The second Annual Sanctioned Bar B Q Cookoff, otherwise known as the Versailles Smokin Bar B Que Cookoff, will be taking place in Versaille, Lake of the Ozarks, on the evening of Friday 27^th May and will continue until the evening of Saturday 28^th May.

Designed to celebrate the art of outdoor cooking and bar be que cuisine, the Versaille Smokin Bar B Que is a great place to come along for some smokin’ hot bar b que food. But as well as lots of seasoned bar b que chefs slaving over their charcoal and wood ovens, the organisers will be providing lots of other entertainment for families to enjoy over the two day duration of the event.

There will be a selection of local bands at the Versaille Smokin Hot Bar B Que, all of whom will be playing lots of different types of music, so there is bound to be something to please your musical tastes. Art work from local artists will be on display and the entire event is open to the public, right from the beginning. From the start to the finish, the Versaille Annual Sanctioned bar b que cookoff event promises to be a wonderful family party—there is no better combination than food and fun, so come along, bring the kids, and enjoy some wonderful bar b que atmosphere.

For those who wish to enter the bar b que cooking contest, there are lots of valuable prizes on offer and it is a great opportunity for anyone currently working in the food industry to network and meet new contacts from local food organisations. Or even better, you can try out some new bar b que recipes and hopefully win some money at the same time!

Anyone who is interested in entering the Versaille Annual cookoff event can find further information by contacting officials in the city of Versaille via their website. Alternatively, call 573-378-4634.

May 27th is the Ozark Coast Kiwanis Peanut Day and the Kiwanis Club will be selling their peanuts at a variety of locations in and around the Lake of the Ozarks area. The event will be running from 7am until 5pm and you can buy Club Kiwanis peanuts from Highway HH and Bus 54, the Outlet Mall, Highway 54 and KK.

The Kiwanis Peanut Day is entirely organized by volunteers from the Kiwanis Club for the sole purpose of raising much needed funds for deprived children living in the Lake of the Ozarks local area. Peanut sales are just one of the many fund raising activities that the Kiwanis Club of Ozark Coats organizes on a regular basis.

What is the Kiwanis Club of Ozark Coast?

Kiwanis Club is a global charitable organization that is dedicated to changing the world one child and one community at a time. The name “Kiwanis” originates from an American Indian expression, Nunc Kee-wanis, and it means “we trade” and “we share our talents”. By working together as one, the members of the Kiwanis Club are able to achieve far more than any one individual would accomplish on their own. The members of the Lake Ozark Kiwanis Club work with youth groups, mentor the disadvantaged kids in the area, build playgrounds, and care for the sick.

The Ozark Coast Kiwanis Peanut Day on May 27 is just one of several fund-raising events taking place throughout the Lake of the Ozarks area this year, so if you are passing through, or you live locally, please visit one of the peanut outlets and buy some peanuts—it will not cost you very much, but a small outlay on your part will make a huge difference to the lives of lots of children and adults living in the Lake of the Ozarks!

Is your passion boats and cars? If so, you will be delighted to learn that on May 21st, a brand new event will be taking place at Captain Ron’s Bar & Grill in Lake of the Ozarks—the 1st Annual Boat and Car Swap Meet.

The 1st Annual Boat and Car Swap Meet for boat and car fans will begin at 11am and end at 5pm. Anyone who has an interest in cars and boats, and who would like to meet like-minded individuals, is invited to come along. Boats and cars are a man’s best friend, so what better way to spend your day than admiring other people’s classic cars and beautiful boats. You can even bring your accessories and swap them for new pieces of kit. Everyone is welcome and if the event is a huge success (which the organizers are sure it will be), it will become a regular feature on Captain Ron’s events timetable.

As well as the Annual Boat and Car swap meet, there will also be a Hot Rod and classic car show between 2pm and 5pm, so if you have a fine example of an all American classic car or Hot Rod, register for a place at the show and bring your vehicle along so that others can admire the gleaming paintwork and shining chrome fenders. And best of all, anyone who registers their car for the hot rod and classic car show will be able to enjoy a complimentary 20% off all food orders on the day!

Captain Ron’s Bar & Grill is a legendary restaurant and bar, and a firm favorite of both locals and visitors alike, but for those who have never experienced Captain Ron’s hospitality before, Captain Ron’s Bar & Grill can be found on Aloha Lane, Sunrise Beach in Lake of the Ozarks.

Once again, the Lake Capital Bike Run 2 will be taking place to raise valuable funds for Multiple Sclerosis. This year, the bike ride will be a leisurely 50 miles along the new Highway 5 expressway between Camdenton, Lake of the Ozarks, and Lebanon.

Cycling is a great way to explore the Lake of the Ozarks and what better way to see some of the local scenery than from a bicycle? Well an even better way is to raise money for a great local charity at the same time! So dig your bicycle out of the garage, dust it off and oil the chain, collect some sponsors and sign up for the Lake Capital Bike Ride on May 11th.

The Lake Capital Bike Run begins at 9.30am on May 11th and the starting point for this year’s bike ride will be the Potter’s House Church on Highway 5. Everyone who manages to get to the end of the route in one piece will arrive at the Waffle House in Lebanon. The fund-raising goal for those taking part in the Lake Capital Bike Run is to try and raise at least $3,000.

Lopfoot Creations is based at Linn Creek in Missouri and they are the organizers of the MS fund-raising bike ride. The company was first created back in 1988 as an outlet for greetings cards and gifts to raise funds for Multiple Sclerosis and today they sell hundreds of different greeting card designs, gift baskets, and gift mugs, the proceeds of which all go towards funding multiple sclerosis research and local families affected by multiple sclerosis.

For further information on the Lake Capital Bike Run, please contact James on 573-552-7504. Anyone with a reasonable cycling ability will easily be able to cover the distance, but if you are at all concerned about whether or not you will make it, contact the organizers on the above number.

Do you enjoy playing competitive golf where you have the opportunity to win a prize? Do you enjoy raising money for charitable causes? If the answer is “yes” to both questions, put your talents to a good cause and sign up for the Rotary Club Annual Golf Fundraiser!

The Lake of the Ozarks Rotary Club is holding its 27th Annual Golf Fundraiser on Friday May 6th, 2011. The event will be taking place at The Oaks Golf Course at Tan-Tar-A, which can be found on State Road KK, Osage Beach, Lake of the Ozarks.

Registration for this extremely worthwhile event is at 12 noon with a shotgun start at 1pm. The organisers will be serving a box lunch for all those competing in the golf tournament and for anyone who wishes to take advantage of unlimited refreshments while they are playing the course, a $10 wrist band can be bought. The prizes on offer will be determined by the number of golf teams who elect to play on the day.

Once the day’s golfing has been completed, golfers can look forward to a cocktail party and delicious dinner, followed by a silent auction, all of which will take place at The Oaks clubhouse. Evening events will begin at approximately 6pm.

The cost of entry to the Annual Golf Fundraiser is $100 per golfer and the entry fee includes all green fees, the box lunch, plus a seat at the evening dinner event. For those who wish to take a partner along for the evening fundraiser, additional tickets can be purchased for a very reasonable $10 per person.

All net proceeds generated by the Rotary Club Annual Golf Fundraiser will donated to a selection of local Lake of the Ozarks charities. For more information about how you can participate in this very worthy event, call Jeff Tate on 573-365-4212

The 4th Annual Columbia College Community Appreciation Day and Book Drive will be taking place between 11am and 2pm on May 7, 2011 at Colombia College, 900 College Boulevard (behind the Hy-Vee), Osage Beach, Lake of the Ozarks.

The Community Appreciation Day and Book Drive is aimed at residents living in the Lake of the Ozarks community, either permanently or temporarily, so even if you and your family are only passing through Lake of the Ozarks for a few days, come along and enjoy all the fun and games on offer at Columbia College—the event promises to be a great day out for all the family.

Local radio station, KRMS, will be broadcasting their show from the college campus, so you will have the opportunity to meet the radio presenters, and you might even have a chance at being live on air if you are lucky! There will be loads of free giveaways and free prizes will be offered every fifteen minutes for anyone who comes along to support this fantastic community event.

Families can enjoy free admission to the campus where they will find free food, balloons for the kids, and an informative tour of the campus for anyone who wishes to learn more about what Columbia College has to offer students from all ages and backgrounds. There will also be lots of interesting displays and educational presentations from members of the faculty, associated staff, and other members of the local community.

Please make sure you bring a kid’s book for the annual book drive as all books donated on the day will be distributed to a Columbia College Education program so they can use them in their classroom library. And if you do bring a book along on the day, you will be entered into a prize draw with the chance of winning a $50 certificate from Hy-Vee or a savings bond from Central Bank.

Mexicali Blues is one of Lake of the Ozarks most popular Mexican cantinas and restaurants and between May 5th and 7th and guests can come along and enjoy the world famous Cinco de Mayo Party.

Over the three nights, between 6pm and 1am, there will be live music from the Branded Band, a quartet of talented musicians and singers who play a wide variety of popular country and rock music tunes, ranging from the old classics we all know and love, to modern music from today’s charts. Steve, Mark, DeWayne and Cody always put on a highly entertaining show for their fans and if you have never seen the guys in action on stage before, you are in for a real treat!

But as well as a fantastic evening of live music, guests can also enjoy some great Mexican cuisine from the extensive Mexicali Blues menu. Popular dishes include a massive and highly delicious beef and bean burrito, a fajitas platter, which is so big it can easily feed two hungry people, but the absolute all-time special dish that you cannot miss is the world famous Lobster Taco—regulars of the Mexicali Blues Restaurant claim that the Lobster Taco is so divine, you will never be able to eat anywhere else again…

The Mexicali Blues Cantina and Restaurant is located on Highway 54 at Osage Beach, Lake of the Ozarks, and is very easy to find—if you get lost, just ask any local where the best Mexican restaurant in Lake Ozark is and they will point you in the right direction.

Make sure you don’t miss the Cinco de Mayo Party night as it promises to be a fantastic evening of live music, dancing, drinks promotions and great food. So what are you waiting for? Bring the family or even bring a date—the Cinco de Mayo Party is always one of the “hottest” nights of the year in Lake of the Ozarks!