Grand Lake Information

Special Events

Pelican Festival

The Pelican Festive is the biggest bash on the lake. It’s a wondrous sight as the majestic American White pelicans fly in to rest on the water and shoreline during their fall migration, from September through November. The annual festival, held in mid-October, celebrates the return of the pelicans with a parade to start things off. There are carnival rides and games of skill, a variety of food vendors, arts and crafts and the “must do” pelican-watching tours aboard pontoon boats.

Sign up ahead of time if you want to test your ability to eat the most hot dogs or bake the best apple dessert.

Most activities are held in Wolf Creek Park in Grove, OK.

Halloween

The “Annual Historical Haunted Halloween” at Har-Ber Village Museum in Grove has something for all ages. Everyone is invited to don a costume and join the parade down Main Street. Afterward, at designated spots on Front Street, there will be games, magicians, witches and spooky stories. The Pumpkin Carving Contest has categories for both adults and children.

Christmas

There are several festive events during the Christmas season. Among them are:

• The Grove Christmas Parade, one of the largest in the area with more than 75 lighted floats and bands.

• The Christmas Lights Boat Parade that starts at the Cherokee Yacht Club on Duck Creek. Beautifully decorated boats make their way through Duck Creek to the Pensacola Dam and back along the shore of the southern part of Grand Lake. A reservation-only dinner for the crews follows the parade.

• Twin Bridges Park of Lights, a wonderland of more than 40 displays of Christmas lights. From Thanksgiving night to the end of December, drive though the park after the sun sets. There will be carolers along the way, and you may just run into Santa Claus.

Fourth of July

There are firework displays all around the lake for the Independence Day weekend. You could probably see one a day for four days!

• Disney, between the spillways just east of Disney
• Horse Creek near Bernice with live music
• Monkey Island
• Grove at Wolf Creek
• Miami
• Duck Creek accompanied by an arrangement of patriotic music and preceded by an air show of US Air Force F-16s and the World War II War Birds

Nearby Attractions

Pensacola Dam Tour

From Memorial Day weekend through Labor Day, visitors receive free tours of the dam beginning at the Grand River Dam Authority Ecosystems and Education Center in Langley, OK. The tour provides an in-depth view of Oklahoma’s first hydroelectric facility, as well as how the dam has contributed to the economic development and environmental stewardship of Oklahoma. Also included are an overview of the lake and its recreational opportunities

The tour lasts about an hour, much of that time is spent walking, including up and down several flights of stairs.

Cherokee Queen River Boat Ride

The Cherokee Queen I is twin-decked and 67 feet long. It’s been a popular attraction on the lake since 1945. The Cherokee Queen II has three decks and is 108 feet long. Both are air-conditioned and heated for comfort regardless of the weather. The cruise captures the romance and mystique of the old Mississippi riverboats as you glide past beautiful homes along Grand Lake, Monkey Island, Shangri-La Resort, Har-Ber Village and the lakeside scenery that delights in all seasons. There are daily sightseeing cruises during the summer, as well as private charters and dinner and dance cruises. Board in Grove, OK, on Highway 59.

Lendonwood Gardens

In Grove, OK, stroll among eight acres of shaded pathways and more than 1,200 different species of plants. Lendonwood features seven distinct gardens, each with a theme and décor all its own, including a Japanese Pavilion Garden with Koi Pond, English Terrace Garden with an emphasis on rhododendrons, and the American Backyard Garden, where plants thrive without much water.

Guided tours are available when reserved ahead of time. Much of the garden is ADA-accessible. Free golf-cart transportation and driver are available when reserved.

Har-ber Village

Also in Grove, along the shore of Grand Lake, is this 1800’s village and antique museum. Some of the buildings (e.g., schoolhouse, jail and 16 log cabins) were relocated from their original sites. Other structures were built to represent the common style from the mid-to-late 1800s (e.g., bank, stagecoach inn and print shop). Self-guided tours allow visitors to experience the history and artifacts of the area at their own pace. The museum has displays of antiques and collectibles that represent Oklahoma, Arkansas, Missouri and Kansas from the mid-1800s to the early 1900s.

Royal Horse Ranch

On Monkey Island, the ranch provides guided horseback riding for both novices and experts through more than 100 acres of sunny pastures and shady woods along the lake. Also, hour-long hay rides are available—a really fun activity for a family.

Grand Lake Fiddle Fest

The Fiddle Fest is held in downtown Grove at the Civic Center in June each year. It not only is certified by the National Oldtime Fiddlers’ Contest (NOTFC), but is one of the top Fiddle Fest contests in the country. Grand prize is $1,000 with more than 80 other cash prizes in a variety of categories. In addition to to the contests, there are workshops in fiddle, flat-picking, mandolin, dobro and banjo.

Golf Courses

Grand Cherokee in Disney
Coves in Afton
Patricia Island Golf in Grove
Cherokee Grove in Grove
Shangri-La on Monkey Island
Peoria Ridge Golf in Miami
Pryor Creek in Pryor

Casinos

Grand Lake Casino, Grove
Cherokee Casino, Grove
River Bend Casino, Wyandotte
Lucky Turtle Casino, Wyandotte
Indigo Sky Casino, Wyandotte
Bordertown Casino, Wyandotte
Outpost Casino, Wyandotte
High Winds Casino, Miami
Buffalo Run Casino, Miami