The Lake of the Ozarks Air Show will return to Camdenton in 2020, with aircraft spanning the decades and a unique focus on Vietnam War veterans. The 2020 Lake Air Show is set for Sept. 12, 2020, at the Camdenton Memorial-Lake Regional Airport.
Formerly an annual event, the Lake Air Show is now put on every other year, organized primarily by the Camdenton Chamber of Commerce, in cooperation with the City of Camdenton, Camdenton Memorial-Lake Regional Airport, and the Lake Convention & Visitor Bureau. The 2018 event brought an estimated 5,000 people, and Camdenton Chamber Director Trish Creach says she thinks this year’s show, with its special Vietnam Veteran focus, will bring even more.
A couple of reminders if you're planning to attend:
No outside coolers, food, beverages are allowed
Blankets & lawn chairs are recommended
Saturday will feature the main air show events (schedule below), with the following planes either performing or on display:
KC Flight Formation Team
Brian Correll -- aerobatics in a Pitts S2S -- Correll performs at the annual Lake of the Ozarks Shootout
Lee Crouch -- performing in a 1940s Super Stearman biplane
Jeff Shetterly -- performing in a SNJ-6 Radial Rumble
Bob Richards -- performing low-level aerobatics in a Pitts S1C biplane
Kenny Carroll -- stock car, racing airplanes
On display: “Show Me”, a B-25J Mitchell World War II Bomber
The Lake Air Show will also feature the popular Ping Pong Ball Drop, in which hundreds of ping pong balls are dropped out of an airplane, scattering over the airfield. Kids run to retrieve the ping pong balls and return them for prizes. A few of the specially marked ping pong balls are marked for large prizes such as Big Surf Waterpark tickets.
Lake Air Show Schedule
Thursday, Sept. 10
6 p.m. -- Opening Ceremony
6 p.m. – 9 p.m. -- The Vietnam Traveling Memorial Wall
Friday, Sept. 11
9 a.m. – 9 p.m. -- The Vietnam Traveling Memorial Wall
Sat, Sept. 12
9 a.m. – 9 p.m. -- The Vietnam Traveling Memorial Wall
8 a.m. – 4 p.m. -- Vendor Static display
7:30 a.m. – 10 a.m. -- Veterans breakfast
10:30 a.m. -- Opening ceremony
11 a.m. – 3:30 p.m. -- Airshow acts
Sunday Sept 13
9 a.m. – 6 p.m. -- The Vietnam Traveling Memorial Wall
9 a.m. – 11 a.m. -- Run for the Fallen
For more information, visit lakeoftheozarksairshow.com
PHOTOS: High-Flying Extravaganza! The 2018 Lake Of The Ozarks Air Show
Crowds came out for a weekend of fun at the Lake of the Ozarks Air Show, held at the Camdenton Memorial-Lake Regional Airport on Sept. 22, 2018.
photos by Lake Shots Photography -- all photos copyright protected, for high-res images please email photo ID to lakeexpo@yahoo.com
The Vietnam Veteran focus will bring several new things to the show:
1. The Vietnam Traveling Memorial Wall
The wall will come to the Camdenton Airport, where the show will be held, the week of the show, and will remain throughout the weekend. The traveling memorial wall is a 3/5-scale version of the Vietnam Memorial in Washington, D.C. It stands six feet tall at the center, and stretches nearly 300 feet from end to end. For more information, visit www.travelingwall.us
2. A Special Vietnam Veteran Pinning Ceremony
Under President Obama, Congress authorized The United States of America Vietnam War Commemoration, a 50th-anniversary commemoration with the primary stated purpose of thanking and honoring U.S. Vietnam veterans. The program is established under the Department of Defense, and it works with regional partners to conduct special commemorative events, which include a pinning ceremony. For more information about the Commemorative Partner Program, visit www.vietnamwar50th.com/commemorative_partners/commemorative_partner_program
3. Vietnam-Era Aircraft
Creach said organizers are working on making sure Vietnam-era aircraft are among the variety of jets and planes on display at the event. Among them: the popular B-25 Mitchell bomber (a WWII-era plane) will return.
“We honor all of our military, but this being a new program with the Department of Defense, we wanted to take the opportunity to honor our veterans of Vietnam,” Creach explained. The event is being dubbed Operation Welcome Home 2020, and Creach said the Chamber will work with Lake-area veterans organizations and retirement communities to make sure the word gets out, so as many Vietnam vets as possible can participate.
For more information about the Lake of the Ozarks Air Show, visit www.lakeoftheozarksairshow.com. For questions or sponsorship opportunities, contact the Camdenton Chamber of Commerce at 573-346-2227.
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