How many times have you crossed the Grand Glaize Bridge this month and glanced left at the Ferris wheel? It's 175 feet tall and stands nearly 400 feet above the lake surface. It now towers over Jeffries Road at Oasis Lake of the Ozarks. It's the most visible new thing in Osage Beach this fall. It's also the one thing in town you can't use this year.
So the changes you can actually feel this season are happening at two older addresses. At City Hall, aldermen are writing the rules the Oasis will open under. At City Park on Hatchery Road, the city is spending its own money to bring back a tradition that went dark in 2024. The wheel will turn next spring. The decisions about what kind of neighbor it will be are being made between now and then.
What's Standing at Jeffries Road, and What Isn't
The developers were clear about the timeline. The development group told LakeExpo the project would not meet its earlier fall 2026 target. The park will open in time for the 2027 tourist season instead. The same report showed crews putting up The Plunge, a tower ride. Its 12-seat carriage slowly rotates before the drop, and Todd Schneider, the project's operating partner, says it can run several descent programs, so it can be made gentler for families.
Here's what has been reported about each piece:
| Piece of the project | Status in current reporting |
|---|---|
| Ferris wheel | Standing; 30 enclosed glass gondolas with heat and air, 10 to 12 minute rides |
| The Plunge tower ride | Installation began May 9, 2026 |
| Amusement park, parking garage, boat slips | Scheduled to open next spring |
| Indoor water park and Marriott Resort & Conference | Later phases |
| Roller coasters | Two planned; names not yet announced |
The wheel's gondolas hang on the outside of the ring, which gives riders an unobstructed view. The wheel also has a programmed lighting show. That lighting matters most to the people who will see it every night. Schneider described the plan this way:
"The show aspect of the wheel's lighting displays will make it more than an attraction — it will make it a gathering place for the entire Lake community. Whether families are coming off the Lake by boat or arriving by car, the wheel at Oasis will be a place to come together for a meal, some playtime, a ride, and an evening out."
The project also had a change at the top this summer. Developer Jeff Tegethoff's company, Tegethoff Development Co., LLC, filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection on June 1, 2026. Two days later, the Oasis development group told LakeExpo it had already removed Tegethoff and his affiliated companies as managers of the Lakeport project entities. The group said it was still committed to opening the amusement park, garage and boat slips in spring 2027. The most recent wheel coverage quotes Schneider as the project's voice.
The Rule Being Written Before the First Ride
The project's first real policy question for Osage Beach came up at a regular Thursday meeting. At the October 1, 2026 Board of Aldermen meeting, Bill 26-106 was on the agenda for first reading. The bill sets procedures for establishing and administering entertainment districts.
The Missouri General Assembly has authorized entertainment districts, where people can walk freely with open containers of alcohol. The Osage Beach bill would create a special license to apply for and set regulations, including when and where alcohol can be served. Mayor Richard Ross told ABC 17 News the bill would enable legislation for the Oasis project. He called entertainment districts a valuable tool for growing the city's tourism industry.
The bill still needs a second reading at a future meeting. The city calendar lists the next Board of Aldermen meeting for October 15, 2026, at 5:30 p.m. at City Hall. The posted materials don't show whether the second reading is on that agenda. For anyone who lives close to Jeffries Road or uses the Grand Glaize Bridge every day, the open-container rules for the lake's biggest new attraction are being written this month, months before the attraction opens.
City Park Is Where the City Spent Its Money
The most direct investment in resident life this fall is happening at Osage Beach City Park, 950 Hatchery Road, not at the Oasis.
For years, the city ran a short drive-through Christmas lights display there. It ended in 2024 because of budget and technical problems. At their Thursday, Aug. 6 meeting, aldermen approved $49,972 for new made-to-order LED displays with a 12 Days of Christmas theme. Electrical upgrades in the park are scheduled in the months before the season opens. Santa and Mrs. Claus will also make appearances for visits and photos on select nights.
The meeting record explains why the old display went dark. Parks and Recreation Director Eric Gregory said, "Basically every time it rained, most of the lights didn't work and there was absolutely nothing we can do about it." Alderman Stephen George said, "I can tell you that my kids were very sad when this disappeared. So, hearing it's coming back is phenomenal." Mayor Ross said he heard from constituents about the lights during his campaign. The report doesn't list operating dates or hours, so check with the city before you plan a night around them.
Before the lights, the same park hosts the 2026 Annual Osage Beach Fall Festival on Saturday, October 10. Plans include food trucks, a vendor market, bounce houses, a petting zoo, animal rescue groups and contests, among them a pie-eating contest. The two event listings disagree on hours. LakeExpo lists 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., and the Lake of the Ozarks CVB lists 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Call Osage Beach Parks and Recreation before you go.
October 10 is also the date of the Fall Harbor Hop. More than 40 checkpoints around the lake take part from 9 a.m. to 7 p.m., and hands must be turned in by 7 p.m. If you want to do both, the morning festival and the afternoon water route fit together on the same Saturday.
The Rest of October
Away from City Park, the October calendar centers on a brewery on the Parkway and on trails in the state park.
- October 7, 14, 21 and 28. Lake of the Ozarks State Park runs Wednesday Walkabout Hikes in the early evening. The schedule is Hidden Springs Trail on Oct. 7 from 5:30 to 7:20 p.m., Fawn's Ridge Trail on Oct. 14 from 5:30 to 6:30 p.m., and Lake View Bend Trail on Oct. 21 from 5:30 to 6:40 p.m., all listed under Brumley. The last hike is Coakley Hollow Trail on Oct. 28 from 5:30 to 6:20 p.m., listed under Linn Creek.
- October 17. Lake of the Ozarks Oktoberfest starts at 10 a.m. at The Sanctuary Brewery, 5716 Osage Beach Parkway. It features German food, craft beer, live music and family activities, plus a .5K and 5K that benefit Wonderland Camp.
- October 25. The Sanctuary Brewery hosts the Chiefs & Chili Cookoff at 3 p.m.
The newest dinner option in town is also on the Parkway. Sushi by "R" comes from the team behind 1932 Reserve, and The Lake Sun reported it officially open in June 2026. It's at 4399 Osage Beach Parkway and is open daily from 4 to 9 p.m. Early in the planning, the project was described as a 10,000-square-foot multi-restaurant concept at Osage Beach Parkway and Osage Beach Road, near Walmart, with the sushi bar planned as the year-round side. Since the Oasis plans to sell itself as a place for "a meal, some playtime, a ride," it's worth having your weeknight table in town settled before spring.
December, Before the Wheel Turns
The holiday stretch adds a few dates you can already plan around. The Lake of the Ozarks Christmas Parade is set for December 12, 2026, along Bagnell Dam Boulevard. Celebration Cruises lists Christmas on the Lake charity cruises on November 27 and 28 and on December 3 through 5, 10 through 12, 17 through 19 and 26. Boarding is at 5:15 p.m., and the cruise sails from 6 to 8 p.m. Its New Year's Eve cruise boards at 9:30 p.m. and sails from 10 p.m. to midnight, with fireworks.
The City Park lights, with their new LED displays and Santa nights, add one more stop to that calendar once the city sets its schedule. Next spring, the wheel at Jeffries Road is scheduled to start its own light show over the lake.
If you're weighing how a spring 2027 opening at the Oasis might affect a home near the Grand Glaize Bridge or along the Parkway, or you just want to talk through what's changing in Osage Beach, Spouses Selling Houses lives and works here too. Contact us for a free consultation or a home valuation, and we'll share what we're watching on Jeffries Road.
