Southwest Missouri News

Branson

Grand Palace host to Miss USA Feb. 4

The Grand Palace of Branson hosted the opening ceremony for the presentation of the Miss USA delegates Jan. 21.

The 51 delegates will make appearances throughout Branson leading up to the Miss USA Pageant Feb. 4.

The pageant will be televised live from the Grand Palace beginning at 7:30 p.m. and will be followed by a coronation ball at the nearby Chateau on the Lake.

More than 50 local businesses and organizations have joined The Grand Palace as sponsors of the event.

Hughes Brothers buy theater from Thomas

The country music family entertainment group in Branson known as The Hughes Brothers announced that it has purchased sole ownership of the former Celebrity Theatre from previous owner Jim Thomas.

The 1,203-seat theater, located on West Highway 76, will be renamed The Hughes Brothers Celebrity Theatre, and the group will perform a 10 a.m. show there.

The Platters also will remain at the theater to continue their 2 p.m. and 7 p.m. performances as scheduled.

The Hughes Brothers have performed at the Legend Family Theatre for the past three years.

Hot Winter Fun at Stafford Theatre

The sixth annual Hot Winter Fun Big Show will be held at 7 p.m. Feb. 7, at the Jim Stafford Theatre in Branson.

The Big Show will feature entertainers from shows and attractions participating in the Branson/Lakes Area Chamber of Commerce Hot Winter Fun program.

According to the chamber, more than 100 Branson-area businesses have contributed to advertising Branson during January, February and March.

They have also pledged to keep their businesses open and their employees working year-round.

Entertainers scheduled to perform include cast members from Down Home Country Show, 76 Country U.S.A. featuring Pierce Arrow, The Brumleys, Dixie Stampede, Lost in the Fifties, The Platters, Grand Old Gospel Hour, Legends in Concert, 50s at the Hop and Jim Stafford. For more information or to purchase tickets, call 335-8080.

All proceeds from the event go toward marketing the Branson area during the winter months.

According to the chamber, television advertising spots will run in eight markets from Jan. 24 through March 5.

The markets where the ads will appear are St. Louis, Des Moines, Minneapolis, Kansas City, Wichita, Springfield, Joplin and Tulsa.

Nickelodeon returns to SDC

Nickelodeon will return to Silver Dollar City with its new "Double Dare 2000" to run during the National Children's Festival June 10 through Aug. 20. "Double Dare 2000" is a game show combining trivia knowledge and physical competitions.

It debuted Jan. 22 nationwide on the Nickelodeon cable network.

The live show at Silver Dollar City will be presented daily in the new 25,000-square-foot Red Gold Heritage Hall.

The hall will be transformed into a Nickelodeon adventure zone for the entire festival.

"Camp Nickelodeon" will be the name of the new Nickelodeon activity center, where children can experience the Nickelodeon 3-D Scrapbook, meet Blue from Blues Clues and participate in Big Help activities.

Business After Hours set for Feb. 17

The February Business After Hours will offer Branson/Lakes Area Chamber of Commerce members an opportunity to network.

The chamber-sponsored event will be held at the Outback Steak & Oyster Bar 5:30-7 p.m. on Feb. 17.