Thanksgiving Weekend 2025 at Grand Lake

Gooood Morning!

Coming at you a day early this week and hopefully spreading a little Thanksgiving cheer your way - however you choose to celebrate the day.

Friends and family and food are always a good start. I hope that those are a part of your plans. And, hey, we’ve got the Cowboys playing the Chiefs. Awesome!

So, I’ve been doing this a LONG time now… I mean these emails. I think around 2017, maybe 2018, I started doing the weekly thing.

Time flies, huh?

I’m not going anywhere, but will be making some changes to the website over the next few weeks, and these emails might look a little different as we roll into 2026, but the mission will remain the same - keeping you informed the best I can on all things Grand Lake.

Anyway, this seems like a good time to say THANK YOU - whether you’ve been here for 2 weeks or since the beginning (and I know some of you have been around that long!).

You, readers of this newsletter and the website, are what make this possible. If nobody read it, I wouldn’t do it.

But I know you read it because you tell me you read it, and the regular messages I get saying Thank You for the time and effort I put into this mean a lot. It tells me you are out there, and that is good to know.

So, I say again, Thank YOU!

Now, go eat some turkey, and let’s get to it… Here is what you need to know for this Thanksgiving Weekend at Grand Lake!

This Weekend at Grand Lake

Lake Level - The lake level as of 8 am is 742.1’ with no generation happening. Lake temps are still mostly in the low 60s, sneaking into the 50s in spots.

Free Thanksgiving Dinner - There is a FREE Thanksgiving Dinner on Thanksgiving Day from 11 am to 1 pm at The South Grand Lake Christian Church, located just behind Beau’s on County Rd 350, just north of Langley. EVERYONE is invited!

More Community Dinners - Free Thanksgiving dinner is offered to those with no other plans at Speedy’s in Grove (11:00-3:00) and R-Bar Dance Hall in Grove (12:00-2:00 p.m.) as well as the Zena Community Center (12:00 p.m.).

Santa’s Ozark Mountain Village - Har-Ber Village transforms into a twinkling winter wonderland starting this weekend, with festive lights, decorated historic buildings, hot cocoa, live music, and visits with Santa himself on Friday and Saturday nights. It’s a magical holiday tradition right here in Grove, running select evenings through December — learn more and how to get your tickets HERE to step into the spirit of an Ozark Christmas!

Grand Lake Shop Crawl - Shop your way through South Grand Lake this Saturday and earn entries to win the $1,200+ Ultimate Grand Lake Prize Package filled with gift cards and goodies from dozens of local businesses. Just stop into participating shops for your free entry — and double your chances by posting a photo with #ShopGrandLake. A fun, festive way to support local and maybe win big! More info can be found HERE or on the Facebook Event page.

Native American Holiday Market - Stop by the Grove Community Center this Saturday from 10 am to 6 pm for the 2nd Annual Native American Holiday Market, a free, family-friendly celebration featuring handcrafted gifts from Indigenous artisans, festive surprises for kids, and the always-popular Indian Taco Sale. Enjoy a full day of shopping, culture, and holiday cheer — plus a special visit from Native Santa!

Juan Montez Update - The old restaurant building at Red Arrow Marina is gone (gasp!) — but a brand-new, bigger, better kitchen and restaurant is on the way for 2026. The Cantina is still open, and they’ve got a food truck onsite serving their classic family recipes during construction. A limited menu for now… but warm-weather grand openings are just around the corner! Stay up to date on the latest on their Facebook page.

Library - The November calendar at the always-busy Grove Public Library is HERE.

Support The Businesses That Make This Possible!

These emails aren’t possible without the ongoing support of many great Grand Lake area businesses. Please visit the website and support the businesses that you see featured. I appreciate all of you!

• Shops of Treasures is Northeast Oklahoma and Grand Lake’s guide to antique, thrift, and gift shops. Check it out!

• The Eagle’s Nest, a new open-to-the-public restaurant at Patricia Island in Grove, is now open.

• The Cove Club is not The Cove Club anymore, but it is still the same place. Because of, well, issues, they have changed the name to Robert’s Bar & Restaurant. But it is still the same great Cove Club menu.

And you can always find what you are looking for on the Grand Lake Living website:

• Lakefront Restaurants, and more, around Grand Lake

• Monkey Island truly is Grand Lake’s playground

• Don’t forget about the Gateway to Grand Lake: Grove!

• South Grand Lake seems to have a bunch of new businesses…

• Always on the lookout for reliable Grand Lake contractors

• Need a Vacation Rental at Grand Lake?

This Weekend’s Entertainment

FYI, if I don’t know about it, I can’t include it here, lol. So, if you know about it… LET ME KNOW! Just send an email with entertainment updates to [email protected]. Anyhoo… here is what I do know for this weekend’s entertainment at the lake:

Friday, Nov 28

• Clint & Frank at Mooney’s - 7 pm

• Gavin Tucker at Doc’s - 7 pm

• ?? at Scissortail Marina - 7 pm

• Ty Ellis & The Flatliners at Cherokee Casino Grove - 8 pm

• Whiskey Poet Society at Pickles - 8 pm

• JDR Band at R Bar Dance Hall and Saloon - 9 pm

• Bobby D at Grand Lake Casino - 9 pm

Saturday, Nov 29

• Bobby DeGonia at Mooney’s - 7 pm

• Donny Gaines at Scissortail Marina - 7 pm

• Jake Marlin at Pickles - 8 pm

• Encore at Cherokee Casino Grove - 8 pm

• William Tedford at The Monkey Bar - 9 pm

• The Chain Project at Grand Lake Casino - 9 pm

Sunday, Nov 30

• Zach Henry at Juan Montez Cantina - 4 pm

Trivia Tuesdays at The Anchor, Tuesday nights at 7 pm

Real Estate

You know… I just want to put this out there… this Real Estate section of these newsletters gets more clicks than any other part of the newsletter.

Every. Single. Week.

People want to know about real estate at Grand Lake, and this is your spot to let them know about your listings, and, by association, how hard you work for them.

So, hit me up at [email protected] and let’s get you signed up and share your listings with the Grand Lake world. Let’s give the readers what they want!

(FYI, a full 40+ % of people who open and read these emails every week said they do NOT get on Facebook. So there is that.)

Check out these currently featured listings at Grand Lake that proud supporters of the Grand Lake Living website and brand offer:

• You’ve got to check out this 20-acre, 948’ of shoreline property with a cabin AND a guest cottage. Ileta Bray has the details (918) 801-5912. View Here