As the unofficial end of summer, the long Labor Day weekend is many folks’ last chance to enjoy Branson’s lakes, dining, shopping and entertainment before fall sets in. The weekend is a great time to stroll through Historic Downtown and let Sparky, the free trolley, help you get around!
Free Concert at Branson Landing
Kicking off the long weekend is a free concert Friday night at the Branson Landing. The always popular Resurrection – A Journey Tribute group plays the most loved hits from the catalog of 80’s rockers Journey with amazing accuracy and energy. The concert starts at 7 p.m. on Sept. 1, but come to downtown early for dinner and to stake out your spot in the Town Square.
New Jet Boat Attraction
The downtown’s newest attraction is Branson Jet Boats, an acrobatic boat with three 400-hp engines that takes riders on a 12-mile round-trip tour of Lake Taneycomo, complete with splashes, bow dunks and spins. The boat attraction opened in July 2017 and leaves from its dock at the Branson Landing Boardwalk every two hours, with departures typically at 2 p.m., 4 p.m. and 6 p.m. The dock is located between Joe’s Crabshack and Saltgrass restaurants.
Lots of Shopping, Dining and More
Downtown is home to 300 stores, boutiques, restaurants, attractions and more. The area includes the historic district centered in the blocks around Main and Commercial Streets, as well as the lakeside Branson Landing development and businesses along Main Street.
The free downtown trolley operates daily throughout downtown. There are three trolleys serving 13 stops in a loop, making it easy to get from Point A to Point B and back again. Check RideSparky.com for a detailed list of trolley stops and a real-time GPS trolley tracker.
Beyond Downtown Branson
Labor Day Weekend is also the last days of the Southern Gospel Picnic at Silver Dollar City. America’s top Southern Gospel artists perform each evening in Echo Hollow Amphitheater inside the park. These performances are included with the regular park admission, but this is a popular event, so be sure to get there early to stake out your seats.
Friday, Sept. 1, is also the start of the display in Branson of the traveling Vietnam Memorial Wall. This is a 1/2-scale replica of the memorial wall in Washington, D.C., and includes the names of the more than 58,000 Americans who lost their lives in the conflict. The memorial is at the Welk Resort in Branson from Sept. 1-5 and again from Nov. 5-7.
Fireworks on the Lake
Two Labor Day weekend fireworks displays are scheduled over Table Rock Lake.
Chateau on the Lake Resort, Spa and Conference Center is hosting a Labor Day fireworks show at dusk on Sunday, Sept. 3. The fireworks are visible from most of the northeast side of Table Rock Lake and parts of western Branson, around the Table Rock dam area.
Also at dusk on Sunday, Sept. 3, is the Big Cedar Lodge fireworks display, the culmination of a daylong series of activities (and picnic) on the Big Cedar Swimmin’ Hole Lawn. The fireworks are visible from Big Cedar, Top of the Rock and from many surrounding areas on southeast Table Rock Lake.