Silver Dollar City, Branson, Missouri, is celebrating An Old Time Christmas by bringing the streets to full colour and sound with more shows than ever before, brilliant lights, and many traditional favourites. The festival runs from November 7 through to December 30.
Highlights include 30 shows each day and night on outdoor stages, an elaborate eight-story, animated Christmas tree, over 6.5 million lights, Christmas in Midtown, holiday foods, Rudolph’s Holly Jolly Christmas Light Parade, The Frisco Sing-Along Steam Train plus award-winning rides coasting through the night skies.
Performers, shows, lights, artisans, festive foods and Santa
Along the walkways, famed performers known from the City’s production shows (historically found indoors, pre-2020 challenges) make up the carolling troupes who raise their voices throughout the streets. Multiple outdoor venues present other fan favourites such as The Living Nativity, the Saloon Frontier Fa-La-La Follies, a new Cool Yule show made up of performers and a live band, Gospel groups, and more.
Bright lights line every inch of streets, buildings, walkways and trees, greeting guests with Joy on Town Square’s custom-designed, video-motion, towering tree. Just steps beyond, guests find Christmas in Midtown’s jaw-dropping display of light tunnels, wreath portals, flying angels, running reindeer, a moving train, stars, snowflakes and a giant turning globe, all created at Silver Dollar City.
Park revellers can watch demonstrating artisans creating heirloom works of art, often passed on from generation to generation. Guests can visit family-style restaurants serving holiday foods along with treats of the season created in on-site kitchens and bakeries. Foods include Holiday Dinner with smoked turkey, ham, prime rib and trimmings, specialty soups like potato leek, Silver Dollar City’s Miner’s Beef Stew plus a variety of desserts from apple dumplings with homemade ice cream to fried pies and holiday funnel cakes (note: Red Velvet alert, a flavour with great popularity in America).
Park revellers can watch demonstrating artisans creating heirloom works of art, often passed on from generation to generation. Guests can visit family-style restaurants serving holiday foods along with treats of the season created in on-site kitchens and bakeries. Foods include Holiday Dinner with smoked turkey, ham, prime rib and trimmings, specialty soups like potato leek, Silver Dollar City’s Miner’s Beef Stew plus a variety of desserts from apple dumplings with homemade ice cream to fried pies and holiday funnel cakes (note: Red Velvet alert, a flavour with great popularity in America).
New for 2020, the area of Rivertown adds to the feeling of celebration with thousands of LED lights outlining Clara Belle’s Cinnamon Bread bakery and the new Rivertown Smokehouse, featuring fresh-smoked meats and specialty desserts. The Rivertown Smokehouse offers covered decks with heaters, allowing for outdoor dining along the banks of the Mystic River.
And, not to be left out, the North Pole sends in Santa, who has his own new “Santa’s Cottage” – a picturesque setting where children can share wishes and dreams in an appropriately socially distanced way.
Silver Dollar City’s New Year’s Celebration runs 31 December – 2 January.
The stats of the lights
The two-month long holiday event boasts some impressive statistics such as over 6.5 million lights (that’s 680 miles of brilliance!), 1,000 decorated Christmas trees, 600 wreaths, and over 3 miles of garland and ribbon. Christmas In Midtown bursts with the colours of 1.5 million LED lighted tunnels and displays up nine stories.
