Ride to These 8 Fun Upcoming Events in Benton County, MO
The Ozarks are a gorgeous destination for fall rides, with tree-covered mountains, riversides, and twisty roads letting you roll through blazing fall foliage. But as beautiful as autumn leaves are, good company and fun activities only enhance the experience.
The cities of Benton County, MO—including Warsaw, Cole Camp, and Lincoln—make for an excellent home base for your fall motorcycle tour. Steeped in the region’s German heritage and vast lakes, streams and gorgeous landscape, they organize a slew of fun annual fall events.
Benton County has two of Missouri’s largest lakes—Truman Lake and the Osage Arm of Lake of the Ozarks—which make for fabulous fall rides.
Not only that, Benton County is a wonderful springboard to the roads of the Ozarks, like SR 19 through the Mark Twain National Forest or the Pig Trail. You can find other exciting routes nearby us well, from the SR 100 along the Missouri River to the historical sites south of Kansas City.
When you’re off the saddle, though, make sure to participate in the region’s fall celebrations. Here are six Benton County events you shouldn’t miss.
Heritage Days
Motorcyclists who enjoy history (let’s face it, that’s most of us) are in for a double whammy of Benton County’s past at the Warsaw and Kaysinger Heritage Days. Organized close to each other on October 19-20, you can easily hit both events and not miss a thing.
The Warsaw Heritage Days brings more than 200 vendors to the city, selling local handcrafts and artwork. Of course, you’ll also find food trucks selling bratwursts, alongside live music.
Meanwhile, the Kaysinger Heritage Days at the Kaysinger Bluff Pioneer Village at the Harry S. Truman Visitor Center take you even further back in history. Watch public demonstrations of life back in Missouri’s pioneer days with old-time cabins filled with actors in 1800s period dress, working farm animals, blacksmiths and more. This is something you don’t wanna miss out on!
Cole Camp Pumpkin Fest
The Cole Camp Chamber of Commerce kicks off Benton County’s Halloween season with the Pumpkin Fest on October 26. This spooky soirée has enough events and activities to entertain riders of all ages.
Among the fun things to do, you’ll find a pumpkin carving contest, a scavenger hunt, and a haunted house. Sportier motorcyclists might also want to don a zombie costume and participate in the 5K Zombie Run & Walk (or shamble, if you really want to get in character).
Once your stomach starts rumbling, don’t go searching for the brains of the living. Instead, grab a corn dog or tacos from the food vendors.
Warsaw Halloween Hoopla
The Halloween festivities continue in Warsaw on October 31. On the day, most of downtown Warsaw transforms into a spooky trick-or-treating wonderland.
Participating local businesses will set up downtown and line the streets with booths and trick-or-treat opportunities for younger visitors. Other activities include a costume contest, food vendors, and more.
Lincoln Frightfully Fun Family Night
Lincoln also gets in on the Halloween excitement on October 31 with the Frightfully Fun Family Night. As the name implies, this event is more family-oriented, but it’s worth visiting even for grown-up solo motorcyclists.
The celebrations take place in Lincoln City Park. You can expect various Halloween-y activities, in addition to a trunk-and-treat circle for smaller participants.
Benton County Boutique Crawl
It might be getting toward the end of the year, but the late fall events aren’t over yet. The Benton County Boutique Crawl takes place on November 15-16 across Warsaw, Cole Camp, and Lincoln.
During the event, local small businesses offer various deals and specials on home decor, new clothing, and more. Get your Boutique Crawl Passport stamped at each participating store and you’ll have a chance to win various exciting prices.
This is an excellent opportunity to support small local businesses while also grabbing a unique conversation starter for your living room or unique Christmas gift.
Lighting of Warsaw
The fall season wraps up and Yuletide begins in Benton County with the Lighting of Warsaw on November 22. On this day, the Christmas lights are turned on in Warsaw to mark the beginning of the holiday season.
The event takes place in Warsaw’s pretty Drake Harbor Recreation Area. In addition to the light show, you can find local vendors in attendance.
The event takes place around the historic Warsaw community building and Drake Harbor and includes over 141 light displays, a full lit tree, and 32 acres of lights you can visit from November 22nd through New Year's Day.
Kaysinger Pioneer Christmas
On December 6th & 7th, Kaysinger Pioneer Village (located at the Harry S Truman Visitor Center) is transformed into a magical Christmas Wonderland. Stroll down candle lit paths, visit the buildings decorated in 1800's Christmas fashion, and take in the crafters and carolers. Stop by the Hanson Homestead and warm yourself by the fire and have a cookie. Rumor has it that Santa will be visiting the village.
Warsaw Hallmark Christmas
If your fall tour ran a bit late and you happen to be braving winter-y Missouri roads, make sure to drop by for Warsaw Hallmark Christmas. Early riders can catch Santa himself for a warm breakfast to start the day along with ornament crafts for the kids.
There are many other things to do as well, from a downtown open house to a live nativity scene and a Christmas parade. You’ll also have a chance to swap your motorcycle’s horsepower for real horses on a lovely carriage ride.
