At 1 p.m. on Saturday, December 12, the Marine Corps League Honor Guard will turn right onto Bagnell Dam Boulevard and lead the 42nd Annual Lake of the Ozarks Christmas Parade down the Strip to the dam. Five hours later, a Celebration Cruises boat leaves Bagnell Dam for a two-hour holiday charity cruise. Both events end up at the dam.
For anyone in Cedar Crest, the holiday season at the bottom of the hill centers on that one end of the Boulevard. It's also the end of the Strip where most of the change is happening this winter. One developer is building a five-level entertainment complex beside the dam, and the City of Lake Ozark has taken over demolition of Monarch Plaza, whose storefronts were torn off after its 2024 sale.
Parade day, hour by hour
The Bagnell Dam Strip Association's parade page gives a clear timeline for December 12. This year's theme is "Americana Christmas."
- 11:30 a.m. Line-up begins where Route HH meets Bagnell Dam Boulevard. Entries wait on 242 in the order they arrive.
- 1:00 p.m. The Honor Guard steps off, and the parade heads down the Boulevard toward Bagnell Dam. The organizers expect floats, boats, bands, Shriners, firetrucks, horses, scouts, twirlers and more.
- Right after the parade Santa greets children on the stage at Luby's Plaza, with a gift for each child, plus a sweets table.
- Evening The 6:00 p.m. Christmas on the Lake cruise leaves from Bagnell Dam. Boarding starts at 5:15.
The parade airs live on LakeTV, so you can also watch it from home. Prize money keeps the entry field competitive. The first-place entry in each category wins $150. The categories are business, civic organization, and youth groups, which include K-12 and church entries. The best take on the Americana theme wins $250. The rules allow Santa hats but no full Santa costumes, so the only full Santa on the Strip that day will be the one at Luby's Plaza. Questions about entries go to Rickie Smith at 573-434-3552.
Twelve evenings on the water, starting the day after Thanksgiving
Celebration Cruises runs its Christmas on the Lake Charity Cruise on twelve evenings this season, all departing from Bagnell Dam. Thanksgiving falls on November 26 this year, so the first sailing is that Friday night. After that the cruise runs Thursday through Saturday for three straight weeks, plus one night after Christmas.
| Week | Sailing dates | Days |
|---|---|---|
| Thanksgiving weekend | November 27, 28 | Friday, Saturday |
| First week of December | December 3, 4, 5 | Thursday through Saturday |
| Second week | December 10, 11, 12 | Thursday through Saturday, including parade day |
| Third week | December 17, 18, 19 | Thursday through Saturday |
| After Christmas | December 26 | Saturday |
Every sailing follows the same schedule. Boarding is at 5:15 p.m., the boat leaves at 6:00, and it's back by 8:00. Tickets are $55 per adult and $35 per child, so two adults and two kids pay $180 before drinks. Reserved tables seat up to four and cost extra: $40 for a window table in the salon or $50 for a bar or upper-deck table. Entertainers perform on board and light appetizers are included. Drinks are sold separately.
The cruise is non-refundable, and if too few passengers book a sailing, Celebration Cruises calls reserved guests and refunds them in full. Coolers aren't allowed. Strollers aren't allowed on board either, but the crew will store yours during the cruise.
The same company runs a New Year's Eve Celebration Cruise from Bagnell Dam on December 31. Boarding is at 9:30 p.m. and the boat leaves at 10:00. The evening includes a buffet, a DJ, a midnight toast and fireworks.
What's being built next to the parade's last stretch
The parade's final blocks to the dam pass the site of the Strip's biggest private project. Developer George Tucker is building a five-level restaurant and entertainment complex between Neon Taco and Bagnell Dam. The Lake of the Ozarks Profile described the plans in its May 2026 issue: a Tulum-inspired pool bar on the bottom level, entertainment for all ages on the two middle levels, and a Mediterranean rooftop bar on top. In February, SHORE listed it as "Tucker's New Place (name TBA)," because no name had been announced.
The timeline has moved before. The earlier target of mid-2025 came and went. The May report set the new goal as late 2026 or early 2027. Lake Expo's 2026 development roundup mentioned a possible partial soft opening in late 2026, but said the complex wouldn't be fully open until the 2027 season. When you walk down to the dam on December 12, you'll pass a project whose stated target runs into early next year.
Monarch Plaza: the city is handling the teardown
The other change on the Strip is a demolition. In its October 21 edition, the Lake Sun reported that the window for Monarch Plaza's owners to start demolition themselves had closed. The City of Lake Ozark will now take down the building.
The Lake Sun's report lays out the process. Plaza owners missed more than one court hearing, so the city hired an engineer to check the building's structural integrity. The city then held a public findings-of-fact hearing on August 28 to decide whether the plaza met the definition of a "dangerous building." No one representing the owners attended. On September 8 the city ordered the owners to begin demolition within 30 days. The deadline passed without demolition, so the job moved to the city.
Next comes the bidding. City Administrator Harrison Fry told the Lake Sun that the project has to go through the city's normal bidding process, which requires 15 days' notice in a published paper. He also said, "We're taking this very seriously and want to move as quickly as possible, while still being compliant with our own due process." Fry estimated demolition will cost $80,000 to $100,000. The city will pay that up front and then file a lien against the property to recover the cost. The agenda for the Board of Aldermen's October 27 meeting included Resolution 2026R-37, which authorizes staff to seek bids for demolition of "a Dangerous Building." You can follow the city's dangerous-building process on the city's agendas and minutes page.
The building has a long backstory. A new owner bought the 1.27-acre Monarch Plaza site in 2024 and applied that August for a permit to convert some units into apartments and office space. That plan also included a multifamily project behind the plaza. As of the Lake Sun's October report, that second phase hadn't started. The Lake Sun also reported that nearby residents had come to more than one aldermen meeting to urge the city to act. The city's action now follows what those residents asked for.
A table for after the parade
If you want to stay on the Strip after the Luby's Plaza stop, The Encore Lakeside Grill & Sky Bar at 3076 Bagnell Dam Boulevard posts hours of 11:30 a.m. to 10:30 p.m. Sunday through Thursday, and 11:30 a.m. to 12:30 a.m. Friday and Saturday. Lake Expo includes The Encore on its list of waterfront restaurants open all winter. Off-season hours at the lake can change on short notice, so call before you drive down on a weeknight.
Other holiday dates around the lake
If you want more holiday events beyond the Strip, two nearby communities have their own dates on the calendar.
- Saturday, November 28, 6 to 8 p.m. The Lake West Chamber's 25th Annual Lighted Christmas Parade in Laurie runs from Central Bank to Laurie Terrace Mall at 401 N. Main St., Gravois Mills. It falls on the same night as the second Christmas on the Lake sailing.
- December 4, 11 and 18, 5 to 7 p.m. Santa at City Hall in Osage Beach, at 1000 City Parkway. Santa and Mrs. Claus will be indoors, which helps if the weather turns cold.
The Lake Ozark parade is the one that ends at the bottom of Cedar Crest's hill. On December 12, the 6:00 p.m. cruise leaves from the same dam where the parade ends.
If you'd like a local's take on the Strip this winter, from parade-day parking to how the new building beside the dam is coming along, reach out to Spouses Selling Houses. We live and work at the lake year-round and are always happy to talk about what's changing near your home, whenever you're ready.
