Dogwood Festival Offers Traditional Family Fun
at Central Missouri's Lake of the Ozarks

 Lake of the Ozarks, Mo. – Going strong since 1950, the 57th annual Dogwood Festival will take place on the downtown square in Camdenton, April 19-22, at Central Missouri’s Lake of the Ozarks. The Lake area’s oldest festival will feature three days and four nights of music, theatre, art, crafts, a parade and carnival and much more, and attract up to 10,000 visitors to the area.
   
This year’s festival theme will be “Building For Our Future.”  Bruce Mitchell, executive director of the Camdenton Area Chamber of Commerce, explains, “We’re all very excited about the future of Camdenton.  There’s a lot going on here, including the new high school that will be completed in May and the new Chamber building scheduled to open by Labor Day.”
   

As usual a carnival will kick off the Dogwood Festival from 5:00-10:00 p.m. on Thursday, located off Court Circle Street at the Old City Hall.  At the Camden County Museum, a Spaghetti Dinner will start at 5:30 p.m., followed by the hanky-clutching melodrama, “Parted On Her Wedding Morn,” at 7:00 p.m.  Both the carnival and the dinner/play will continue on Friday evening and the carnival also will run 10:00 a.m.-10:00 p.m. on Saturday.
   

On Friday night, the Little Mister, Little Miss, Junior Miss and Teen Miss Dogwood contests will take place in the High School Little Theatre, while the Miss Dogwood Pageant will be held at the Main Street Music Hall in nearby Osage Beach.  Both events will start at 7:00 p.m.  New for 2007, contestants age 65 and over will have the chance to compete for the titles of Mr. and Ms. Senior Dogwood; the time and location for this event will be announced.  Also on Friday, the Camdenton Lions Club Fish Fry at the High School Cafeteria will attract hungry festival-goers from 4:00-7:00 p.m.
  

On Saturday, visitors can start their day with a pancake breakfast and craft sale from 6:30-9:30 a.m. at United Methodist Church.  The much-anticipated 100-unit Dogwood Parade will kick off in downtown Camdenton at 10:00 a.m. Saturday.  The Grand Marshal will be Ron Hendricks, the retiring superintendent of schools.  “He has done so much to help build our infrastructure and to guide our children to lead our future,” Mitchell notes.
   

In addition, a fine arts show and sale will be held at First National Bank, 8:30 a.m.-4:00 p.m., April 16-21.  The Camdenton High School DECA marketing group will sponsor a craft show and sale with work from up to 60 Missouri and Midwest artisans at Dogwood Elementary School, 5:30-8:00 p.m. Friday and 9:00 a.m.-4:00 p.m. Saturday.
   

Personable pooches will compete in the Dog Contest, 11:30 a.m. Saturday at the Old City Hall, followed by continuous free musical entertainment until 6:00 p.m., including TLC and Denim & Diamonds, Color of Mercy, Janette Mischelle Gilbert, Wanted featuring Jackie Newton, and Carissa Dawn.  A wide array of food and craft booths will be available on the Square throughout the day.  Visitors also can stop by St. Anthony’s Garage Sale, 8:00 a.m.-4:00 p.m. Friday and 8:00 a.m.-3:00 p.m. Saturday.  The Band Booster Silent Auction will start at 7:00 p.m. Saturday at Mexicali Blues restaurant in Osage Beach.  The Camdenton Chamber also will distribute more than 1,300 young dogwoods, the Missouri state tree.
   
Festival activities will wrap up with the annual Dogwood Golf Classic at Old Kinderhook, preceded by a lunch for tournament participants.  All proceeds will benefit the Band Boosters.
   
This year’s Dogwood Festival sponsors include Central Bank of the Lake of the Ozarks, First National Bank, Knights of Columbus #2111, Laclede Electric Cooperative, Lake Regional Health System, Lake Media One, Sleep Inn and KCLQ 107.9, KJEL/KBNN, KRMS, KS 95, Mix 92.7 and COOL 102.7 Radio.
  
 “After a cold and snowy winter everyone’s ready to get out and welcome the spring and visiting the Dogwood Festival is a great way to do that,” Mitchell says.
   
For more details about the Dogwood Festival, including the most current schedule of events, visit www.camdentonchamber.com or contact the Camdenton Area Chamber of Commerce at 800-769-1004 or 573-346-2227.
   
And for more information about lodging, dining, attractions, shopping and other events at Central Missouri’s famous Lake of the Ozarks, please call 800-FUN-LAKE or visit the Lake of the Ozarks Convention & Visitor Bureau’s web site, www.funlake.com.

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