Best Rural Activities

Meet me on the Midway!

Midwestern county fairs have to be the quintessential American experience. You join the throngs from dusty parking lots – families with children excitedly pulling their parents toward the carnival; teens stalking the midway in packs; farmers kicking tires at the implement display; cowboys on horseback; 4H moms carrying rabbits or leading dogs; cotton-top couples hobbling along on canes, their eyes bright with excitement.

The smell is a heady mixture of popcorn and stale beer, grease, leather and manure. The booths crowd in and yammer for attention – hot tubs, redwood signs carved “While-U-Wait”, waffle cones, kettle corn, T-shirts, corn-dogs. There’s a booth that takes “Old Timey” photos of the men dressed up as outlaws and the women as dance hall floozies, and another where they’re demonstrating miracle scissors that can cut a penny in half and still trim your hair.

In the merchant pavilion are displays of sewing machines and home food preservation systems alongside the squeeze chutes and stock tanks. From the distant arena you can hear the rodeo announcer comforting an unsuccessful contestant: “Let’s give that cowboy a hand, folks, ‘cause that’s all he’s gonna get tonight.”

Nebraska has 93 counties, so there are a ton of county fairs to choose from when summer rolls around. In McCook at the Red Willow County Fair, they’ll have a tractor pull and a wild horse race in addition to the usual events (http://www.visitmccook.com/events/upcoming.html). The Buffalo County Fair in Kearney is featuring singer Raven Symone, the “Heart of America” midway, and a demolition derby – a figure 8 demolition derby, no less – in addition to the 4H exhibits and ranch rodeo (http://www.fair.kearney.net/buffalo_county_fair.htm). And in Hastings, at the Adams County Fair, you won’t want to miss the fair parade, professional bull riding and both a high school rodeo and the big Oregon Trail Rodeo in addition to the usual excitement (http://adamscountyfairgrounds.com//index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=17&Itemid=33).

Summer is a great time to see the real America...at a Nebraska county fair!

Guide to country and small town events and entertainment

Fresh, funky, rugged and fun describe what we do for entertainment in Southwest and South Central Nebraska.  Whatever your interests – festivals, rodeos, car shows, marathons, fishing contests, bird watching, carnivals, county fairs, art galleries, theatre or music – you’ll find it happening here. Listed below are links to some of our favorite places to find fun things to do.

Auto racing in McCook.
www.mccookspeedway.com

Events in Alma and Harlan County Lake
www.almaisforyou.com/events.asp

Fishing by Kayakjak in Benkelman
www.kayakjak.com

Graham Gallery of Fine Art in Hastings
www.grahamgallery.com

Horse events and rodeo in McCook
www.kiplingerarena.com

Performing arts and art gallery in Red Cloud
www.willacather.org

Performing arts in Holdrege
www.thetassel.org

Performing arts, art gallery in Minden
www.mindenoperahouse.com

Tri-City Storm semi-pro ice hockey
www.pickmytickets.com

Visit Nebraska Wineries
www.vintagenebraska.org

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