BAGNELL DAM -- Celebration Cruises of Lake of the Ozarks has doubled its fleet. Celebration II is now on the Lake, docked at the Bagnell Dam in Lake Ozark. The original Celebration continues to sail from Osage Beach near the Grand Glaize Bridge.

Asked why Celebration Cruises would invest so much in a second yachting opportunity at Bagnell Dam, Celebration Cruises Manager David Shipp said, “To bring cruising back to the Dam.” Many people have “cherished memories” of sailing from the dam area, he said. Celebration Cruises wants to play its part in creating more memories and revitalizing the Strip.

Fans of Celebration Cruises  anticipated the new ship’s launch for Lake Race weekend while following Captain Steve Bealler’s Facebook stream. He joined a crew in Chicago to bring the 80-foot Skipper Liner down the Mississippi to the Missouri. In Jefferson City, the ship was pulled from the river and trucked down Highway 54 to Bagnell Dam.

On race day, June 4, Celebration II was on the Lake and in use for race fans. Just like the original Celebration, the new ship is rated for 149 passengers.

Celebrations Cruises’ crew is “excited” about the expansion. Just one of several changes for visitors to the Bagnell Dam Strip, Celebration II represents a significant investment in family friendly entertainment.

MORE INVESTMENTS ON THE STRIP

Other investments include more parking spaces. According to Lake Ozark City Administrator Dave Van Dee, there are now 356 spaces available with 20-25 to be added this season when the old police department building behind Tucker’s Shuckers and Wild Bacon is demolished. These businesses and others have also added more prominent signs to direct first-time guests to off-Strip parking.

The Lake Ozark Parking Improvement Group (LOPIG) has worked with Lake Ozark’s city staff to bring about these changes. Businessman Mike Page says a “long-term solution would probably be a multi-level parking structure.” He adds LOPIG “really appreciates the way the city officials and staff have worked closely with the group to examine and address the parking issue.  They recognize, as does the group, that adequate parking is essential to the success of the many small businesses that make up the Strip community.”

Many of LOPIG’s members are also members of the Lake Ozark Betterment Committee of the Bagnell Dam Strip Association (BDSA), a committee that continues “to promote historical, cultural, educational and economic opportunities for … visitors and citizens,” Page said. He recognizes that a LOPIG-BSDA “joint effort would allow [both] to redouble … efforts as … advocate[s] for business promotion and development.”

The City is currently collaborating on plans for Lake Ozark’s 50th anniversary. The City will purchase a time capsule and provide the land to bury it. Loretta Srch, named Bagnell Dam’s Artist-in-Residence, will be researching and writing about the Strip’s past and present. One section of her work will certainly include Celebration Cruises’ new entry at Bagnell Dam.

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