Dixie Stampede 2005 - Part 2

Heath Hawkins

Dixie Stampede: More Fun Than A Family Can Stand - Part 2

The food was excellent with four courses served including a delicious southern dessert. It will not take you long to realize that your server is also part of the show. They flirt with the ladies, tease the kids and make sure the fellows don't miss out on some good old-fashioned razzing. One surprise that many guests, including my wife, do not realize on their first trip is that all the food is eaten with your “God given” utensils—your hands.

No silverware is allowed! All courses are eaten with your hands, even the soup. You'll have to figure that one out on your own.

The food starts being served almost the minute you sit down and it does not seem to stop until you leave. When the show is sold out, and it usually is, more than 1,100 juicy whole rotisserie chickens, 250 ponds of smoked pork loin and 100 gallons or tea and Pepsi are served. Yes, you get a whole rotisserie by yourself, plus BBQ pork, warm buttery corn on the cob, and a seasoned potato. All this after an appetizer of biscuits and soup and dinner is finished off with a warm, crispy apple turnover.

Skip lunch, because you will leave stuffed. The food is as much a part of the show as the entertainment. This also explains why I am missing some pictures from the middle segment of the show. I could not take them because I had my greasy hand wrapped round a chicken leg and a glass of ice tea.

There is plenty music and dancing, but I would not describe this show like that. It is more of an action and adventure extravaganza with tons of horses, pigs, ostriches, chickens and even buffalo. Oh, and I can’t forget my favorite part—the comedy is hilarious.

The show opens with a very moving tale of how our land was founded and closes with a touching reminder of why we are free. The spaces in the middle are filled with fun that will keep you looking for more.

As hard as it is for me to believe, I have actually heard of a few people who did not care for the Dixie Stampede. I have to wonder about those people. I imagine them as very, very old, very decrepit and absolutely no sense of adventure or fun. This is the type of show that you have to love.

I will admit that I am a tight wad. That is the one thing that makes it hard for me to vacation in Branson. Lets be honest, it is not a cheep trip. Price for tickets range from $25-$40 per adult ticket, depending on who you see. Honestly, an expensive ticket does not guarantee the best show.

Some of the best shows in town are also the cheapest. However, Dixie Stampede is one of the most expensive. An adult ticket is $41.29 and a child ticket is $23.29, but it is worth every cent. The prices mentioned are for the 2005 season.

This pre-pre-show, pre-show, and show at dinner at Dixie Stampede are the best value in town. It is worth every penny you invest. If you see 20 shows while in Branson, I promise this will be the first one you tell your friends about when you get home.

It has not happened to me yet, but you never know when the show creator Dolly Parton might just show up and sit right next to you!

The Dixie Stampede is performed every day during the busy summer and Christmas months. Shows start at 5:30 and 8:00 p.m. On selected dates there is even a 3:00 p.m. show. Don’t forget the horse stable tour and pre-show in the saloon. Plan to arrive an hour early. You can’t miss the beautiful theatre.

It looks like and enormous southern plantation home, and it is one of the first theatres you pass on Hwy 76 when you arrive in Branson. For more information visit www.dixiestampede.com or to reserve tickets call the theatre at (800) 520-5544.

If you also plan to visit Silver Dollar City and/or the Showboat Branson Bell while in Branson, let the ticket operator know. You can save about $5 per ticket when you order them at the same time. Tell them that Heath from the Branson Critic Online sent you.

EDITORS NOTE: You are encouraged to take pictures in almost every show in Branson, but not at Dixie Stampede. Photography is strictly forbidden, even without a flash. I guess it is because of the live animals. Even though I had a Press Pass and special permission to take pictures, several employees still questioned me. I tell you all this for a couple reasons. (1) There is no need to even take a camera in with you. (2) Because of the type of lighting and the size of the arena, pictures do not turn out well anyway. Some of the pictures in this review are actually promotional pictures the show sent me. The pictures provided by the Dixie Stampede are published with their permission.