Silver Dollar City’s National Harvest & Cowboy Festival

“The Fall foliage in Branson is a spectacular sight to see and there’s not a better place to become immersed and surrounded by it than Silver Dollar City,” said Tammy Johnson, the Director of Operations for the Branson Tourism Center.”From the very beginning, the park was designed to blend in with the surrounding Ozarks hills whose heritage it celebrates and the Fall foliage surrounding the parks visitors everywhere they look is proof positive of how successfully that has been done,” she added.

Johnson said that the Ozarks Fall foliage season starts and normally peaks during, Silver Dollar City’s annual “National Harvest & Cowboy Festival” (Festival), which will run from September 12 – October 25 providing the parks visitors with an excellent opportunity to view the Branson’s Fall foliage up close and personal. In addition, they will have a first hand opportunity to see why the U.S. Congress proclaimed Silver Dollar City as ‘The Home of American Craftsmanship” in honor of its five decades of presenting and promoting that craftsmanship.

The Festival will feature not only the 100 demonstrating craftsmen of Silver Dollar City, but “125 top craftsmen from around the country, including ‘Best of Missouri Hands’ juried artists and a showcase of Western artists” and is one of the largest gatherings of American craftsmen and artists in America. It is an unparalleled opportunity to experience and see demonstrations on a variety of American crafts all in one place including copper enamel jewelry, gourd carving, blacksmithing, pottery, copper and stone sculpture, basket weaving, soap making, stained glass, quilt making, knife making and dozens more.

The Festival also celebrates the history and tradition of the American Cowboy. This will be the final year for “The Pinkerton Man,” an original Western stunt show that debuted during the 2012 Festival filled with “high-flying action and special effects, including dramatic 3-story falls, high-slide rappels, hero fights, pyrotechnic effects and explosions, with professional stunt men and women leading a cast of 16, plus live animals, comedy and original live music performed by the ‘Sons of the Silver Dollar.'”

Reminiscent of the Wild West shows of the 1880s, the new “Silver Dollar City Wild West Show” will feature “a trick riding troupe, a horse-riding female sharpshooter, trick roping, bullwhip artistry, comedy canines and Native American hoop dancing.” The show will be “hosted by rodeo rider and roper A.J. Silver, named Act of the Year by the International Rodeo Association and features “Nakotah LaRance, 6-time world champion Native American Hoop Dancer whose skills were showcased in Cirque du Soleil’s touring show ‘Totem.'”

The Festival’s entertainment also includes Western and Bluegrass music performed by musicians including “Home Rangers,” “Nothin’ Fancy,” “Horse Crazy Cowgirl Band,” “Link Union,”” Southern Raised” and “The Bankesters.”Other featured events include the “Extreme Mustang Makeover,” with mustang expert Fred Woehl taming and training rescued wild mustangs; Kent Rollins, a ranch owner whose chuck wagon cooking talents have been featured on the Food Network’s “Chopped” and “Throwdown with Bobby Flay” demonstrating trail-side cooking; three-time winner of the Academy of Western Artists’ “Will Rogers Award,” Cowboy Poet Chris Isaacs presenting cowboy stories and poems and the return of the popular “Barn Dance” with Silver Dollar City’s own “Horsecreek Band,” who are celebrating their 40th anniversary this year, providing the music.

Branson Tourism Center’s Johnson points out that all of the activities of the National Harvest & Cowboy Festival are in addition to everything else the award winning 1880’s theme park offers on a daily basis. This includes 30 rides and attractions and the park’s Outlaw Run wooden coaster “which was named Best New Ride of 2013 worldwide in an industry poll conducted by ‘Amusement Today’ magazine, winner of the ‘Travel Channel’s Insane Coaster Wars: World Domination’ in Episode 2, and recently named one of the 12 biggest game-changers in the history of theme park attractions by CNN.com.”

In terms of value and being able to enjoy all that Silver Dollar City has to offer at your leisure, Johnson points out that the Branson Tourism Center offers a two day Silver Dollar City Pass that is a great value and offers a discount over buying two separate one day passes. For additional information or tickets for Silver Dollar City, the “National Harvest & Cowboy Festival” or any of Branson’s other shows and attractions or for lodging arrangements please contact BTC by either calling their toll free number 1-800-785-1550 or through their website https://www.bransontourismcenter.com/.

                 Artist’s rendition of Fireman’s Landing.

“Sounds like the new $8 million ‘Fireman’s Landing’ will add new meaning to ‘blazing’ fun, excitement and adventure at Silver Dollar City starting in 2015,” said Tammy Johnson, the General Manager for the Branson Tourism Center. The new area, which will have six new family rides and four interactive play zones, all themed around “the spirit and training of community volunteer firefighters,” was announced at a press conference at the park on Aug. 13.

In introducing the expansion, Brad Thomas, the General Manager of the 1890’s theme park, said the story line for “Fireman’s Landing” will be loosely based on the fire that destroyed the town, [Marmaros] where Silver Dollar City is currently located and the desires of the citizens to train a volunteer fire brigade so that it never happens again. It will be themed to “recognize the contributions of the community heroes who serve as firefighters” and as “an 1880’s volunteer recruitment fair with rides and attractions for ages 3 to 93.”

Thomas could scarce contain his excitement as he said, “We love our visitors and our visitors continue to support us when we do fun and exciting things for them.” He pointed out that one of the most exciting things for him about “Fireman’s Landing” is that “families will be able to have fun together and we love it when we can bring families together and allow them to have fun as a family unit.”

He illustrated the “fun together” aspect by using two of the new “tower drop” rides, “Fireman’s Firefall” and “Up the Ladder.” “Fireman’s Fall” takes bigger kids and adults 80 feet into the air for a beautiful view of the Ozark Mountains; “But,” says Thomas, “you’ve got to keep your eyes open because in a second you go from 80 feet in the air all the way to the ground.” “Up the Ladder,” is a smaller version of the tower drop ride designed to let some of the smaller members of the family have a similar experience.

He also pointed out the “Roundabout,” where some of the smallest children will be able to sit in “Dalmatians” and go around a fire hydrant. A smile spread over his face as he said, “I think it’s going to be one of the most popular rides at Silver Dollar City.” Other rides and attractions, including a soaring balloon ride called “Fire Spotter” and the “Firehouse Splash Yard,” with squirting water jets and pump hoses; are located near  “Fire Station #3” which has a number of attractions including “‘Firefighter’s Fire Drill,’ with buckets, pumpers, foam ball cannons and targets for showering mock fires; ‘Firefighter’s Fire Escape,’ an obstacle course of tubes, mazes, climbing structures and slides and ‘Firefighter’s Junior Fire Escape,’ a soft play area for toddlers.”

The completion and opening of “Fireman’s Landing,” will bring the total number of Silver Dollar City’s rides and attractions to over 40 and increase the parks “ride capacity” to 21,000 per hour. With the addition of “Fireman’s Landing” and its family orientation to everything else the park offers, it’s easy to understand why Silver Dollar City believes that 2015 will be the park’s “biggest family year ever.”

Innovations like its new world breaking “Outlaw Run” wooden coaster help keep the Silver Dollar City as  Branson’s number one attraction.

“Many of the over 20,000 people who have ‘Liked’ our Facebook page have kids or grandkids and are obviously either interested in Branson or have visited Branson, many with their children or grandchildren,” said, Annette Wood, Director of Sales and Marketing for the Branson Tourism Center. “With all of the shows, attractions, lakes, and other activities Branson offers, we thought it would be interesting and also beneficial to those who have never been to Branson before, to ask them, and others who saw the post, ‘What’s the one thing your kids or grand-kids want to see or do when they come to Branson?'”

The answers, although certainly not scientific, sure did hit most of the top Branson attractions and might be helpful to those planning a trip to Branson with their children or grandchildren. It’s no surprise that the number one thing they wanted to see was Branson’s oldest and most popular paid attraction, the award winning 1880s styled theme park, Silver Dollar City. With dozens of rides for children of every age, six world class festivals each year, shows, practicing craftsmen and so much more it’s easy to understand its popularity, not only with the kids, but with their parents and grandparents as well.

Whether you call it an attraction or a show kids as well as adults have made it one of Branson’s most popular things to do in Branson.

Second was the Dixie Stampede. Dolly Parton calls it, “Branson’s most fun place to eat” and it’s easy to see why that is especially so for children. Where else can you get a scrumptious four course meal and the fun that comes from eating it without “utensils” amid the excitement and action of “racing ostriches, 32 magnificent horses featuring some amazing equestrian feats, a stampede of buffalo, the rumble in the treetops lumberjack relay, and some friendly competition?”

Go Kart riding was the third on the list. The Track Family Fun Parks is a go-kart paradise featuring 1,200 feet and four stories of steel and concrete on the “Heavy Metal High Rise,” a four-story spiral climb on the “Wild Woody” or the spirals and a blind peak of the “Lumber Jack” along with traditional go kart tracks at their four Branson parks. And if that’s not enough The Extreme Racing Center features high speed kart reaching speeds of up to 40 mph.

The Titanic Museum Attraction, Ride the Ducks and mini golf were also high on the list, but, “What important,” said Branson Tourism Center’s Wood, “is that kids are going to have fun while they are in Branson and will want to come back.” She said these two comments sum it up beautifully; Sherri D Adkisson Smith when she said, “My grandkids loved everything we did! They were amazed at Branson itself!” and Judy Johnson Smith who listed the favorite things they saw and did in while they were in Branson and hit the proverbial nail right on the head when she closed by saying, “But most importantly they want to go back next summer.”

The Titanic Museum Attraction towers over the Branson Strip

Excitement, fun and adventure are not normally things a kid would think of in connection with a “museum,” but, based on my recent visit to the Branson Titanic Museum Attraction. I would have to say, “Kids, that’s just not the case aboard the Titanic.” Those who know I am a 73 year old grandfather who has lived in Branson for about 28 years might ask, “How can you say that? You’re not a kid?” Absolutely right, but thanks to a little “Titanic magic” and the patience and knowledge of First Class Maid Jamie, I was allowed to take a voyage on the Titanic and experience its adventure “through the eyes of a a “kid.”

Do you think that you could walk on the decks of the Titanic as she tilted upward prior to sinking?

Let me share a portion of my “voyage” with you by sharing a list of 13 things that I discovered and believe would be helpful to every child, parent, grandparent or guardian in considering a “voyage” aboard the Titanic:

1. It’s fun, educational and full of surprises and neat things to see and do.

2. The entire ship is non-weather dependent, climate controlled and open rain or shine, heat or cold.

3. It’s easy to find and doesn’t look like any other museum you have ever seen. Just look for the “big ship” plowing through the water as it towers above the Branson Strip.

4. There were 133 children on board the RMS Titanic. Each had a boarding pass.

5. As you board the ship for your voyage you will receive a “Special Child’s Boarding Pass” with the name and information of one of the children who were on the Titanic on the front and a neat “Scratch Off Game” on the back that you can use to test your Titanic knowledge as you tour the ship. My Name was “Frankie Goldsmith” and I was nine years old.

6. As you enter the ship don’t forget to rub the “Iceberg” three time for luck. Wow, was it ever cold.

Another of the interactive fun activities aboard the Titanic.

7. At the end of the tour you will find out whether you survived. As you go through the museum and look at the many things (artifacts) displayed, look for clues that tell you whether or not you survived. I didn’t find any clues, but was happy to find out that I survived when I checked my name on the wall in the “Memorial Room” near the end of the tour.

8. While on the tour you can go on a “Scavenger Hunt” at the same time by checking off the items on the Scavenger Hunt game you will get when you get your boarding pass. No prizes or anything, but it sure is fun. Ok, I’ll admit it, First Class Maid Jamie helped me a little.

9. Each of the crew members of the Titanic is dedicated to making sure that you have a great time while on board the ship. They will be found throughout the ship “role playing,” sharing information and telling stories about the Titanic and its passengers as they interact with you and the other passengers. I found that they absolutely love it when someone asks them a question and boy do they ever know what they are talking about. If you meet First Class Maid Jamie ask her if she will share the “Iceberg” poem with you.

10. Up until recently there was only one audio tour and it was for adults. Now there are two and you will have your own “Youth Audio Tour” taking you on your own special tour of the ship complete with mysteries, clues, sound effects and music. It added so much excitement to my tour and literally brought the ship and some of the things I was seeing to life. One of my favorites was when I got to actually feel the hull of the ship, its thickness and run my hand over the rivets as the “Hull” talked to me and told me what it was like after it was hit by the iceberg and how hard it tried not to break apart.

11. You will get to meet “Polar, the Titanic Bear,” first in association with one of the children on board, seven year old Douglas Spedden, and later in an up close and personal encounter that will be one of the many highlights of your voyage.

12. You will have the opportunity to send Morse Code, experience what the passengers experienced as the angle of the decks rose higher and higher as the ship sank and other interesting activities. How long do you think you can hold your hand under water that was the same temperature that the passengers aboard the Titanic experienced?

13. Imagine walking up and down an exact full sized replica of the top two floors of the Titanic’s beautiful Grand Staircase. It’s even more dramatic when you realize that you are walking up just the two top floors and that it extended another five floor down into the ship.

I could go on and on, but let me close this piece by sharing something that First Class Maid Jamie shared with me. She explained to me that one of the major purposes of the Titanic Museum Attraction

is to honor the memories of the those who were on the Titanic saying, “We really do believe that when someone passes on, the best way to honor them is to simply tell their story and we get the honor to do that every single day.” It is the way they tell those stores that both honors those who sailed aboard the RMS Titanic and provides a dignified, unique and fun filled experience for todays “passengers” to remember what happened that night and realize that there is a person behind each of those stories.