With Thanksgiving and Black Friday taking place last week, people everywhere are jumping right into their Christmas celebrations. One celebration that everyone will want to make a part of their holiday festivities is Christmas on the Lake with the Ozark Rivers Heritage Foundation at the Dewey Short Visitors Center. This event is the first annual Christmas on the Lake. The celebration has already begun and will continue through December 11th, so guests will have two more weeks that they can be a part of the special event.

Christmas on the Lake features many special activities that are great for the whole family or friends who want to celebrate the season in a special way together. S’mores and traditional storytelling around a welcome campfire start out the night, and the fun continues with Christmas caroling, Christmas crafts, and the chance to choose some fun gifts from the Discovery Shop at the center. It’s a heartwarming way to make your holiday celebrations unique and entertaining.

If you plan to be at this evening event, you will want to find a hotel to stay in overnight instead of driving back home. You will also want to check out some of the other fun activities and attractions waiting for visitors in the area. BransonShows.com gives you a variety of hotels and activities to look through to help make your decision easy!

Everyone who has been to Silver Dollar City the past few weeks can agree that Silver Dollar City’s annual National Harvest Festival has been a blast. This upcoming weekend, the National Harvest Festival is coming to an end as Silver Dollar City prepares for An Old Time Christmas celebration. Lights will decorate every imaginable surface the park, and the park’s 5-story special effects Christmas tree will be assembled just in time for the park to re-open on November 6th. The Christmas event will last through the holidays to December 30th when the park will close for the season.

Silver Dollar City has numerous special features for guests to enjoy during their holiday visit. Wonderful productions of shows like The Living Nativity, Frosty!, and A Dickens’ Christmas Carol will be on multiple times each day. The park also has the Gifts of Christmas Holiday Light Parade each year. This parade is a living, moving display of festive lights with over 100,000 lights on the floats and costumes. There are even special treats like hot wassail, chili, hot chocolate, Gingerbread cookies, and apple dumplings. This event has been a favorite Christmas destination for visitors from all over the country for years, and it’s no wonder with all of the Christmas cheer the park has to offer!

Silver Dollar City isn’t the only place that has a special holiday celebration planned. There are also many Branson Christmas Shows that will begin around the same time An Old Time Christmas begins. Make sure to check them out, so you can have a full holiday celebration this year.

With Christmas just around the corner, it’s no surprise that Branson is getting ready for the holidays. Silver Dollar City and over 45 of Branson’s fantastic shows are gearing up to give everyone the holiday cheer that Branson is known for. It’s a good thing they are prepared for the season because people from all over are already making plans to visit the area and start their Christmas celebration

Some of the shows that will be participating this year include classics like Dolly Parton’s Dixie Stampede Dinner and Show, the Jim Stafford Show, and the Andy Williams Show as well as new shows like SIX, Brule an American Indian Rock Opera, and Yakov’s Moscow Circus. Each show is presenting a unique Christmas performance that is designed to get people in the spirit of Christmas. Many of the shows also include the best of their traditional show to give guests the entire Branson experience. For those interested, you can find a complete list of Branson Christmas Shows online.

Silver Dollar City will be continuing many of the traditions that visitors have come to love during their annual Old Time Christmas celebration. Over 100,000 Christmas lights will be twinkling all over the park, a 5-story Christmas tree will have a lights and music show, and guests will be able to see a number of Christmas shows that are featured specially in the park. Between Silver Dollar City and Branson’s shows, this year promises to be a very festive Christmas for everyone who stops by.

Every so often people get the chance to step into a world of magic and wonder. It’s a chance to experience something beyond your everyday life. If this is the kind of experience you’re looking for stop by The Butterfly Palace before January 15 to experience White Flight. Bring the whole family for this magical experience!

The Butterfly Palace creates a special wonderland during the holiday season filled with seasonal music and living angelic statues. These serene statues come to life as thousands of white butterflies float around the Conservatory like snowflakes in the wind. Take your time on the self-guided tour and enjoy every moment of wonder and magic in this winter wonderland.

At The Butterfly Palace, your whole family will enjoy seeing the incredible animals inside the Living Rainforest Science Center or weaving their way through the Emerald Forrest Mirror Maze. You’ll also be treated to a fantastic movie about the lives of the beautiful butterflies you’ve seen in the Conservatory. The best part of the movie is the 3-D presentation!

Don’t miss out on this unique activity in Branson! The white butterflies are only at The Butterfly Palace until January 15, and then they are gone until next Christmas. To learn more about this event, or to order tickets for The Butterfly Palace, please visit the Butterfly Palace page on our website!

On tomorrow, October 31, most people will be putting the finishing touches on costumes and getting ready to canvass the neighborhood for goodies, but in Branson, many entertainers will be opening the beginning of the Branson Christmas season for 2009.

Many Christmas shows begin this weekend, including the Miracle of Christmas at Sight and Sound Theatre, Andy Williams Christmas, and the Hamner Barber Variety Show Wings of Christmas. The shows that are not beginning this weekend begin holiday performances next week or next weekend. With everything from Christmas concerts to unbelievable lights display, the Branson holiday entertainment scene has something for everyone. For a complete list of holiday shows and starting dates, consult the 2009 Branson Christmas Shows article, which contains links and descriptions of every holiday show we offer in Branson.

Because the Branson Christmas season is so popular, many shows have already begun to sell out of tickets, especially for the week of Thanksgiving. To make sure that you do not miss out on seeing your favorite holiday show, like Dolly Parton’s Dixie Stampede or the Shoji Tabuchi Christmas Show, start planning your holiday trip today!

Also, don’t forget that an easy and convenient way to book a Christmas vacation with one click is by booking one of our pre-made vacation packages. Both A Branson Christmas Celebration and the Branson Holiday Music Magic vacation packages include lodging as well as tickets to many popular holiday shows in Branson.

When planning your Branson holiday vacation, don’t forget about our money-saving promotions! With family passes and discounted tickets available for many holiday shows, including Yakov Smirnoff, Spirit of Christmas, and the Warnocks Christmas Show, you can enjoy a Christmas vacation to remember without breaking the bank!

BransonShows.com is your one-stop destination for all things Branson any time of year. To being planning your vacation, go online to BransonShows.com or call 1-800-987-6298.

For the upcoming weekend of August 7 to 9, visitors to Branson as well as residents can enjoy a break from sales tax on clothing, shoes, and more. The annual tax holiday is directed towards helping people prepare for going back to school.

Tax-exempt items include clothing, school supplies, computer software, personal computers, and computer accessories. However, there are various stipulations existing in each category.

Clothing items must be $100 or less each. Footwear is tax-exempt, but jewelry and accessories are not. School supplies must be $50 or under per purchase. For computers, laptops, desktops, software, and accessories like keyboards, mouses, monitors, disk drives, printers, and scanners all may be bought tax free.

The complete list of exemptions and rules may be found at the Missouri Department of Revenue Web site.

Branson and the surrounding area have many shopping options participating in the tax-free weekend. The Branson Landing shopping center has a variety of clothing stores, including Justice—Just for Girls, Aeropostale, Charlotte Russe, Hollister, the Children’s Place, and Belz Department Store.

For great deals on top of the tax-free weekend, Branson also has many outlet centers. Tanger Outlet Center, conveniently located on the 76 strip, will be featuring a Back-to-School Sidewalk Sale in combination with the tax holiday. Stores in the outlet center include Banana Republic Factory Store, Levi’s Outlet, PacSun, Gap Outlet, American Eagle Outfitters, Nike Factory Store, The Children’s Place, Gymboree Outlet, and Old Navy. Shoe stores include Nike Factory Store, Reebok, Sketchers, and Stride Rite.

BransonShows.com is your online destination for all of your Branson needs. From lodging on the 76 strip to tickets to the best shows in the city, you can find everything you need for a great time in Branson at BransonShows.com or by calling 1-800-987-6298.