2014 Nebraska State Fair

Grand Island, Hastings, Kearney, DesMoines, and the rest of Nebraska and Iowa

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Brad
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2014 Nebraska State Fair

Post by Brad »

I thought we already had a 2014 Nebraska State Fair thread?

State Fair's new Nebraska Building will showcase UNL and Game and Parks exhibits

http://www.omaha.com/go/state-fair-s-ne ... mode=image" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
David Hendee / World-Herald staff writer wrote:Nebraska’s big outdoors takes center stage this year at the State Fair.

It’s Disney meets Deere, with a fishing rod in the rifle rack.

The Nebraska State Fair’s newest attraction at Fonner Park in Grand Island is a sprawling, red-roofed structure packed with high-tech and no-tech fun and information about critters and camping on the wild side and the state’s food and the families who grow it. It’s a big place with a big name: the Nebraska Building.
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Re: 2014 Nebraska State Fair

Post by Candleshoe »

Went out on Saturday the 23rd and the crowd was crazy big! The Nebraska Building was elbow to elbow, so after working our way up to the aquarium, we backed out and explored other areas of the fairgrounds.

Here are a few from Monday, when the attendance is much more modest, just to kick things off...

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nebugeater
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Re: 2014 Nebraska State Fair

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I am going to try and make it out on Saturday. IF you are going to be on the grounds let me know and maybe we can shake hands. If Sat falls through it will be Sunday.
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Brad
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Re: 2014 Nebraska State Fair

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Thanks for the pics Candleshoe. That new Nebraska Building looks great!
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gisbuxfan
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Re: 2014 Nebraska State Fair

Post by gisbuxfan »

Great pics! We are headed there tonight to check things out.
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Re: 2014 Nebraska State Fair

Post by Vallgrl8 »

Meh, Hubbie and I drove out Monday for the day. Although the animal barns, milking parlor, and 4-H are well developed, the horse barns are Way to far out on the east side. Young families with small children and strollers struggle to see these important sites.

I miss the compact nature of the Fairgrounds when it was in Lincoln. Next year, we are headed to the Iowa State Fair.
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nebugeater
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Re: 2014 Nebraska State Fair

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Vallgrl8 wrote:Meh, Hubbie and I drove out Monday for the day. Although the animal barns, milking parlor, and 4-H are well developed, the horse barns are Way to far out on the east side. Young families with small children and strollers struggle to see these important sites.

I miss the compact nature of the Fairgrounds when it was in Lincoln. Next year, we are headed to the Iowa State Fair.

Different type of fair on some levels but you better be prepared to do even more walking there.
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Coyote
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Re: 2014 Nebraska State Fair

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Cow jumps fence, dog left confused at the State Fair:

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Linkin5
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Re: 2014 Nebraska State Fair

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Why go to a fair when you can not go to a fair?
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Re: 2014 Nebraska State Fair

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Apparently many of the State Fair parking lots are seas of mud right now.
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Re: 2014 Nebraska State Fair

Post by Louie »

Coyote wrote:Apparently many of the State Fair parking lots are seas of mud right now.
Sounds just like a county fair.
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Re: 2014 Nebraska State Fair

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Coyote wrote:Apparently many of the State Fair parking lots are seas of mud right now.
North lot (shown below) is pretty nasty, Thursday afternoon, South lot is not terrible, but being used. The east lot that everybody forgets about is great and only about a quarter filled this afternoon. The off site lots with shuttle buses are being encouraged by GIPD today. Two inches of rain overnight gives GI (according to our rainguage) right at 5 inches since the fair started.

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nebugeater
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Re: 2014 Nebraska State Fair

Post by nebugeater »

Candleshoe wrote:
Coyote wrote:Apparently many of the State Fair parking lots are seas of mud right now.
North lot (shown below) is pretty nasty, Thursday afternoon, South lot is not terrible, but being used. The east lot that everybody forgets about is great and only about a quarter filled this afternoon. The off site lots with shuttle buses are being encouraged by GIPD today. Two inches of rain overnight gives GI (according to our rainguage) right at 5 inches since the fair started.

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Any word on how attendance has been, or guesses if nothing has been said
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skinzfan23
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Re: 2014 Nebraska State Fair

Post by skinzfan23 »

The World Herald had a story on it today and said attendance is down about 3% I believe. Obviously having the rain has probably hurt, but they also mentioned that there wasn't a big name opening act like last year. Saturday's attendance was up from last year though.
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Re: 2014 Nebraska State Fair

Post by Candleshoe »

In spite of a quagmire for parking, a pretty decent weeknight crowd out there tonight.

More pics...

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skinzfan23
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Re: 2014 Nebraska State Fair

Post by skinzfan23 »

Great pictures...thanks for sharing.
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Brad
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Re: 2014 Nebraska State Fair

Post by Brad »

Awesome Pics! Thanks!

Like the Burlington Station!
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Re: 2014 Nebraska State Fair

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nebugeater wrote:I am going to try and make it out on Saturday. IF you are going to be on the grounds let me know and maybe we can shake hands. If Sat falls through it will be Sunday.
Drop me a note via my Facebook when you know. Maybe if we both wear red shirts we could spot each other. :yes:

https://www.facebook.com/joe.wicks.127" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
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Re: 2014 Nebraska State Fair

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A gorgeous day on Saturday. A nice crowd, many of whom took advantage of the free shuttles.

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Made right here in GI...
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And even though the north parking lot was still a bit messy, hundreds of cars were able to use it without problem, as long as they made good decisions...
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nebugeater
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Re: 2014 Nebraska State Fair

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Made it to the Fair on Sunday after a crazy day on Saturday and not going as planed. Here are a few of the things we saw.


When my daughter first looked at this she asked "how can those little things carry 601 pounds?!

Image2014 Nebr State Fair-329 by nebugeater, on Flickr


Image2014 Nebr State Fair-311 by nebugeater, on Flickr


Image2014 Nebr State Fair-240 by nebugeater, on Flickr


Image2014 Nebr State Fair-245 by nebugeater, on Flickr


Image2014 Nebr State Fair-174 by nebugeater, on Flickr


Image2014 Nebr State Fair-142 by nebugeater, on Flickr



Image2014 Nebr State Fair-111 by nebugeater, on Flickr
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nebugeater
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Re: 2014 Nebraska State Fair

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Image2014 Nebr State Fair-103 by nebugeater, on Flickr


Image2014 Nebr State Fair-103 by nebugeater, on Flickr



Image2014 Nebr State Fair-125 by nebugeater, on Flickr


Best seats in the house

Image2014 Nebr State Fair-184 by nebugeater, on Flickr


Image2014 Nebr State Fair-208 by nebugeater, on Flickr



Image2014 Nebr State Fair-228 by nebugeater, on Flickr



Your typical leather top hat wearing, spongbob backpack carrying fair goer

Image2014 Nebr State Fair-331 by nebugeater, on Flickr
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Candleshoe
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Re: 2014 Nebraska State Fair

Post by Candleshoe »

Looks like you hit every corner of the place! Nice shots!
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Re: 2014 Nebraska State Fair

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Nice pics!!! What is a weigh limit? :lol:
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Re: 2014 Nebraska State Fair

Post by Candleshoe »

Just a few more...

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And finally, in my last year of eligibility (I'll earn too much in photo sales to qualify as "Advanced Amateur" after this year) I picked up a PURPLE!

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nativeomahan
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Re: 2014 Nebraska State Fair

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Nice pics. I read where attendance was down quite a bit this year. But it looks like those who did attend had a lot to enjoy. I haven't been to a state fair in 25 or 30 years. The last one I attended just seemed like a huge financial rip off, with everything way overpriced. Maybe things have changed since the 1980s?
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Re: 2014 Nebraska State Fair

Post by gisbuxfan »

One thing the fair board is trying to do is bring in more people. Pricing has a lot to so with that. They did a $2 entry fee night on Tuesday this year and had great success. I heard they are wanting to expand that to both Tuesday and Thursday in 2015. Food costs will be $6 and up for most things. Planning on bringing some money to enjoy the food.
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Re: 2014 Nebraska State Fair

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nativeomahan wrote:Nice pics.  I read where attendance was down quite a bit this year.  But it looks like those who did attend had a lot to enjoy.  I haven't been to a state fair in 25 or 30 years.  The last one I attended just seemed like a huge financial rip off, with everything way overpriced.  Maybe things have changed since the 1980s?
The attendance was down around 17,000 or so this year. If the final Sunday would have been average, the attendance would have been up this year over last in spite of rain over 7 of the 11 days of the fair, but The weather service and TV weather were predicting 70mph winds, large hail, severe storms and threw in a tornado watch for Sunday as late as Saturday night. The result was a dip of 26,000 from last years final Sunday. Oh, and the weather was spectacularly pleasant all day.

Yeah, it's all way overpriced, about the same as a Husker game for food and drink and way cheaper than a Chiefs game. At least in GI parking on the grounds is free, as opposed to an extra charge back about the time you last went. A secret that most don't discover, the UNL Dairy Store concessions offer deli wraps, ice cream and drinks at completely reasonable prices. It's located in the 4H building for future reference.
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Re: 2014 Nebraska State Fair

Post by skinzfan23 »

Thanks for the tip about the food in 4H building Candleshoe. It is that same way at the Iowa State Fair. When we have gone there, we take it as a challenge to find the cheapest food prices. We usually find that the pork producers have the cheapest because you get a sandwich, side and drink for the same price as most stands charge for just a sandwich.
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