Church Services
Bristol Windows Stage & Open Air Arena

• Worship on the fairgrounds with a Catholic Mass and a Lutheran Service held each Sunday on the Bristol Windows Stage. Also, enjoy the Cowboy Church service in the Open Air Arena.

 

• County Fair Day

• Saturday, August 24

• County Fair Day celebrates County Fairs across the state, giving them the opportunity to be recognized and to showcase their Fair.
  
  

• County Fair Parade
  Parade Route 6:00 p.m.

• The daily Nebraska State Fair parade is filled with floats from County Fairs and Ag Societies across Nebraska!

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  Draft Horse Hitch presented by RFD-TV/RURAL TV & Grand Island Independent

  

  Five Points Bank Arena

  • Make sure and plan to attend the annual Draft Horse Hitch Show. Watch as the Majestic Draft Horses and their drivers put it all on the line in multiple riding and driving classes held each night. There will be a Six Horse Hitch Class at each performance. This competitive equine event is full of draft horse strength, beauty, and pageantry. Get your tickets early...last year all 3 performances sold out!
    
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  Draft Horse Pull presented by RFD-TV/RURAL TV & Grand Island Independent
  Five Points Bank Arena

  • Hosted by Midwest Dynamometer Horse Pulling from Grinnell, Iowa, come experience these powerful creatures. Fair goers can view two different weight divisions of draft horses as they pull their way to the number one spot.

  
  

Grand Island Modelers

• Festival Tent

• They will be on display in the Festival Tent, located in the South side of the Market Place (close to Stolley Park Road Entrance) of the fairgrounds.

Will perform on Motorsport track.

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Flash Mobs

Fairgrounds

A flash mob is a group of people who assemble in a public place, perform for a short time, and then disperse. Performances can consist of dancing, singing, acting, freezing, or any other type of entertainment.

Click here for registration form.

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  Miss Nebraska State Fair & Miss Heartland Scholarship Pageant

• Heartland Events Center
• A local, preliminary pageant to the Miss Nebraska and the Miss America Pageants open to women between the ages of 17 and 24. The pageant includes the following areas of competition: Interview, On-Stage Question, Evening Wear, Lifestyle and Fitness in Swimsuit and Talent.
  
  
• Click here for more information
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  2012 Winners

  Miss Nebraska State Fair - Mindy Schrieber

  Miss Heartland - Charissa Hauge

  1st Runner Up -Chrissy Townsend

  2nd Runner Up - Kate Duncan

  Overall Talent - Kate Duncan

  Overall Interview - Mindy Schrieber / Charissa Hauge

  1st Place Community Service - Mindy Schrieber

  2nd Place Community Service - Courtney Leydig
  
  

• Nebraska's Elite Showmanship Competition

  Saturday, August 31

  Bosselman Conference Center, Swine Arena, & Five Points Bank Arena

  Contest is open to both 4-H and FFA competitors; however, there may be only one exhibitor per county

  Each participant must be at least 14 years of age to be eligible to show. Contest will include: a written test, beef showmanship, sheep showmanship, swine showmanship and interview. In small group rounds, exhibitors will be judged on their ability to effectively present the animal and conduct an interview about the species.

  Schedule     Rules     Structure of Event

  
  
  

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  Nebraska's Largest Classroom presented by John Deere
  Monday, August 26 & Tuesday, August 27
  Fairgrounds

  Nebraska's Largest Classroom is a self-guided field trip where students and teachers have the opportunity to enjoy hundreds of exhibits, view entertainment at every turn, and learn about Nebraska. Public and home schools are invited to participate in Nebraska's Largest Classroom and must pre-register. Admission is FREE for K-6th grade students, teachers, sponsors, and bus drivers.

  The Nebraska State Fair offers a lunch program for Nebraska's Largest Classroom participants. Lunch will be available from 11:30 am to 1:00 p.m. Each lunch costs $2 and includes a hot dog, bag of chips, fruit, dessert, and beverage. Advance registration for the lunch program is required. Lunch registrations will not be accepted the day of Nebraska's Largest Classroom.

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  Registration for the 2012 Nebraska's Largest Classroom has closed.

• Nebraska Lineworkers Rodeo

• Saturday, August 24
• Motorsports Track

Announcing the return of Nebraska Lineworkers Rodeo in Grand Island, Neb. It’s an opportunity for electric lineworkers statewide to showcase their trade and skills, and to remind everyone that Nebraska is the nation’s only state served entirely by public power.

The rodeo competition will take place Saturday, August 24, beginning at 9:00a.m. So come watch the state’s finest at the 2013 Nebraska Lineworkers Rodeo.

 

To view 2012 results and video presentation, go to www.nelinerodeo.com.

Nebraskapella!

Fairgrounds

We invite you to participate in Nebraskappella!, a day of a cappella at the 2012 Nebraska State Fair (NSF). Join Barbershop quartets and choruses, Sweet Adeline quartets and choruses, and many other a cappella groups in showcasing the art of a cappella. The day will be full of stage, street, and strolling performances across the fairgrounds, a flash mob, and a mass chorus!

• Older Nebraskan's Day presented by Riverside Lodge Retirement Community
  Wednesday, August 28
  
  

The festival is provided for seniors 60 years and older.
Gate admission is $5

 

Health, Wellness, and Informational Booths

Bosselman Conference Center

Area agencies distribute information regarding health & wellness, retirement communities, and government agencies.

 

Mel Tillis

Wednesday, August 28

11:00 a.m. & 3:00 p.m.
Heartland Events Center
FREE Concert
Gate admission to the Fair not included
Wristband required, first come, first serve basis

Mel Tillis will perform at 11:00a.m. and 3:00p.m. in the Heartland Events Center. Wristbands are required for entry into the concert and are available on a first come, first serve basis. Wristbands will be available and valid ONLY on August 29, 2012. Wristband distribution will begin at 8:00 a.m. Visit the Heartland Events Center Box Office the day of the concert to obtain a wristband. There is a limit of 2 wristbands per person.

Wristbands are divided into four entry times per concert:

*11:00 a.m. show entry times are 9:00 a.m., 9:30 a.m., 10:00 a.m., 10:30 a.m.

*3:00 p.m. show entry times are 1:00 p.m., 1:30 p.m., 2:00 p.m., 2:30 p.m.

*Entry times are subject to change pending artist approval.

All wristbands must be secured on the wrist for entry into the concert. You will only be permitted to enter AFTER the specified entry time on your wristband. Wristbands guarantee admission but not necessarily a seat.

Click here for Older Nebraskan's Day flier.

Bus tours coming for Older Nebraskan's Day or the Mel Tillis concert, contact Valerie Brewer at vbrewer@statefair.org or 308.385.3924.

• Queen Meet N' Greet

Bosselman Conference Center

Come meet queens from all over Nebraska - Czech, livestock, rodeo, and scholarship queens.  These Queens will be signing autographs and participating in the daily parade!

STEM "Did you know?"

Friday, August 23 - Monday, September 2

Grounds-Wide

Happens everywhere, everyday. Science, Technology, Engineering, & Math (STEM) education expands outside the classroom. It will engage students to learn about the world around them. Be sure to look for our STEM signage across the fairgrounds. Learn more about STEM in our everyday life by clicking here.

Veterans Day Celebration presented by Harley-Davidson Central

Monday, September 3

Honoring ALL MILITARY SERVICE MEN and WOMEN who are serving and have served for our country.

Gate admission is FREE, all day, for personnel with appropriate identification.
(Example: Military ID, VA ID Card, VA Medical Card, Veterans Organization Membership Card, Discharge Papers, etc.)

 

 

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