For Immediate Release             Media Contact:  Pam Jones or Marjorie Beenders
May 3, 2010                                                               Phone: 573-636-8282 « Email: pam@tbwgroup.net

Bring Your Classic Car and Your Kids to Hot Summer
Nights at Central Missouri's Lake of the Ozarks

Lake of the Ozarks, Mo. – The Bagnell Dam Strip (Business Highway 54) at Central Missouri’s Lake of the Ozarks will be the coolest place to be during Hot Summer Nights, as hundreds of classic and show cars and motorcycles and thousands of spectators fill the historic boulevard for five Friday evenings throughout the summer, starting May 14 and continuing June 11, July 9, Aug. 13 and Sept. 10.  It’s the third season for this free, family-friendly event at the Lake.  Hours will be 6-11 p.m.

“Hot Summer Nights is a fun and increasingly popular cruise night.  We don’t judge the vehicles but everyone enjoys seeing the impressive array of classic and show cars and vintage motorcycles up and down the street,” says committee member Joe Page, owner of the Summer USA store on the Strip.  “It’s a fun ‘American Graffiti’-type atmosphere.”

Hot Summer Nights was created in response to Strip business owners’ desire to stimulate more activity along the street, officially known as Business Highway 54, which includes Bagnell Dam at one end.  The Strip is a mile-long stretch of attractions and shops that have lured tourists to Lake Ozark for generations since the dam opened in 1931—featuring skee ball arcades and batting cages, fudge shops, flea markets, diners, gift and souvenir shops, a haunted hotel, and a wide range retailers including the nostalgic and huge Dogpatch store.

“I had seen successful cruise nights in other Missouri cities, like Belton, Hannibal and Washington, so we thought we’d give it a try here,” Page says.  “It must be working because Hot Summer Nights gets bigger every year!”

Each Hot Summer Nights event will feature oldies music and live remote broadcasts on 98.3 FM, contests and giveaways, helicopter rides, clowns and kids’ activities.  The first event will coincide with the 4th annual Oma and Noma Days festival, commemorating the 1931opening of Bagnell Dam, which will continue through the weekend.  This popular celebration will offer street performers, a dog show, Little Mr. & Miss Oma & Noma Days, the popular outhouse races, and crazy contests including peanut spitting, frog jumping and bubble gum blowing.

New this year at Hot Summer Nights, a raffle will be held for a 2010 Torch Red Corvette Coupe.  Raffle tickets will be $100 each and a maximum of 1,000 will be sold.  Tickets are now available through Bagnell Dam Strip Association members and the Lake Area Chamber of Commerce.  The car will be on display at each Hot Summer Nights event and at Ron Hulette Chevrolet-Buick-GMC in Camdenton, and the drawing will be held on Sept. 10, which also will be a Tribute to America’s Warriors.

“All makes and models of cars, trucks and motorcycles are welcome at Hot Summer Nights,” Page says.  “We invite everyone to spend Hot Summer Nights with us and spend the weekend at the Lake of the Ozarks.”

For more details Hot Summer Nights, Oma & Noma Days and other family-friendly events--as well as more information about lodging, dining, shopping and attractions at the Lake of the Ozarks-- please call the Lake of the Ozarks Convention & Visitors Bureau at (800) FUN-LAKE or visit www.funlake.com.

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Note to News Media:  For your convenience, you may download an electronic version of this article.  Simply go to www.funlake.com.  At the top of the home page, click on “Professional Media” to access this article and other Lake of the Ozarks news.