The Lake Today

“Love is composed of a single soul inhabiting two bodies.”

The words of the acclaimed philosopher Aristotle encompasses why Americans and couples across the globe celebrate the day of love – Valentine’s Day.

At Lake of the Ozarks, there are numerous ways to show your loved one how much you appreciate them. With more than 200 restaurants, couples can enjoy a romantic evening of fine cuisine, embark on a cinematic adventure at the Lake’s two movie theaters or even enjoy finding the perfect gift at one of the Lake’s acclaimed hot spots for prime Valentine’s Day presents.

Yet, in true fashion, Lake of the Ozarks embraces a holiday and presents a variety of opportunities to make this special day of love a beloved memory. From dances and dinners to renewing your vows, Lake of the Ozarks is the place for lovers, young and old alike.

Celebrate the day of love with the Lake Arts Council

Looking for a way to celebrate Valentine’s Day the previous weekend or just have a special day out with fine dining and entertainment?

The Lake Arts Council has made arrangements with the Osage National Golf Resort with just that in mind, fine dining and enjoyable entertainment.

A “Sweethearts’ Brunch” is scheduled from 11 a.m.-2 p.m. Sunday, Feb. 12 at Osage National Golf Resort in Lake Ozark.

The all-inclusive buffet menu consists of both traditional breakfast and luncheon items plus continuous entertainment for the cost of $16. An open bar will be available.

The Lake Arts Council proudly presents Kathleen Marco and Friends as the arts entertainment. Marco is well known around the lake for her precise and steady keyboard abilities as accompanist for the Greater Lake Area Chorale. She has partnered in the past with Michael Vyrostek in several Jazz Concerts, both as keyboardist and vocalist. A native of The Lake Area and graduate of Camdenton High School she has accompanied and sung with musical groups for a number of years both in Chicago and locally. She is currently the organist/pianist at Kent Memorial Lutheran Church in Sunrise Beach.

Joining her on Feb. 12 will be Fred Wackenhut, the current keyboardist for Our Lady of the Lake Catholic Church in Lake Ozark. John Di Martino, who has recently moved here from the West Coast, will anchor the trio on the drums.

No reservations are necessary for this event.

For more information, contact the Lake Arts Council office, Monday through Friday, between the hours of 9 a.m.-1 pm., at 573-964-6366. After hours calls will be logged by a message machine, which is checked early each day and your call will be returned.

Also visit the Lake Arts Council website at www.artsatthelake.com or on Facebook.

Renew your vows at Bridal Cave

One has been deemed as one of the most popular and unique locations to hold a wedding at Lake of the Ozarks, boasting more than 2,128 nuptial ceremonies over the past 40-plus years.

The other has become one of the most anticipated, free Valentine’s Day activities in the Lake Area, drawing couples together from across Missouri.

Now, for the second time on Sunday, Feb. 12, a romantic union joins Bridal Cave in Camdenton as the setting for the fashionable wedding vow renewal ceremonies co-sponsored by KRMS radio station.

From 9 a.m. to 4 p.m., Sunday, couples can renew their wedding vows in fun, romantic 30-minute ceremony with the beautiful stalactite-studded room at Bridal Cave, known as the Bridal Chapel, as a backdrop.

Guests will also receive fresh flowers from Janine’s Flowers, a 8x10 wedding portrait taken on site and courtesy of Lindsey Webster Photography, gold rimmed toasting flutes, a bottle of sparkling cider and a lifetime pass to Bridal Cave, free of charge.

A local pastor will provide the nuptials for couples, who will participate in small groups with other couples, and each will receive a certificate of renewing their vows once the ceremony is completed. Mary Beth Duncan from Duncan II Jewelry will also sing during the ceremony, providing romantic musical entertainment. Also, KRMS Radio Station will have a live remote from the event from 1-3 p.m., with other surprises to offer guests, as well. In addition, one lucky couple will win a “dinner for two” at Trail House Restaurant and “one night’s lodging” at the Inn at Grand Glaize.

Even though this is the first year the Valentine’s Day Wedding Vow Renewal event has been held at Bridal Cave, the annual activity has gained momentum in attendance and popularity since it first started in 2001.

KRMS Radio Station Owner Dennis Klautzer previously told The Lake Today when he and his staff first planned the Valentine’s Day promotion at the Osage Beach Walmart, they intended to make it a drive-thru ceremony.

“We originally had a tent set up and one car at a time could drive through it, have their wedding vows renewed and drive out; they could get their vows renewed while staying in their car,” he explained. “However, we had a great response, and the lines became very long. That first year, we set up right behind the gas station at Walmart and had cars lined up back behind the lawn and garden center and behind the whole back of the building to the Pasta House. That’s when we decided to have couples come in and have their vows renewed in groups.”

Being held at Walmart for four years, and then it moved to the parking lot at Hy-Vee. Klautzer said they have seen more than 100 couples come each year, and last year, about 165 couples came to the event, which is typically for one weekend day closest to Valentine’s Day.

With the free Valentine’s Day amenities paired with the popular event, its success has grown beyond the boundaries of the Lake, both in business and guests. Klautzer previously stated other radio stations beyond the immediate area have borrowed the idea and guests have traveled from all part of Missouri to attend.

“We have had all kinds of interesting, heart-warming and sad stories from this event each year,” he said. “A couple of years ago, one woman brought her husband, who was very ill, right from the hospital to renew their wedding vows. She kneeled right down in front of him during the ceremony. That was heartwrenching, but very touching.”

Klautzer has also seen some interesting characters attend the annual event, with some coming in limos and others dressing up in celebrity characters such as Madonna and Elvis Presley.

“We have seen some crazy things happen during the event, too,” he added with a laugh. “Others bring their kids and have them join in the experience; it truly is a beautiful thing and everybody has a great time.”

Bridal Cave is located at Thunder Mountain Park, two miles north of Camdenton on Bus. Highway 5 down Lake Road 5-88 (follow the signs).

For more information, call KRMS Radio at 573-348-2772 or Bridal Cave at 573-346-2676, or visit www.krmsradio.com or www.bridalcave.com.

Dances, dinners and more

Various community centers and organizations will host special dances, dinners and events centering around Valentine’s Day, as well.

The Eldon VFW invites the public to join the organization for a Valentine’s Day Dance Saturday, Feb. 11 at the VFW Hall in Eldon.

Dinner will be served from 5-7 p.m. for $7 per person. The meal includes meatloaf and/or chicken and noodles with all the trimmings including desserts and drinks.

Guests can also dance and listen to the music of the Osage Drifters, which starts at 7:30 p.m. For those wanting to just attend the dance, admission is $5 per person.

A cash bar will also be available. Doors and lounge will open at 1 p.m.

The VFW Post 2442 is located at 50 VFW Rd. in Eldon.

For more information, call the VFW at 573-392-4770.

The Senior Activity Center at the Lake, formerly known as the Golden Age Center, in Osage Beach will hold a Sweethearts Dance from 7-10 p.m. Saturday, Feb. 18. Jackie Newton hosts a “Dancing with the Stars” exhibition, along with refreshments and plenty of dancing available for guests.

Admission is $10 per person, and free set-ups are available.

For more information, call 573-348-9000 or visit www.2gac.org.

The Lake of the Ozarks Swing Dance Club will hold a “Sweetheart Dance” on Saturday, Feb. 18 in the Mediterranean B room at Country Club Hotel and Spa in Lake Ozark.

Lessons are offered from 7-8 p.m., with dancing to follow until 11 p.m. Two levels of classes will be offered.

Admission is $10 per person.

For more information, call Rosina at 636-456-7315 or visit www.lakeozarksswingdance.com.

Mix business with pleasure on Valentine’s Day, Feb. 14, at two different chamber socials.

Scheduled at 5 p.m. Feb. 14, the Lake West Chamber of Commerce invites members and the community to enjoy a special networking after-hours social. Guests will enjoy hors d’oeuvre’s sponsored by Osage River Bar and Grill, the host sponsor and location for the upcoming event. In addition, guests can enjoy a cash bar, and Valentine’s Day with a holiday specials like prime rib or pasta.

For more information, call 573-374-5500.

The day following Valentine’s Day is another opportunity for members and guest of the Lake Area Chamber of Commerce to celebrate the day of love at its monthly after-hours social from 5-7 p.m. Feb. 15 at The Hideout Bar and Grill, which is located at the Osage Beach Premium Outlets in Osage Beach.

Since February is known as the month of Sweethearts and Sweet Treats, the Lake Area Chamber of Commerce will celebrate this sweet month with the Social at the Hideout Bar and Grill in the (formerly Stockton’s).

Special value this year, all Chamber socials are free to attend.

The Hideout Bar & Grill is conveniently located in the Osage Beach Premium Outlets For more information, call the Lake Area Chamber of Commerce at 573-964-1008.

For additional Valentine’s Day events, check our calendar on www.thelaketoday.com, or visit www.funlake.com.

Valentine’s Day fun facts

Whether it’s for fun with the family or to share with your loved one, Valentine’s Day is a great way to show anyone you care for how much you love them.

However, did you know Valentine’s Day is celebrated beyond America’s borders? Or that it ranks high in the greeting cards given?

Well if you did, you may also find these other facts just as interesting. The following are some of these highlights, courtesy of the History Channel and StValentinesDay.org.

• About 1 billion Valentine’s Day cards are exchanged in the U.S. each year, making it the largest seasonal card-sending event only second to Christmas.

• Eighty-five percent of women purchase valentines.

• Parents receive one out of every five valentines.

• Around the globe, more than 50 million roses are given for Valentine’s Day each year.

• Seventy-three percent of people who buy flowers for Valentine’s Day are men, and only 27 percent women purchase them for their loved ones.

• Richard Cadbury invented the first Valentine’s Day candy box in the late 1800s.

• The oldest surviving love poem to date was written in a clay tablet from times the Sumerians, inventors of writing, around 3500 B.C.

• In Medieval times, girls ate unusual foods on St. Valentine’s Day to make them dream of their future husband.

• Amongst the earliest Valentine's Day gifts were candies. The most common were chocolates in heart shaped boxes.

• Alexander Graham Bell applied for his patent on the telephone, an "Improvement in Telegraphy", on Valentine's Day, 1876.

The Italian city of Verona, where Shakespeare's lovers Romeo and Juliet lived, receives about 1,000 letters addressed to Juliet every Valentine's Day.

• In addition to the U.S., Valentine’s Day is celebrated in Canada, Mexico, the United Kingdom, France, Australia, Denmark, Italy and Japan.