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Wednesday, July 8, 1992
UNIVERSITY DAILY KANSAN
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Country music fans journey to growing haven of Branson
By Julie Wasson
Kansan staff writer
About 200 miles southeast of Lawrence, nestled in the Ozark Mountains in the southwest corner of Missouri, sits a town called Branson. Many argue that it may soon surpass Nashville as the country music capital of the United States.
This town of about 3,700 attracted 4.3 million visitors last year, and those visitors spent an estimated $625 million between May and October. Dawn Erickson, communications director at the Branson Chamber of Commerce, said those numbers were expected to rise this year.
What attracts these visitors, many of whom hail from the Midwest, are the 24 country music theaters located on the five-mile strip of Highway 76, that runs through the heart of Branson and looks more like Las Vegas than a small midwestern town.
Many of these theaters are owned by country music singers such as Mickey Gilley, Loretta Lynn, Conway Twitty and Andy Williams, who perform in Branson during the summer season.
Some theaters, like Presley's Mountain Music Jubilee, are locally owned and feature local musicians. And violinist Shoji Tabuchi strays from country music, offering a variety show at his theater.
A new 4,000-seat theater called the Grand Palace, which opened in May, is attracting big names to Branson this summer. Ricky McBrae McEntire, Ricky Van Shelton, Patti Loveless and Sawyer Brown are among the performers scheduled. Tickets at most shows average $10-15.
But, country music is not the only reason visitors might travel to Branson. The town also is home to attractions such as Silver Dollar City, Table Rock Lake, White Water and The Shepherd of the Hills, an outdoor amphitheater that each night acts out events from the book of the same name.
Rex Asselman, real estate broker with People's Realty Inc. and member of the Branson Chamber of Commerce board of directors, said that Branson had experienced a major development during the past three years.
stop," Asselin said. "We're a one-day drive from one third of the country. It's not expensive to get here and it's not expensive to stay here. We experienced growth last summer, even though there was a recession, and that growth is continuing."
According to reports by Ozark Market Council, a non-profit group that does collective advertising for the Branson area, the number of visitors to Branson in April of this year was up 116 percent from April of 1991. The number of visitors this May was up 50 percent from May of 1991. June figures have not yet been compiled.
"I don't think the growth's going to
Visitors to Branson can expect hotel prices ranging from $40 at average hotels to upwards of $100 at more upscale lodges. A wide selection of campuses in and around Branson offer a low-cost alternative to hotels. Reservations are a must during the summer, Branson's most popular season.
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"Branson's a family-oriented place," Asselin said. "We have something for everyone. We're just down here having fun."
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