Archive for the ‘Festivals’ Category
Silver Dollar City’s Annual Bluegrass & BBQ Festival
Nothing goes together quite like Bluegrass and BBQ! Now you can enjoy both with the Bluegrass & BBQ Festival at Branson’s Silver Dollar City theme park, May 10 through June 3, 2012.
Enjoy taste tempting treats from the nation’s most popular flavors at The House of BBQ where you’ll find everything from Memphis dry rub and Texas-style BBQ to the Kansas City style BBQ found in the Midwest.
Fill your plate, then sit back and experience the finest in Bluegrass from the hottest new bands to award-winning favorites. The annual festival at Silver Dollar City offers us 23 days of electrifying performances by some of the biggest names in Bluegrass, including Rhonda Vincent & the Rage, Bluegrass Martins, The Link Family, Nothin’ Fancy, Flatt Lonesome, The Gibson Brothers and the Larry Stephenson Band.
Scheduled Performers
May 10 - 11 Bluegrass Martins - 2012 Midwest SPBGMA Instrumental Group of the Year; Dobro Performer of the Year - Larita Martin; Banjo Performer of the Year - Janice Martin; Fiddle Performer of the Year - Jeana Martin Faris
May 10 - 11 New Town
May 10 - 11 The Ward Family
May 10 - 12 The Huntley Sisters
May 10 - 12 Rhonda Vincent & The Rage - 7-time IBMA Female Vocalist of the Year; 2011 SPBGMA Contemporary Female Vocalist of the Year; Entertainer of the Year; 2012 SPBGMA Female Vocalist of the Year
May 10 - 13 The Link Family - 2012 Midwest SPBGMA Vocal Group of the Year; 2011 National Single Microphone Champions
May 10 - 13 Nothin’ Fancy - 4-time SPBGMA Entertaining Group of the Year
May 12 - 13 Bama Blu-Grace
May 12 - 13 Brightwater Junction
May 12 - 13 Flatt Lonesome - 1st Place Winner, 2012 SPBGMA International Band Championship
May 13 - 14 Joe Muillins & the Radio Ramblers
May 13 - 14 Majerus Family
May 14 & 16 The Bankester Family
May 14 - 16 Bluegrass Missourians
May 14, 21 & 28 The Farnum Family
May 16 - 17 Bluegrass Addiction
May 16 - 17 The Petersens
May 16 - 17 Tony Holt & Wildwood Valley Boys
May 16 - 18 The Kruger Brothers
May 17 & 18 Blue Rain - 2011 Youth In Bluegrass Band Champions
May 17 - 18 Mississippi Sawyers
May 17 - 19 Don Rigsby & Midnight Call
May 18 - 20 Sherman Mountain Boys
May 18 - 20 Valerie Smith & Liberty Pike
May 19 Steel Bridge
May 19 - 20 Bluegreass Brigade - 2012 Midwest SPBGMA Contemporary Female Vocalist of the Year - Mae Burlison
May 23 - 25 Redhead Express
May 24 - 25 All 4 Hym
May 24 - 25 Doyle Lawson & Quicksilver - 6 time IBMA Vocal Group of the Year
May 24 - 25 The Gibson Brothers - 2011 IBMA Vocal Group and Album of the Year; 2012 SPBGMA Bluegrass Album of the Year, Bluegrass Song of the Year & Songwriter of the Year - Leigh & Eric Gibson
May 24 - 25 Triple L Band
May 25 - 27 Potters Wheel
May 25 - 27 Southern Raised
May 25 - 28 David Davis & The Warrior River Boys
May 26 - 27 Mike Balos Family
May 26 - 27 KSMU Youth in Bluegrass Band Contest
May 26 - 28 Balsam Range- 2011 IBMA Song of the Year
May 26 - 28 Hootin’ Annies - 2012 Midwest SPBGMA Bass Fiddle Performer of the Year - Karla Campbell
May 26 - 28 The Roys
May 28 - 29 Little Roy & Lizzie Show
May 28 - 29 Snyder Family Band
May 29 Larry Stephenson Band - 5-time SPBGMA Male Vocalist; 2012 SPBGMA Mandolin Player of the Year
May 29 - 30 King Family
May 29 - 31 The Chapmans
May 29 - 31 IIIrd Generation Bluegrass
May 30 - 31 Marty Raybon & Full Circle
May 30 - 31 Newfound Road
May 30 - 31 Westbound Rangers
May 30 - Jun 1 Special Concensus
May 31 Locust Ridge
May 31 - Jun 3 Rigney Family
June 1 The Rochesters
June 1 - 3 Bull Harman & Bull’s Eye - 2012 Midwest SPBGMA Contemporary Bluegrass Band of the Year; Guitar Performer of the Year - Bull Harman
June 1 - 3 The Grascals - 2011 SPBGMA Instrumental Group of the Year; 2012 SPBGMA Instrumental Group of the Year & Banjo Performer of the Year - Kristin Scott Benson; 2-time IMBA Entertainer of the Year
June 1 - 3 Jerry Butler & The Blu-J’s
June 1 - 3 Leroy Troy & the Tennessee Mafia Jug Band
June 2 - 3 Monroe Crossing
June 2 - 3 Pickin’ Chicks
World-Fest at Silver Dollar City
Spring in the Ozarks is highlighted by the colorful blossoms of trees like the Bradford Pear, Redbud and Dogwood. But the most colorful sign of spring in Branson, MO is the annual World-Fest at Silver Dollar City theme park, currently running through May 6, 2012.
One of the park’s six major festivals held throughout the year, World-Fest brings plenty of color, excitement, fun and even the taste of various countries from around the globe.
World cultures come to life at Silver Dollar City, through dancing, music, traditions, foods and the unique heritage that each country offers. The “Tastes of the World” food pavilion offers guests an opportunity to experience a range of tempting dishes from around the world including international nachos, Irish fish and chips, Italian calzone, and desserts like baklava, tiramisu torte and apfel dumplings with cinnamon ice cream.
Of course, in addition to colorful festivals, Silver Dollar City remains one of the area’s most popular destinations for fun. The park offers more than 30 rides and attractions, including Wildfire, a world-class looping roller coaster that reaches speeds up to 66 mph and the new Half Dollar Holler, geared to kids through age 7. You’ll also find entertainment and dozens of live shows, plus demonstrating craftsmen throughout the 1880s styled theme park.
Silver Dollar City to Debut New Shows in 2012
Silver Dollar City recently opened for the 2012 season and the theme park has plenty of new excitement planned for visitors. In addition to more than 30 exciting attractions, Silver Dollar City will debut a number of all new shows throughout the year.
More than a dozen new shows are scheduled to appear on stage at the popular Branson theme park, located in the heart of the beautiful Ozark Mountains. You’ll also find the usual wide assortment of demonstrating craftsmen and the park’s annual world-class festivals.
The year’s first festival, World-Fest, features six exciting acts, including the new “La Bella Musica.” Located in the new Italy section of the festival, the show offers stilt-walkers, acrobats, flag throwers and a special parade.
World class acrobats, The Flying Walendas, will return to headline Silver Dollar City’s Kids-Fest which also features two new shows. “Luma” brings the story of Marvel Cave to life using a high-tech 3-D light show. Meanwhile, kids will enjoy the interactive fun at “Gazillion Bubbles.”
Coming this fall, the National Harvest Festival will debut a new western stunt show. Meanwhile, in November, An Old Time Christmas celebration will present “It’s a Wonderful Life.”
Silver Dollar City Open for 2012 - WorldFest Coming Up
With spring officially here, Silver Dollar City is once again open for business and preparing for its first major festival of the year - WorldFest.
America’s largest international festival runs April 12-May 6 at Silver Dollar City, which also hosts five other world class festivals throughout the year. WorldFest features international entertainers and some of the best acts from around the world in a celebration of global proportions.
WorldFest 2012 offers a variety of new participants including La Bella Musica which showcases the classically trained operatic tenor, Aaron Caruso, soprano Melanie Goerlitz and world accordion champion, Cory Pesaturo.
Viva Italia is another new attraction offering Italian flag throwers, living vines and statues, stilt walkers and a colorful costume parade. Other newcomers in 2012 include the Mariachi Divas, a Grammy Award-winning all-female music ensemble, the Traditional Hawaiian Country Music Show, Peruvian Yawar Chicchi Scissor Dancers and the Kenyan Sarakasi Acrobats from Nairobi.
Branson Welcomes America’s Premier Southern Gospel Gathering
The Ozark hills surrounding Branson, Missouri have long resonated with beautiful Southern gospel music. The vibrant music can be heard from county fairs and country churches to grand stages and family backyards. Yet the biggest stage of all features the spectacular Southern Gospel Picnic at Silver Dollar City theme park.
The Southern Gospel Picnic is actually an annual festival at Silver Dollar City running from August 25 through Sept. 5, 2011. This year’s festival features hundreds of performances from the most famous names in southern gospel music.
Of course, as the name implies, the Picnic is also a delicious feast, with savory southern cooking at The House of Chicken & Fixin’s on the City’s square! You’ll find a variety of styles of chicken, all the extras. Choose from Apple-Glazed Chicken, Hickory-Smoked Chicken or Southern Fried Chicken.
You can also learn new recipes at Silver Dollar City’s Culinary & Craft School where a Master Craftsman of Culinary Arts demonstrates favorite recipes and cooking tips and tricks in a state-of-the-art kitchen. A small fee applies for all classes.
A Full Lineup of Southern Gospel Greats!
The Southern Gospel Picnic features a daily musical celebration filled with great gospel harmonies and soul-stirring melodies from a variety of artists:
HisSong - August 25
The Pfeifers - August 25
Blackwood Brothers Quartet - August 25 - 26
Chuck Wagon Gang - August 25 - 26
Soul’d Out Quartet - August 25 - 26
Tribute Quartet - August 25 - 27
The Harper Family - August 25 - 28
Booth Brothers - August 26
Albert E Brumley Jr. - August 26 - 27
The Browders - August 27
Legacy Five - August 27
The Freemans - August 27 - 28
Gold City - August 27 - 28
Hosea Bilyeu & Family - August 28
Brian Free & Assurance - August 28 - 29
Tim Lovelace - August 28 - 29
The Whisnants - August 28 - 29
Bowling Family - August 29 - 30
The Perrys - August 29 - 30
2nd Generation - August 29 - September 1
The Downing Family - August 29 - September 1
Dixie Echoes - August 29 - September 2
The Hoppers - August 30 - 31
New Horizons - August 31
The Lesters - August 30 - September 1
Mark Trammell Quartet - August 31 - September 1
Reggie & Bridgette Saddler - August 31 - September 1
Down East Boys - September 1 - 2
Karen Peck & New River - September 1 - 2
The Williamsons - September 1 - 3
The Collingsworth Family - September 2 - 3
The Morace Family - September 2 - 3
Cody Shuler & Pine Mountain RR - September 2 - 5
Spoken 4 Quartet - September 2 - 5
Dr. Dennis Swanberg - September 3 - 4
Triumphant Quartet - September 3 - 4
The Diplomats - September 3 - 5
Jeff & Sheri Easter - September 4
Ninth Hour - September 4 - 5
The Isaacs - September 5
The Petersen Family - September 5
Southern Sound - September 5
The Taylors - September 5
Southern Gospel Nights
Let your spirit sing during the Southern Gospel Nights concert series each evening at park closing. Hear your favorite artists as they perform an unforgettable concert at Silver Dollar City’s 4,000-seat Echo Hollow Amphitheater. The show begins at 6 pm each evening during the festival, 7 pm on September 4 & 5. Seating in Echo Hollow Amphitheatre® will begin two hours prior to show time, weather permitting.
Blackwood Brothers Quartet and Chuck Wagon Gang - August 25
Booth Brothers - August 26
Gold City - August 27
Brian Free & Assurance and The Whisnants - August 28
The Bowling Family and The Perrys - August 29
The Hoppers - August 30
Mark Trammell Quartet and Reggie & Bridgette Saddler - August 31
Down East Boys and Karen Peck & New River - September 1
The Collingsworth Family - September 2
Triumphant Quartet - September 3
Jeff & Sheri Easter - September 4
The Isaacs - September 5
Bluegrass & BBQ at Branson’s Silver Dollar City
mouth watering BBQ.
This year’s Bluegrass festival features a variety of top Bluegrass artists including Rhonda Vincent, a seven time winner of IBMA’s Female Vocalist of the Year; The Grascals, two time winner of IBMA’s Entertainer of the Year and Russell Moore, 2010 IBMA Male Vocalist of the Year, and IIIrd Tyme Out, seven time IBMA Vocal Group of the Year.
While the music fills the air, so too will the scent of delicious BBQ. Tempt your taste buds with everything from Memphis dry rubs and Carolina vinegars to Texas-style BBQ all slow cooked to perfection in a massive wood fired smoker filled with 40,000 pounds of brisket, chicken, ribs and pulled pork.
The Bluegrass entertainment is included with Silver Dollar City admission. The 1880’s themed park offers 30 fun-filled rides and attractions designed to thrill the entire family. You’ll also find dozens of period craftsmen demonstrating their work.
For additional details, go to http://www.silverdollarcity.com/. Or visit http://www.westgatereservations.com/ for information on discount Branson vacation packages and accommodations such as Westgate Branson Woods Resort.
Silver Dollar City Festivals Bring Year-Long Fun
It wouldn’t be Silver Dollar City without a great festival. So let the fun begin.
With a total of six world-class festivals throughout the year, Silver Dollar City offers fun for everyone. You can take a trip around the world without ever leaving the Ozarks during World-Fest. You can celebrate BBQ, Bluegrass and Gospel music. You can experience America’s largest Kidsfest. You can see hundreds of America’s finest craftsmen create amazing works of art. Or you can be dazzled by the Christmas spirit during an Old Time Christmas celebration. It’s all part of Silver Dollar City’s annual run of exceptional festivals.
Of course, every day is a fun-filled adventure at the 1880′s style, award-winning theme park. Silver Dollar City offers 30 rides and attractions for adventure seekers of all ages. You can hop aboard the thrilling “Wildfire,” a multi-looping roller coaster that reaches speeds up to 66 miles per hour. Or check out the new $1 million “Half Dollar Holler,” a ride designed for kids through age 7.
Silver Dollar City also offers some of the best live shows and entertainment available in an area known for its exceptional live entertainment.
Festival season kicks off with World-Fest, April 7 to May 8. 2011. This international event is a colorful and musical celebration of entertainment, food, culture, music and fun that has become a must-see tradition every spring in the Ozarks.
World-Fest features world-class performers and musical artists from around the globe including folk singers, an Irish tenor, steel drum corps from Trinidad and Tobago, stilt dancers, champion fiddlers from Canada, amazing acrobats and more.
World-Fest also features the “Tastes of the World,” a delicious food pavilion providing a taste-tempting selection of international food specialties such as Irish Stew, Chicken Fajitas and Italian Calzone and desserts like Baklava, Tiramisu Torte and Apfel Dumplings served with Cinnamon Ice Cream.
For additional information or tickets to Silver Dollar City or any of Branson’s other shows and attractions or for lodging arrangements, visit www.westgatereservations.com or www.ticket2branson.com.
New Events at Silver Dollar City’s National Harvest Festival
As part of its annual National Harvest Festival celebration, Silver Dollar City theme park in Branson, MO is hosting a special new exhibit - PBS Craft in America.
The exhibit, developed exclusively for the park, is taken directly from the Peabody-award winning PBS documentary series featuring unique American artists. A total of 50 of America’s top artists will choose their most stunning and unique works of art to be displayed at Silver Dollar City.
Another exciting exhibit is the new Caricature Carvers of America Showcase featuring Silver Dollar City artisans like Peter Engler, Ted Blaylock, Peter Kramer, Lee Robertson, Tom Crain, Gary Dierking and Jesse Barnes. You’ll also find hundreds of visiting Craftsmen demonstrating throughout the park, including Best of Missouri Hands juried artists.
Winner of the “Big-E” award for Best Overall Production in 2009 by the International Association of Amusement Parks and Attractions, Headin’ West returns to the Silver Dollar City Opera House stage. Headin’ West is a special 45-minute live musical production that tells the timeless tale of American westward expansion during the 1860s.
Complete with colorful characters, harrowing adventures, a moving musical score, surprising special effects, vivid scenery and talented performers - Headin’ West is Silver Dollar City’s biggest production show ever. The show, which is free with park admission, runs September 11 - October 24, 2010.
For information about Silver Dollar City tickets and discount Branson vacation packages, visit www.ticket2branson.com or www.westgatereservations.com.
Entertain the Family in Branson This Summer
The Branson/Lakes Area offers vacationers an all-encompassing opportunity to experience the finest in family entertainment. From neon to nature, there’s something for everyone. You can hike or bike around sparkling Table Rock Lake, fish a secluded cove in search of trophy bass, tee off at a championship golf course, scream with delight on an exhilarating roller coaster, splash around at the area’s largest water park, or simply sing along with one of the many stars who make live entertainment a fixture in Branson.
Wherever you go in Branson, you can expect good, clean fun. Branson’s unique commitment to family values ensures that every member of the family can enjoy virtually every activity in town. Branson offers a special opportunity for kids, parents and grandparents to all vacation together.
For information on Branson discount vacation packages and Branson hotel and resort lodging such as Westgate Branson Woods Resort, please visit www.Ticket2Branson.com today.
Branson show has entertained audiences for 50 years
Branson, Missouri is the self-proclaimed Live Entertainment Capital of the World. And rightly so, with more than 40 theatres and nearly 100 different shows. Yet there’s one show that continues to stand alone.
Based on actual events surrounding the complicated lives of the early Ozark pioneers, The Shepherd of the Hills remains Missouri’s number one historical attraction and a show to be remembered by the entire family.
Hosted at the Shepherd of the Hills Outdoor Theatre, the show is based on author Harold Bell Wright’s epic story of love, loss, power, hardship, and the true meaning of life. The amazing performance includes more than 80 actors, 40 horses, a flock of sheep, several guns and rifles, an actual burning log cabin, and a vintage 1908 DeWitt automobile.
Originally published in 1907, the book is one of the first million-selling publications in the U.S. and the work truly sparked the beginning of tourism in the Branson area and the beautiful Ozark Mountains. The book has been translated into 7 languages and made into 4 movies.
You can visit www.Ticket2Branson.com for more information on discount Branson show tickets and discount Branson family vacation packages. Or you can go to www.WestgateReservations.com/sweepstakes.cfm for details on discount Branson hotel and resorts accommodations.
