Nebraska

We unknowingly booked the hotel for this fair right next door to the fair, and had dinner at a really good local diner. We were able to eat well the evening before, and had a lot of time to relax ahead of the fair in the morning. Parking was free, but the fair admission was the weekend rate, which at $12 was double the weekday rate. From the first building we entered, it was obvious that this fair was unique in that the facilities were very new and modern. The fish and wildlife exhibit, usually tucked away in a remote corner, was right out front here, with an amazing live fish pond, and an expansive waterfall and river. This building housed a very informative agriculture and state geography display and included free Nebraska sorghum cookies, and a postcard stand (that included a free stamp!). There was the largest sand sculpture we have ever seen, depicting a state fair motif. The 4H building was equally impressive and was among the largest we have seen.

The quilt display here was huge and very well presented. An adjacent room contained small quilts that represented each of the 93 counties in the state.

The livestock pavilions housed cows, pigs, sheep and goats. It included a birthing center that had a litter of pigs that were just a couple days old. Lisa got to ‘pull a calf’ from a full-size veterinary cow model. There were no smaller animals (poultry, rabbits) nor any horses other that some parade Clydsedales.