Lake Race Street Party Open Alcohol Permit Approved; Will Shootout Be Next?

LAKE OZARK, Mo. — On May 26, the Lake Ozark Board of Aldermen took an unprecedented step in the city when it approved a special permit for open alcohol consumption for the Lake Race Street Party, scheduled for 6 p.m. on Friday, June 5.

The board’s approval came with specific parameters:

•A designated, fenced area in front of three bars along the Strip — Lucky’s, Lake Rat, and Beaver’s At The Dam — will be the only place open alcohol consumption will be allowed.
•Individuals wishing to consume alcohol in that area will have to purchase a wristband and use specific cups
•The permit is only for Friday evening during the Street Party

The three bars involved will provide several individuals for security, but Lake Ozark Police Chief Gary Launderville said, “We really don’t think there will be an issue.”

The chief punned, “This is kind of the maiden voyage,” saying the city would be using this instance as a test for future events when a permit might be requested.

City Administrator Dave Van Dee echoed that. “This will be a good test,” he said, adding “The board honored the commitment they made in 2013 that they’d give it a try.”

What Do You Think?
Should open alcohol consumption be allowed on the Strip at events like the Lake Race and Shootout Street Parties?
Yes, with no restrictions 59%
Yes, with some restrictions 27%
No, it should be prohibited 14%

Two years ago, the city’s policy prohibiting open alcohol consumption led to the move of the Shootout Street Party from the Strip to the Laurie Fairgrounds. The board had said then that if all bars in the requested open-alcohol area agreed to a set of conditions and paid a fee, the permit would be granted. An agreement could not be reached in 2013, and the party that had packed the Strip with race fans was abruptly moved to the Westside. But this year, the Shootout committee decided to bring the Street Party back to the Strip — before any guarantee from the city that open alcohol consumption would be allowed at the event.

Launderville said the Shootout party could pose a unique challenge because of its scope—he cast doubt on the feasibility of an open alcohol permit stretching along a much larger portion of the Strip.

“You get so many people within that enclosed area; the bigger that area is, the more space you gotta take care of,” he said.

The Shootout committee has not yet submitted a permit application for the Street Party, scheduled for Aug. 26, so the specifics of any potential open alcohol request are left to speculation.

But Van Dee said the decision about booze at the Shootout Street Party will likely be affected by how the Lake Race party goes.

“If it does work, that might open some doors,” he said. But he added, “If there’s a problem, that might close doors.”

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