Considering a fall getaway to Branson, Missouri? The “Live Entertainment Capital of the World” has plenty of captivating shows within city limits, but the fun doesn't stop there. In Branson's own Silver Dollar City theme park, live music and entertainers are the cornerstones of the park's popular series of festivals. Get the details on the fall festivals delighting guests at Silver Dollar City this year, and start planning your family's vacation now! Southern Gospel Picnic: August 25 – September 5, 2016 Silver Dollar City's Southern Gospel Picnic brings together two Ozark traditions: gospel music and hearty home cooking. With some of the top names in gospel music scheduled to perform, plus southern cooking at The House of Chicken and Fixin's, this is a week filled with old-fashioned fun. Southern Gospel Picnic performers for 2016 include award winners and Gospel Music Hall of Fame members such as The Kingsmen Quartet and Jeff & Sheri Easter. Southern Gospel Picnic brings southern tradition to life in the park's Ozark setting. Photo: Silver Dollar City With performances throughout the day and into the evening, you'll have plenty of time to experience the southern gospel tradition before chowing down on your favorite fried chicken. There are four varieties, by the way: Southern-Style Fried Chicken, Apple Butter Glazed, Hickory Smoked, and Barbecue, plus all the down-home fixin's you love. See the scheduled performers at the Silver Dollar City website. National Harvest & Cowboy Festival: September 14 – October 29, 2016 Travel back in time and celebrate the traditions of the American West with this six-week festival, which includes everything from hand-made crafts to a Buffalo Bill-style Wild West Show. Food Network-featured chef Kent Rollins brings cowboy cooking and campfire stories to the park, and horse trainer Fred Woehl demonstrates the time-honored tradition of taming and training wild American Mustang horses. Guests can also enjoy cowboy poetry from award-winning storytellers, old-fashioned western music, and kick up their heels in a high-spirited barn dance. This is a festival of Americana like no other! Find out more at the Silver Dollar City website. An Old Time Christmas: November 5 – December 30, 2016 Silver Dollar City's An Old Time Christmas lights up the park for the holidays. Photo: Silver Dollar City Sure, we might consider Christmas a winter festival, but Silver Dollar City starts the celebrations in early November, and who are we to complain? After all, Silver Dollar City has been named the home of the “Best Theme Park Holiday Event” (USAToday) and has been spotlighted by the Travel Channel, Fodor's Travel, MSN Travel, and The Huffington Post for top Christmas celebration destinations in the United States. We'll take as many weeks of this party as we can get! So as the weather turns nippy and the leaves fall from the trees, the lights go up and the trees are trimmed for a country Christmas festival like no other. Holiday dining, live shows, night-time parades, attraction overlays, and of course thousands of sparkling lights mark this special season at Silver Dollar City. Make time for shows: in addition to the theme park's award winning thrill rides, you'll want to fit in live performances of It's a Wonderful Life, A Dickens' Christmas Carol, and Silver Dollar City's own Frontier Fa-La-La Follies in the Silver Dollar Saloon. The steam train is transformed into the Frisco Sing-Along Steam Train, and a Living Nativity adds a unique touch to the Christmas festivities. Along the way you can sip at seasonal beverages such as wassail and shop holiday treats and crafts at Jingle Bell Junction. Get the details at the Silver Dollar City website. No matter when you decide to take the family to Branson, Silver Dollar City is sure to delight! With their world-class attractions, water park, entertainment venues, and even a showboat, the Silver Dollar City experience is truly a theme park adventure like no other. Ready to plan your Branson vacation? Exploria Resorts offers you a perfect home base for your next vacation. • Greensview Branson By Exploria Resorts: Branson, MO. One-, two-, and three-bedroom condos in a peaceful setting near entertainment, dining, and hiking. • Crown Club Inn By Exploria Resorts: Branson, MO. Hotel-style accommodations in the heart of Branson's excitement. Visit the Destinations tab to explore and find more information on accommodations, amenities and availability.
