This Weekend at Grand Lake: Dec 11, 2025

Gooood Morning!

How about that daybreak this morning? There was definitely a glow!

And that glow will continue all over the lake all weekend long with all of the Christmas parades on tap.

South Grand got the parade season started last Saturday with the parade across the dam, and then Ketchum will keep it rolling with their annual parade Friday night.

And then Saturday, it’s Grove’s annual lighted parade, and a couple of lighted boat parades, the annual Cherokee Yacht Club parade doing a lap in Duck Creek, and this year the Grand Lake Sailing Club gets into the act with a lighted sailboat parade in Honey Creek.

Good times for all. (And bundle up for those Saturday night parades)

Anyhoo, I’m giving away all the sauce… You need to keep reading to find out everything you need to know for this weekend at Grand Lake!

This Weekend at Grand Lake

Lake Level - The lake level as of 8 am is 742.3’ with no generation happening. Lake temps are in the low to mid 50s.

Parades - I teased all of the parades up top, but here is the schedule for this weekend around the lake:

• Ketchum Christmas Parade - Friday at 6:30 pm, right down Highway 85 in Ketchum. The parade starts at Jones Hardware and ends at Ketchum High School, with a party and awards celebration.

• Duck Creek Boat Parade - The fun starts at 3 pm on Saturday with the Dock Party on the Cherokee Yacht Club courtesy docks. This is open to all and everyone is invited to come check out the decorations and work that went into making these 27 boats shine bright. The parade itself starts at 5:30 and heads north towards Harbors View Marina, and then loops back around towards the mouth of Duck Creek, doing a lap in Duck Creek before ending back at CYC.

• Lighted Sailboat Parade - The Grand Lake Sailing Club is hosting its 1st annual lighted boat parade on Saturday at 5:30 pm. The parade route will take it from the club marina in Dillar Cove, into Honey Creek to Honey Creek Bridge, where the boats will perform a ‘dazzling wagon wheel’ formation, then back out of Honey Creek and toward Courthouse Hollow.

• Grove Christmas Parade - Saturday at 6 pm, everyone is invited to line the streets of Downtown Grove for this annual night of sparkling floats and festive holiday cheer.

Grand Christmas Village - Continues every Friday–Sunday through January 4. Enjoy ice skating for just $5, a giant snow mountain slide, an inflatable snow globe, the snowball range, and plenty of merry, Hallmark-style holiday fun. Access to all inflatables is only $10, and YMCA members skate free.

Santa’s Ozark Mountain Village - It’s Friday night only this week for Santa’s Ozark Mountain Village at Har-Ber Village in Grove. Because, you know, parades and such on Saturday night. So, get your tickets HERE to step into the spirit of an Ozark Christmas!

Holiday Breakfast & Dessert Auction - One of Grove’s favorite holiday traditions returns! Enjoy a delicious country-style breakfast from 9 AM–12 PM, then dive into the fun of the live dessert auction at 10 am featuring treats from local bakers and restaurants. Browse the festive Christmas Bazaar, support Second Chance Pet Rescue, and kick off your Saturday with great food, great fun, and great community spirit. Tickets are $10 (kids under 6 are $5) and available at the door.

Grand Lake Merry Market - After breakfast and getting your desserts at the auction, head to the Grove Community Center and keep on shopping at the Grand Lake Merry Market. Pick up those last-minute gifts and stocking stuffers! Doors open at 1, but Santa will be on site from 2-4 pm for pictures ($5), and doors will stay open all evening until the end of the parade.

Celebrate The Season - Head to the Shangri-La Hotel Lobby this Sunday from 2–5 PM for an afternoon of Christmas music and holiday cheer! Enjoy performances by The Grove High School Show Stoppers and The Ketchum High School Show Choir, who will sing individually and together for a spectacular combined showcase. Complimentary hors d’oeuvres and a hot chocolate bar will be served, with a dessert table prepared by Chef Julie and a cash bar available. Free and open to the public—don’t miss this festive holiday treat on Monkey Island!

Wreath Raffle Fundraiser - Time is running out to get your tickets for the Wreath Raffle Fundraiser, benefitting the Grove Integris Hospital Volunteers. Details HERE.

Christmas Light Tours - ‘Tis the season for Christmas Lights, and Grand Lake has a couple of can’t miss stops:

• Enjoy thousands of sparkling Christmas lights at Pine Lodge Resort’s free Winter Wonderland Light Tour, open nightly from 5–10 PM through January 1. Stroll the magical walk-through display, or enjoy a slow drive through the resort, drop a letter to Santa in the North Pole mailbox, and soak up the holiday spirit — open to both resort guests and the public!

• The Twin Bridges State Park annual drive-thru Park of Lights is all lit up and ongoing nightly through December 30th.

• Word on the street is that there are also beautiful displays at Shangri-La Resort and The Anchor on Monkey Island and at Grand Lake Cabins, at the back of Duck Creek near the Drunken Rooster.

• America’s Outdoor Adventure Park has a new drive-thru display that opens this Saturday night. But… it is $20/vehicle. Just a heads up on that.

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 December 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.

• Poppin on Grand is now open at their new location at 313 W. 3rd St in Grove.

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, Dec 12

• The Bison Duo at Mooney’s - 7 pm

• Scott Musick at Doc’s - 7 pm

• The Honky-Tonk Highway Band at Scissortail Marina - 7 pm

• Lil Red & Sidepiece at Juan Montez - 8 pm

• Barrett Lewis at Pickles - 8 pm

• Jesse Joice at Cherokee Casino Grove - 8 pm

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

• Honky Tonk Renovators at Grand Lake Casino - 9 pm

Saturday, Dec 13

• Jesse Dean Duo at Mooney’s - 7 pm

• Lil Red & Sidepiece at Pickles - 8 pm

• Quin Peterson & The NEO Time Band at Drunken Rooster (Cleora) - 8 pm

• Magen Faulconer at The Monkey Bar - 8 pm (?)

• Empire at Cherokee Casino Grove - 8 pm

• Zane Grimes Band at Grand Lake Casino - 9 pm

There is a Sunday Open Jam with Becky Sparkman at The Monkey Bar. 3 pm, I think.

Next Wednesday, Dec 17th, is a Gift-wrapping, pj-wearing, holiday party at Mooney’s with live tunes from Magen Faulconer beginning at 7 pm. Come on!

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