Finger lickin' fun at the Dixie Stampede in Branson

BRANSON, Mo.

They chase chickens, race pigs and ostriches and expect you to eat with your hands at the Dixie Stampede. Those are some of the reasons the Branson attraction sells out most shows during the summer tourist season.

The Dixie Stampede Dinner & Show is a bit like watching a Civil War movie, except this war is friendly, live and catered.

Seated in tiers around a U-shaped 35,000-square-foot indoor arena, 1,000 people watch a competition between riders representing the North and South. The dashing competitors, drive buckboards, race steeds and perform dazzling trick riding in a playful quest to settle the Civil War again. Goaded on by singing emcee Col. Brian Davis, the audience -- divided between North and South themselves -- cheers and claps. Some boo.

In the midst of the show, speedy blue- and gray-costumed servers start all 1,000 diners with a biscuit and creamy vegetable soup, progress to a whole chicken that is thankfully modest in size, a slice of pork loin, corn on the cob, potatoes and an apple turnover.

The Dixie Stampede prides itself on requiring everyone to eat without the aid of silverware. Unknown is whether this lack of knives, forks and spoons is due to the popularity of the hands-on eating experience offered by Renaissance fairs, whether silverware had to be melted down during the Civil War or whether noe one wanted to wash 1,000 sets of silverware two shows a day.

Filled with drama

The show is filled with drama. At the start, beautiful unsaddled horses gallop alone into a darkened arena shrouded in mist, soon followed by horseback riders in Native American regalia. An artfully designed set that looks like an antebellum plantation house appears at one end. Later on, a huge gazebo bearing maidens in fine dresses lowers from the ceiling to the floor of the arena, where they dance with their beaus. As the arena darkens, the dresses shimmer with lights.

Before it's over there will be trick riding through fire, songs, fireworks, lots of American flags, and many of horses -- 32 in all.

This year's production is augmented by a $500,000 sound and light system.

The Dixie Stampede Dinner & Show is the brainchild of singer Dolly Parton, who says her family meals as a child were often preceded by friendly competitions. She and water-ski show producer Fred Hardwick hit on the idea of a stage show with live animals.

The first Dixie Stampede opened in Pigeon Forge, Tenn., in 1988. Locations were added in Myrtle Beach, S.C., and Branson.

Admission is $39 for adults and $21.50 for children ages 4-11. The price includes pre-show entertainment in the Carriage Room. Currently appearing are Jessie and James, a husband and wife team who juggle pins and ride unicycles with great skill and humor.

For information, phone (417) 336-3000. Reservations are available by phoning (800) 520-5544 or visiting the Web site at <A HREF="http://dixiestampede.com">dixiestampede.com

IF YOU GO

Other top Branson attractions:

* The Branson Scenic Railway, offering a 40-minute excursion through the Ozarks foothills. The train cars are from the stainless steel fleet that rode the rails in the 1940s and 1950s. The galley car is nifty, with small stainless steel refrigerated units holding juices and chilled foods. Phone (800) 2-TRAIN-2 for information.

* Silver Dollar City, where you can watch amazing crafts demonstrations while upside down on the new Wildfire rollercoaster.

* The Showboat Branson Belle, which takes riders on a cruise on Table Rock Lake while they are served a prime rib dinner and are entertained by fine singers and dancers. Phone (800) 775-BOAT.

sblackwell@semissourian.com

335-6611, extension 182