The traditional Elks Club observance will be held on the eleventh hour of the eleventh day of the eleventh month at Memorial Park, highlighted by a wreath laying at the Veterans Memorial monument. A reception, with chili, is typically held afterwards at the Elks Club.
New this year will be a Military Service Patriotic Display at Southwest Missouri Bank’s new community building in Oronogo.
Historical prints, paintings, posters and magazine art celebrating military service and America’s war victories – The Great War, World War II and Korean War – will be displayed from 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m.
The event is sponsored by the Four States Chapter of MOAA and the Sgt. Ariel Nims Chapter of the Sons of the American Revolution.
At 3 p.m. this Sunday, Nov. 9, “A Salute to Veterans” concert by the 135th Army Band will be held at Joplin High School. Admission is free.
Veterans and first responders are invited to have brunch Sunday at Veterans Hall.
The American Legion and VFW posts will serve from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m.
They will team up again on Sunday, Nov. 23, to serve the annual Community Thanksgiving dinner.
Veterans Hall, which houses the headquarters for both posts, is at 900 N. Main St. Of course, it’s also the bingo hall.
Joplin’s MOmentum Bike Park, the largest municipal facility of its kind in Missouri, will open to the public on Monday, Nov. 24, 2025.
Everyone is invited to a ribbon cutting at 3:30 p.m. on Monday, Nov. 24 at the park. Come out (and bring your bike) to celebrate the opening, learn about the many unique elements within the park, and ride afterward.
MOmentum Bike Park is located within the Dover Outdoor Recreation Area, south of Zora Street, with access from Lone Elm Road.
“We are pumped to open this incredible and unique park to Joplin and our surrounding communities,” said Paul Bloomberg, director of parks and recreation. “People who may not have visited a bike park before will be amazed at the different features and trails that we’ve created. There’s something for the little ones all the way up to the skilled bikers.”
MOmentum features more than 132,000 square feet of formal bike park elements alongside 10 miles of purpose-built mountain bike trails. Located on a 95-acre site, the facility is designed to serve riders of all ages and skill levels. It offers both a regional attraction and a community asset which promotes active lifestyles and family-friendly recreation.
During the ribbon-cutting, details will be announced about the first major bike festival to be hosted in the park in 2026. Plans are underway to draw riders from around the nation as the event will put Joplin on the map as a new destination for the global cycling community. The park is expected to attract visitors, support local businesses, and help establish Joplin as a destination for outdoor adventure.
Crossland Construction is the contractor for the park, American Ramp is executing the specialty construction, and SWT Design provided design and engineering plans. The design contract was awarded to SWT in February 2024, and the groundbreaking was held on Feb. 24, 2025.
The project is funded through the Parks and Stormwater Tax (1/4-cent sales tax renewed by voters on August 3, 2021 with 79.5% approval), the Hotel/Motel Tax, and a State Department of Economic Development Local Tourism ARPA grant of $1.5 million to expand and improve the project.
