If you love classic cars and family fun, then Central Missouri’s Lake of the Ozarks is the place to be this summer.
Multiple classic-car events bring in hundreds of cool cars, trucks and motorcycles along with family-friendly entertainment at the “Best Recreational Lake in the Nation,” beginning with the Magic Dragon Street Meet Nationals the weekend of May 5-7, 2023 and carrying through until September 8, 2023 with the Hot Summer Nights Cruise-In event series.
The historic Bagnell Dam Strip in Lake Ozark is where the heart of the classic-car-action will be this summer. With its mix of historic store fronts, new restaurants, arcades and shops, it makes “The Strip” the ideal location to host these free events that take visitors back in time to the glory days of American automobiles.
“It doesn’t matter if you are an avid fan of classic cars or not, it’s impossible not to be impressed with all the amazing cars that cruise in to the Lake for these events,” says Lagina Fitzpatrick, executive director of the Lake of the Ozarks Tri-County Lodging Association. “There are so many different cars and they are all so beautifully restored, it’s incredible. And, when you pair that with the nostalgic appeal of the Bagnell Dam Strip, the original tourist area of the Lake of the Ozarks, it makes for a very memorable experience.”
MAGIC DRAGON STREET MEET NATIONALS
One of the largest car shows of its kind in mid-America, the Magic Dragon Street Meet Nationals, celebrates its 35th anniversary at the Lake of the Ozarks the weekend of May 5-7, 2023.
This unique car show, which takes its name from the serpentine shape of the Lake of the Ozarks, is open to a variety of makes and models and brings in over 10,000 spectators from across the Midwest to check out all the cool cars, trucks and motorcycles on display along the historic Bagnell Dam Strip in Lake Ozark.
Throughout the weekend, there will be 800 registered show vehicles on public display that will be easily accessed and viewed by attendees and fellow show car owners. Show car categories include makes ranging from the early 1900s to present day for “rat rods,” “street rods,” “street machines,” “muscle cars,” and trucks and motorcycles.
Hours for the Magic Dragon Street Meet are 12 p.m. until 5 p.m. on Friday, May 5;
8 a.m. until 6 p.m. on Saturday, May 6; and
8 a.m. until 1 p.m. on Sunday, May 7.
Judging of the show vehicles will take place Sunday morning, May 7, from 9-11 a.m. Winners in 30 different competitive classes and the overall grand champion will be announced at 1 p.m. at the main stage.
For more information on the Magic Dragon Street Meet, including a full schedule of events and judging categories, visit www.MagicDragonCarShow.com.
HOT SUMMER NIGHTS CRUISE-IN EVENTS
Magic Dragon kicks off the summer car craze at the Lake of the Ozarks, but the Hot Summer Nights cruise-in events keep the car-crazy party going at the Lake through early September.
Named the best annual event at the Lake of the Ozarks by Lake Lifestyles magazine, Hot Summer Nights features more cool cars, family fun and great music.
The free five-part cruise-in takes place from 6 p.m. until 11 p.m. on the second Friday of every month, rain or shine, with the first Hot Summer Nights event of 2023 taking place on Friday, May 12 and ending on Friday, Sept. 8, 2023.
Hot Summer Nights has been attracting thousands of visitors every year at each of the five Friday night events, making it the largest cruise-in in Missouri. The overall theme for this year’s Hot Summer Nights series is “Cruisin’ Again,” but each monthly cruise-in has its own individual theme as well.
The theme for the first cruise-in installment on Friday, May 12 is “American Dreams: Hot Rods & Rat Rods.” On June 9, the theme is “Fast and Furious with Exotics and Tuners,” July 14 is all about “‘Wheeling’ in the Years: Off Road Fun Vehicles” and August 11 focuses on a “Need for Speed: American Muscle Cars.” The final Hot Summer Nights event for 2023 takes place on Friday, Sept. 8 and is “A Salute to Our Front Line Heroes.”
For more information and updates on Hot Summer Nights, visit the event’s Facebook page at www.Facebook.com/cruisehotsummernights.
WHERE TO STAY WHEN YOU COME TO PLAY AT THE LAKE
Anyone traveling to the Lake of the Ozarks for these awesome auto-focused events, as well as any of the Lake’s other entertaining experiences,
can choose from a variety of lodging accommodations that will fit every style and budget. There are full-service large-scale resorts and smaller family-owned and operated resorts as well as charming bed and breakfasts or comfortable cabins and cottages. There is no shortage of fully furnished vacation rental homes and condominiums to choose from. There also is a selection of familiar hotels and motels at the Lake. For those who prefer sleeping under the stars, there are spacious campgrounds and RV parks interspersed throughout the area. For a complete list of accommodations available at the Lake, visit the “Lodging” tab at www.FunLake.com.
Visitors also can learn more about all the fun events, attractions and activities, as well as lodging and dining options available all year at the “Best Recreational Lake in the Nation” at www.FunLake.com or by calling the Lake of the Ozarks Convention and Visitor Bureau at 1-800-FUN-LAKE (386-5253).
