After A Day On The Lake, Enjoy A Night On The Town
at Central Missouri’s Lake of the Ozarks

Lake of the Ozarks, Mo. – After a long day on the water, a night on the town keeps the good times going at Central Missouri's Lake of the Ozarks.

Lake-style nightlife includes music galore – from karaoke to country, blues and jazz to rock-and-roll, concerts and more.  “Night people” also will find a great variety of sports bars and tiki bars, mellow lounges and lakeside hangouts, plus moonlight cruises, live opry shows and even a comedy club.

“In addition to all the fun you can have on the Lake during the daytime, when the sun goes down you'll find a very diverse and entertaining nightlife scene at the Lake of the Ozarks,” says Joel Pottinger, executive director of the Lake of the Ozarks Convention & Visitor Bureau.

In the peak summer season, dozens of nightclubs attract a lively crowd.  One of the largest and most popular is the Horny Toad at Toad Cove. Actually the Horny Toad is more than a nightspot: Originally a small Lakeside restaurant, the 30,000-square-foot waterfront entertainment complex today features the Horny Toad restaurant, Jeremiah's nightclub, and Frisky Frog sports bar, plus a bandstand, arcade, mini-mart, gas dock, and boutique.

Aside from its multiple enterprises, what sets the Horny Toad apart from other nightspots is its music, says Colleen Porter, director of marketing and events. “Jeremiah's attracts the younger crowd, age 21 to 35, so the deejay plays music to appeal to that age group,” she says.  “Beyond Jeremiah's, we feature classic rock from the '60s, '70s and '80s. So it's a feel-good, have-fun format for every generation.”

Throughout the summer the Horny Toad presents outdoor concerts in the bandstand by regional and nationally known groups.  This year's lineup includes the Little River Band, Dr. Hook, Charlie Daniels Band, Creedence Clearwater Revisited and Styx.  Another real crowd-pleaser at the Horny Toad is the outdoor video wall.  “It's the largest at the Lake,” Porter says. “Literally, you can enjoy an entire day of events at the Horny Toad, from lunchtime until 1:30 in the morning.”

Another well-known Lake nightspot that has changed dramatically over time is The Clown.  Like the Horny Toad, it has transformed itself into an entertainment complex featuring The Clown, Tiki Bar, Poop Deck and the Topsider Night Club, described as “a top-40 dance club” by owner Kym Ebling.  The property has six bars, but the main attraction is the high-tech light and video show on weekends.  Ebling explains, “It's an extensive high-tech light system that's mounted on a moving truss that goes up and down and tilts, and it's programmed along with the music.  We create a two-to-three minute show, using a scene from a movie like ‘Batman' or ‘Star Wars' that has big crescendos to showcase our lights,” she says.  “I've never seen one in the Midwest like it.  You just have to see it.  It's pretty neat.”

Accessible by water or land, The Clown began as a floating restaurant in 1975.  Later, the Poop Deck bar was added, followed by the original Topsider which held only 50 people.  “The crowds got bigger so we enlarged the space and built a big dance club in 1987,” Ebling says.  “There are so many areas to go to here, you can wander all night and that's what most people do – wander around.  They can have a cocktail and enjoy the Lake view at the Tiki Bar and when they hear a song they like they can run over to the Topsider and dance.”  During the busy summer months the Topsider attracts a “young adult” crowd in the 21-35 age range, Ebling says.  “In the off season we get all ages – golfers, fishermen and shoppers.”

Other notable nightspots at the Lake of the Ozarks include Too Risky Nightclub, featuring a poker tournament on Tuesdays and weekend deejay; Pickled Pete's, with karaoke on Saturdays; Shady Gator's Bar & Grill, offering live music at the Lake's only triple-decker Tiki Bar; Camp Bagnell, presenting live country and rock oldies on weekends; Dog Days Bar & Grill, home of “The Barefoot Entertainer” Dale Blue; the Halfway Inn, with karaoke on Saturdays; and Shooters 21, featuring a dockside sports bar.  A newer entry to the after-hours scene is Shorty Pants Lounge, the “Luxury Laid-Back Lake Experience.”

In addition to hard rock and foot-stomping country, the late-night Lake also offers blues and jazz.  The Lake of the Ozarks Blues Society presents open jam sessions on the second Tuesday of the month at member clubs around the area, and the Ozark Jazz Society also sponsors monthly events featuring Dixieland, ragtime and big band swing music.  And nationally recognized clarinetist Lynn Zimmer and the Jazz Band perform in the atmospheric Bourbon Street Grill at the Country Club Hotel, 7:00-11:00 p.m., Wednesday through Saturday.

Another entertaining way to fill an evening at the Lake is to enjoy a moonlight excursion. Several vessels – from an authentic reproduction of a paddlewheel riverboat to a 75-foot luxury yacht – operate early spring through late fall and offer dinner cruises.  Departing from Casino Pier, the Captain Larry Don features the Lake's only cruising dance parties on summer weekends and the Commander offers occasional Lake pub crawls.

A favorite for family entertainment at the Lake is the Main Street Music Hall in The Landing on Main Street.  Now in its 13th season, Main Street offers an updated, contemporary take on the traditional country opry show.  At Main Street, audiences enjoy music that ranges from new and old country to rock and roll to gospel, with patriotic tunes and knee-slapping comedy also in the mix.

And speaking of comedy, well known comedians on nationwide tours stop by the Blue Room at the City Grill every Wednesday night where the cover charge is just $10 in advance, $12 at the door.  There's a deejay and dancing on weekends at this crowded hot spot.

When the last karaoke machines and tiki torch flames are turned off, revelers head back to their condos, resorts, motels or campgrounds to get ready for another fun day on the Lake – followed by another fantastic night on the town.  For more information about the Lake of the Ozarks' nightlife scene, plus lodging, dining, attractions, shopping and events, call 800-FUN-LAKE or visit the Lake of the Ozarks Convention & Visitor Bureau's web site at www.funlake.com.

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