Grammy Award-winning and Rock and Roll Hall of Fame inductee, Bill Medley of The Righteous Brothers, Paul Revere and the Raiders, and several other artists will perform. The complex will house “57 Heaven,” a 32,000-square foot exhibit that takes visitors on a walk down memory lane through lifestyle exhibits displaying the mood and spirit of 1957, including an unparalleled museum-quality collection of classic cars, all vintage 1957. There will also be a themed restaurant and gift shop.

· The new 2.2-mile Table Rock Lakeshore Trail connects the Dewey Short Visitor Center with the Showboat Branson Belle and the Table Rock State Park. The paved trail is open each day until dusk.

Museums

· The Great Passion Play in Eureka Springs, Arkansas presents the Biblical account of early history at the Museum of Earth History and a new Holy Land exhibit.

Events

· BransonFest, April 5-9, held at the Welk Resort Theatre will feature a sampling of Branson’s finest entertainment, food, arts and culture in ’05.

· The Mid America Gospel Music & Singing Convention will be held May 13 -15 at the Tri-Lakes Music Center and feature choirs from all across the country as well as gospel music groups such as The Dixie Melody Boys, the Florida Boys Quartet, The Hoskins Family and Christian comedian Aaron Wilburn.

· Mardi Gras in Branson, June 2-4, will feature new musical groups, more food, more vendors and more fun. This Cajun/Zydeco festival celebrates “La joie de vive” Cajun-style with a touch of the Ozarks.

· Operation Homecoming USA, a 501(c)(3) not-for-profit corporation, presents Welcome Home… America’s Tribute to Vietnam Veterans June 13-19. The homecoming entails numerous events throughout the Branson area including military demonstrations and displays, banquets, a fishing tournament, a golf tournament and a 10-hour outdoor concert on Saturday night featuring some of the biggest acts in the entertainment industry including the Beach Boys, the Fifth Dimension, Creedance Clearwater Revisited, Ann-Margret, the Doobie Brothers, Yakov Smirnoff, the Supremes with Mary Wilson, the Oak Ridge Boys, Tony Orlando, Les Brown’s Band of Renown with Les Brown, Jr., and the Dallas Cowboy Cheerleaders.

Shops

· Boyd’s Bear Country opens on Hwy. 76 behind the Nova 4 Movie Theater and offers whimsical and ‘folksy with attitude’ gifts and collectibles. Guests can shop, and adopt and stuff their own bears.

Developments

· Chateau On The Lake opens the $2 million, 10,000-square foot full-service Spa Botanica in June.

· College of the Ozarks offers the grand 97,000-square-foot, 4-story Keeter Center, which houses a new restaurant, meeting and conference space, lodging rooms, classrooms and more.

· Pointe Royale Condominium Resort Golf & Conference Center has a new clubhouse and meeting facility for members and guests.

· Top of the Rock Golf Course is opening a new Arnold Palmer-designed signature practice facility.

· The City of Branson is developing a new Recreational Center including a 7,500- square foot fitness facility, two basketball courts, volleyball courts, a 12,249-square foot swimming pool, baseball/softball fields, soccer fields and a 1.5 mile asphalt walking track

· Chateau On The Lake developer, John Q. Hammons Hotels, announced plans in 2004 to build Charlevoix, a five-star, 18-story luxury hotel next to Chateau on the Lake in 2007.