Lake Stock Fall Crawl 2015

Enjoy lots of live music and great food and drink specials during the third annual Lake Stock Fall Crawl, Saturday, November 7th at various locations around the Lake of the Ozarks. The event has been dubbed "Woodstock on Wheels," as attendees can hop on shuttle buses to travel to and from some of the Lake's hottest nightspots to check out and enjoy live musical entertainment throughout the evening. "It's kind of like a mini-music festival right here at the Lake," says event organizer Jeff Carroll. "You have some really great live bands playing everything from rock and roll to blues and country all throughout the night at some of the best bars and restaurants around the Lake. Everyone who has participated in the past, whether as attendees or musicians, has really enjoyed themselves." Carroll says participating in the Lake Stock Fall Crawl is easy. Attendees purchase a $10 wrist band that gets them into all 10 event venues without paying a cover charge, as well as free shuttle service to and from all Lake Stock locations. Once they have their wristbands, participants can choose how and where they spend their evening. The shuttle service will run in a continuous loop from many local hotels, motels, resorts and condominiums to all of the Fall Crawl venues. Shuttles begin running at 6 p.m. with the event officially kicking off at 7 p.m.  In most locations, live music will be showcased from 8 p.m. until closing. A detailed shuttle route can be found on the event's website, www.LakeStockFallCrawl. Wristbands can be purchased at all 10 Lake Stock venues the week before, as well as the night of the event.      Now in its third year, Carroll says Lake Stock has only been getting bigger and better. "We're expecting around 2,500 people to come and spend a festive Saturday evening at their favorite restaurants and bars. And, hopefully they'll discover some cool new bands, too." Carroll also says the "throwback vibe" of the event has really caught on. "A lot of people will be dressed up in '60s and '70s attire: tie-dyed shirts, bell bottoms, big collars, big boots, big hair. The whole getup. It's a lot of fun." And, to keep with the spirit of the event, custom tie-dyed Lake Stock Fall Crawl t-shirts will be on sale throughout the night at each location. In addition to the live entertainment, "crawlers" are eligible for prizes and giveaways throughout the evening to ensure a fun and festive event.  Carroll urges participants to book their lodging packages early and also suggests coming in a day early and making a weekend out of it. "If you're coming in from out of town, there are many awesome attractions and a lot of cool stuff to do, so you might as well make the most of your time here at the Lake." Although the music and good times take top billing, safety is also a key component in the event. "We want to make it easy for anyone who wants to join us to have a good time and get home safely. Those are our main two concerns, with safety being at the top of the list," says Carroll. "With our shuttle service to and from all of the entertainment venues, we make it very easy to put your keys away and have a safe and worry-free night out on the town." For a continuously updated list of participating venues and performing bands, as well as local lodging options and a detailed shuttle route, visit www.LakeStockFallCrawl.com.  To find out about all the fun events, attractions as well as dining  and accommodations at the "Best Recreational Lake" in the nation, call the Lake of the Ozarks Convention & Visitor Bureau (CVB) at 800-FUN-LAKE, or visit the CVB's award-winning website, www.FunLake.com.

Lake of the Ozarks Mardi Gras Pub Crawl 2014

Missourians know they don't have to go to Louisiana to celebrate Mardi Gras. Lake of the Ozarks' 13th annual Mardi Gras Pub Crawl will offer great food and live entertainment on Feb. 15, beginning at 4 pm. For just $10, participants get a wristband granting them admission to more than 20 pub crawl restaurants and night spots, all of which feature live entertainment by bands and DJs. The $10 participation fee also includes shuttle transportation. A total of 32 buses will take participants from venue to venue, as well as picking up and dropping off at participating area hotels and motels. Pub crawl organizer Jeff Carroll says it is the Lake's biggest winter event, with more than 6,800 people participating in 2013. See over 60 photos from the 2013 event on our Flickr Page here. For more information on this year's Pub Crawl, visit www.LakePubCrawl.com

Lake of the Ozarks Mardi Gras Pub Crawl 2013

A night of entertainment, food and fun awaits guests, Saturday, February 16, 2013.

 

Photo by Rita Rose, courtesy of LakeExpo.com

The 12th Annual Mardi Gras Pub Crawl has become one of the Lake's most popular winter activities and continues to draw increasingly larger crowds each year. Last year, the event had an estimated attendance of over 6,000, with even more expected this year.

"Our festival is helping to attract more and more winter visitors to the Lake every year," said Mardi Gras Pub Crawl organizer Jeff Carroll. "A lot of people who attend the festival reserve a room and schedule a weekend getaway around the event. This year, with Presidents' Day, they'll have a three-day weekend to shop, sightsee and explore. Winter is a beautiful time at the Lake and this event allows us to showcase a lot of the great things we have to offer. We have great fishing in the winter. We're the home of the largest outlet mall in Missouri. We also have five wineries and two state parks. And if the weather is good, you can golf at one or more of our 15 area courses. And I'm only mentioning a few of the attractions we have in the area. I think visitors are discovering that the Lake of the Ozarks is a year-around travel destination." 

Photo by Rita Rose, courtesy of LakeExpo.com

Eleven years ago, the Mardi Gras Pub Crawl started with just eight locations and four 16-passenger buses. This year, patrons will have the convenience of 26 full-sized buses, the variety of 20 nightspots and restaurants and the assurance of a safe, fun evening.

"Our message to our guests is to ride the bus, be safe and have fun," said Carroll. "We're all about safety and responsibility. We just want to make sure that everyone has a good time. I think one of the reasons that our pub crawl is so popular is because we offer safe transportation to and from each location from start to finish. We have a uniformed security guard on each bus and we work closely with the local police department to make sure that when you attend the Mardi Gras Pub Crawl, you can put your keys away and have a fantastic worry-free evening out on the town."

Photo by Rita Rose, courtesy of LakeExpo.com

To ride the buses, festival-goers must purchase a $7 wristband that includes entry into all participating restaurants and nightspots, bus transportation between all pub crawl locations and pick ups/drop offs at participating hotels, motels and resorts. A wristband can be purchased in advance or on the night of the event at restaurants/nightspots on the route.

The fleet of 26 buses will transport attendees on a continuous circuit of all 20 bars and restaurants. The buses will make numerous stops at each venue and will make drop-offs at hotels, motels and resorts. Buses begin departing from partner hotels, motels and resorts at 3 p.m. and will run on the circuit until 2:30 a.m.

Photo by Rita Rose, courtesy of LakeExpo.com

Most Mardi Gras Pub Crawl venues will have live entertainment. Some will feature live rock, blues and country music, while other locations have DJs and/or karaoke. The restaurants on the festival's bus route are an eclectic mix of food options for guests, including Mexican cuisine, prime rib, seafood, Ozark-style barbeque, Chicago-style pizza and much more. Shuttle riders also will be able to collect Mardi Gras beads and other themed souvenirs along the route.

For overnight accommodations, live entertainment and dining options, please visit the festival's website at LakeAreaPubCrawl.com, or visit FunLake.com. For the latest Lake of the Ozarks Mardi Gras Pub Crawl news, like the event's Facebook page at Facebook.com/LakePubCrawl.