Turkey Festival Offers Full Menu of Fun
at Central Missouri’s Lake of the Ozarks

LAKE OF THE OZARKS, MO. -- What can you do with a turkey besides roast it?  You can use it as a bowling ball, guess its weight, put it in pot pies and generally celebrate it, as visitors will discover at the 21st annual Eldon Turkey Festival, Friday and Saturday, Oct. 14-15. The event, sponsored by Central Dairy and the Eldon Chamber of Commerce, also will feature food, music, children’s activities, a car and motorcycle show, quilt show, parade and much more.
   
The popular festival adds to the autumn appeal of mid-America’s favorite lake getaway.  Fall’s sunny days and crisp nights, combined with less-crowded roadways and money-saving, off-season prices, make a visit to Central Missouri’s Lake of the Ozarks even more appealing to visitors, whether their destination is the Turkey Festival or any of the area’s other events and travel fun.
  
 “The Turkey Festival got started when the Eldon Chamber of Commerce decided to draw attention to the fact that Eldon has been and still is a very progressive turkey producing area,” says Diane Gollihugh, assistant director of the Eldon Chamber.  Over the years the popular event has changed and grown, and last year attracted more than 15,000 people.
   
One change from previous Turkey Festivals will be the addition of Friday night activities. These will include the Little Miss and Mister Gobbler contest for kids age 5-8, and a dinner served by the United Methodist Church at the Eldon Community Center, featuring white turkey chili and turkey hot dogs.
   
Starting at 8:30 a.m. Saturday, a full day of performances will be presented on the Main Stage.  Entertainment will include live music by the 8-Track Band, and demonstrations by the Eldon Gymnasts, Cheerleaders and Dance Group; STEPS and Maple Street Dance Studios; and the Ozark Whirlers square dancers.  A pie auction will be held at 11:00 a.m. “On Friday night the judges will taste and judge all the entries,” Gollihugh says.  “All the money raised from the pie auction will benefit the Eldon Food Pantry.”  A Pet Show will follow the pie auction at 11:30 a.m.
   
Another change will be the parade time: 2:00 p.m. instead of 10:00 a.m. as in previous years.  “It’s a great parade that lasts at least an hour,” Gollihugh says.  “There will be antique cars, marching bands, motorcycle groups, fire departments, church groups and more.  Since it’s an election year we’re expecting a lot of political floats too.”
   
The crowd-pleasing Frozen Turkey Bowling will be held at the Gerbes parking lot, 9:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m.  Also at the lot, visitors can check out farm equipment from the past at the Old Time Machine Show, 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.  Kevin Morris & the 24-7 Band will play from 10:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m.
   
More than 225 arts, crafts and food booths will be set up throughout the festival area, including smoked turkey legs at the Chamber’s booth, where turkey hats and the 2006 Christmas ornament also will be available for purchase.  At 2nd and Mill Streets, Old Time Artisan Crafts demonstrations will feature a blacksmith, weaver, gourd crafter and others.  At that same location, visitors also can watch the assembly and get a slice of a 121-foot turkey sandwich from 10:30 a.m. to 11:30 a.m., followed by the Turkey Pot Pie Eating Contest and the grand finale, hilarious Bed Races at 12:30 p.m.
   
Community Center activities will include a display from the Missouri Department of Conservation’s Runge Nature Center, a student art show, a mechanical bull and a rock-climbing wall.  Festival-goers also will have a chance to guess the weight of a live turkey donated by Cargill.  Inflatables for children and a gospel music stage will be set up at the center’s parking lot from 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.
   
The popular Quilt Show will be held from 9:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. at the High School Commons.  The Fiddle Contest will offer pee-wee, junior and adult divisions, from 10:00 a.m. to 1:30 p.m.  The Sally Belt Cloggers and Mule Kicker Cloggers will perform starting at 3:30 p.m. “We like to feature a lot of our hometown entertainment,” Gollihugh notes.
   
Turkey Festival activities also will be scheduled at Rock Island Park, including the Car and Motorcycle Show, children’s games, the Central Missouri Safari Club exhibit, live rock music and food vendors. Also, the parade will pass the park. “We hope to have a mini-festival at Rock Island Park,” Gollihugh says.  “We’re getting bigger and better!  We are spreading the festival around because it has gotten so crowded downtown.”
   
At 4:00 p.m., the Eldon Jaycees will sponsor a Demolition Derby at the fairgrounds.
  
 “We truly will have something for everyone at the Turkey Festival,” Gollihugh says.  “Each year we like to add some new things as long as manpower volunteers are available.”
   
To find out more about the 21st annual Eldon Turkey Festival, as well as other Lake-area festivals, accommodations, dining, attractions, shopping and more, contact the Lake of the Ozarks Convention and Visitor Bureau at 800-FUN-LAKE or visit www.funlake.com or www.eldonchamber.com.

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