Comings and Goings

Parks Notes: Guarini and GPS

Summer is cranking up, which can only mean it’s time to see an uptick e-mails from Springfield–Greene County Parks PR guru Bob Nelson. Two things jumped out at us from a recent e-mail:

• The Ozark Greenways Adventure Race is Saturday, May 31. If athletic events were planets, adventure racing would be freaking Jupiter right now—everyone and their brother seems to be taking part in the excruciatingly physical events. Registration ends May 26 ($130 per person) and you have to sign a waiver, so we suggest signing up at ozarkgreenways.org today. The coolest new feature is that friends and family (and participants with iPhones, we guess) can follow race results in real time via text message or e-mail. The event begins in Lebanon—see ozarkgreenways.com for more.

• SnowFest is typically an event for families, where the kiddies can slide down piles of artificial snow at Jordan Valley Park (or is it Mediacom Valley Park... hmm?), dads can look at military equipment, etc. For this year’s event (June 21, 4 to 9 p.m.), however, the Parks Department is upping the pop culture factor—even if it’s a slightly outdated pop culture factor—by bringing in American Idol season one runner up Justin Guarini to perform. Guarini, star of From Justin To Kelly, takes the stage at 7 p.m.

Get a Piece of Pitt, Help a Good Cause

One of the most intriguing silent auctions of the spring is happening May 31, but it’s not at a swanky charity gala or a major foundation’s fundraiser. It’s happening at Central High School’s auditorium on May 31, where students, teachers and others from the community are throwing Help For Haley. Proceeds will benefit the family of Haley Stevens, a 16-year-old Central student diagnosed this spring with ALS (Lou Gehrig’s disease); hers is one of the youngest cases of full-blown ALS on record, and the family needs to make improvements to their home in order to accommodate Haley’s medical equipment (she’s almost entirely unable to move), and has also lost significant income due to missing work.

In a fit of generosity, the local theatre community has wrangled up some stellar live auction items, including a “personal item” belonging to Brad Pitt (we hear it might be a pageboy hat, but there’s no confirmation), a signed photo of Lucas Grabeel, and other great stuff. There will also be music, stage productions and other entertainment. Cost is $10 for adults, $7 for students.

We’re Down With the Landing

Over the last couple of summers, Branson Landing has become one of the hippest party pads in the Ozarks. Concerts near the fountains and fire-pipes—which one music scenester tells us cost the place $700 every time they blow—are quite a sight, and there are patios with drinky-poos right nearby.
This year Branson Landing is taking it even farther. June 13 (Father’s Day weekend) will feature a concert by Starship (the band that sang “We Built This City”) to celebrate Branson Landing’s second birthday. Before that, Big Smith will play on Friday, May 23. The best part—concerts are free. Go to bransonlanding.com for the schedule.

But the fun doesn’t stop there, good gracious no. This summer also features movies on Branson Landing. The series of G and PG-rated films actually includes some good flicks, including The Goonies (May 26), Shrek (June 16) and Field of Dreams (August 4). July will feature entirely Christmas movies, including A Christmas Story and Elf. See bransonlanding.com, or read this story at springfieldgo.com, for a full list.

GOnSave.com: It’s Alive!

Our new coupon site, GOnSave.com, is up and kicking at GOnSave.com. There are all kinds of great deals to be had—just click on your coupon of choice, print, and share with your friends. We want to know where you’re using them, so send us your feedback on GOnSave.com’s deals, as well as how the site could be made easier for you, by e-mailing editor@springfieldgo.com.