STATE FAIR!!!!!

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GuyInLenexa
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STATE FAIR!!!!!

Post by GuyInLenexa »

I have my hotel reservations and ready to go.

This will be my first state fair outside of Texas.

Anxious to get a better look at Lincoln and all the sights.

:D
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Post by w8ing »

Lincoln is great. The Nebraska State Fair... not so much. Sad to say it but it's true. It's come close in recent years to being disbandoned. The money it would take to produce a large scale quality fair isn't infused into it. I don't know why.
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Post by DTO Luv »

I haven't been to our fair since I was a little kid. We usually go to Septemberfest in Omaha.
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Post by jsheets »

w8ing wrote:Lincoln is great. The Nebraska State Fair... not so much. Sad to say it but it's true. It's come close in recent years to being disbandoned. The money it would take to produce a large scale qs17.ty fair isn't infused into it. I don't know why.
DTO Luv wrote:I haven't been to our fair since I was a little kid. We usually go to Septemberfest in Omaha.
I think DTO just answered the 'I dont' know why'.

I've always been amazed that Septemberfest is held the same time as the State Fair. It's like Omaha is saying "screw the state fair, people should come here".

And I heard once that the State Fair was doing well until Omaha started doing Septemberfest on the same weekend.

The Iowa State Fair, now that's a different story!
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Post by nebugeater »

I go to the state fair basically every year. I guess out of tradition as much as anything. I made it most years when I lived out of state too along with working at the fair for four years working and then running a food stand when I was in college in Lincoln.

The fair is not close to what it was back in the late 70's and 80's when my attendance started. It is well known that it was almost closed down about 4 years ago and that is not good. Along with shutting done there was debate about moving it to a new location in Lincoln or elsewhere.

The fair is also a week early that it used to be. It now ends on Labor Day weekend and it used to start then. There are arguments both ways as to if this is a good or a bad thing but I think it is a NEG. A lot is going on with schools starting, high school, college, or otherwise and I think it helps more than hurts if this is behind people and they are in school and then can go to the fair. Many people I know would come to the fair to see their "new" students on college in Lincoln. If they are moving in they will not take the time to go.

Husker Harvest days in Grand Island has had more of an impact than Septemberfest in Omaha. It has drawn he Ag exhibits away from he state fair. This keeps some of the out state people away that want to come to see what is new and keeps some of the urban folks away that are curious (yes, they do exist) and want to show their kid a tractor, or a combine.

Give the fair a chance. It has gotten better in the last three years. They are trying and it is showing. The weather has hit them hard for part of the run the last couple of years and that can't be helped. I know there are opinions on the value of the fair but the state needs an event like this. It should be a focal point of the states industries and people. They have added some ethnic events, broadened they music selection to some extent, brought back so Ag exhibits that had disappeared and worked on the infrastructure.

Go this year and give it a try. Go eat some Food on a stick that you cannot find anywhere else than a fair, see some livestock, Take in the 4-H exhibits, See some products that are made in Nebraska and taste some too, See the University birthing pavilion for livestock that has been a hit, See what FFA has to offer, Check out the vendors to buy your latest mop, glass cleaner or knife, take in a carnival ride, see a horse show, listen to some music, or do whatever it is you enjoy doing at the fair. Don't expect what you may have seen 15 years ago but look for some familiar things and some new things. Go get a new reference point so if you choose to go back in the coming years you can see the improvements first had. I for one think they are on the right track and the fair will grow back to being a desired attraction. They are smart in not trying to "fix" it all at once and getting lost in the process.

http://www.statefair.org/
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Post by Linkin5 »

I'm leaving tommorow to des moines for the iowa state fair. Nebraska's sucks...But I hope you have fun in Lincoln!
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Post by eomaha »

The fair is alot of fun, a great 'entertainment value' and continues to get better each year (and will be getting a big boost with the state lottery funds Nebraska voters decided to give it).

http://www.eomaha.com/gallery/fair/
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Post by Harpoon »

I have been to the NE state fair on a handful of occasions and it disappoints me each time. I am used to the Minnesota and Iowa State Fair's which are both very good. I couldn't even find mini-donuts to eat at Nebraska's. The Midway is just average as well. I don't know what they could do to improve it, but whatever they are doing (or not doing) isn't working.
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Post by Coyote »

Turnout energizes plans for future
Omaha World Herald wrote:One day after putting on the best-attended Nebraska State Fair in five years, officials were looking ahead at how to handle bigger crowds in 2007.

Final attendance figures, released today, showed that 289,683 people passed through the gates during the preview night and 10-day fair that ended Monday.

That was a 10.2 percent increase from last year's 262,823 and represented the highest attendance since 2001, when 300,411 visited State Fair Park.

"It's a rebounding fair," said Joseph McDermott, interim state fair director. "We've got people out there who want to come - they hear about an improved fair, and they're seeing an improved fair."...

The Nebraska Lottery is viewed by many as the savior of the fair. Voters in 2004 approved earmarking 10 percent of State Lottery proceeds to the financially struggling fair. More than $4 million in lottery proceeds has been devoted to upgrading programming and facilities at State Fair Park.
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Post by Harpoon »

For attendance comparisons with what I would deem "good" State Fairs...

Minnesota drew over 1.68 Million in attendance this year over 12 days, or 140,000 / day.

Iowa drew 1.01 Million over 11 days, or 92,000 / day.

Nebraska gets 28,000 / day.

They have a long way to go to be worthwhile.
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Post by nebugeater »

Harpoon wrote:For attendance comparisons with what I would deem "good" State Fairs...

Minnesota drew over 1.68 Million in attendance this year over 12 days, or 140,000 / day.

Iowa drew 1.01 Million over 11 days, or 92,000 / day.

Nebraska gets 28,000 / day.

They have a long way to go to be worthwhile.
Worthwhile is not based on attendance alone.
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Post by Coyote »

nebugeater wrote:Worthwhile is not based on attendance alone.
Exactly. Having the Minnesota State Fair in St. Paul with a metro area of 3,100,000 compare to Lincoln with a metro of 250,000 or even Des Moines at 550,000. It can only get better now that they have reorganized.
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Post by Uffda »

The Sioux Empire Fair (Minnehaha County Fair) in Sioux Falls drew 261,441 for the 2006 - 6 day fair. This was down 20,000 from last year -- one reason stated is they didnt have a big name for night time entertainment --- Last year Toby Keith drew a standing room only crowd. Sioux Falls metro population -- somewhere around 170,000 (2000 census).
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Post by Harpoon »

nebugeater wrote:
Harpoon wrote:For attendance comparisons with what I would deem "good" State Fairs...

Minnesota drew over 1.68 Million in attendance this year over 12 days, or 140,000 / day.

Iowa drew 1.01 Million over 11 days, or 92,000 / day.

Nebraska gets 28,000 / day.

They have a long way to go to be worthwhile.
Worthwhile is not based on attendance alone.
You are correct bugeater, it is based on my personal experiences at the three fairs. Whether or not I deem them worthwhile is solely dependent on my particular preferences. Two of them made the cut, one did not. This is just my personal opinion of each of the fairs, you are welcome to have your own.
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Post by eomaha »

Personally, I hate crowds. Let's keep it at 28,000 people a day. :)

As for the fair itself, I guess I'm a 'purist'. I go to enjoy the sights, sounds, (smells?) of the animals, the 4H exhibits, competitions, etc. For me, Nebraska's fair has all of that.

Of course that's just MY personal opinion. No doubt, everyone's looking for something different in these fairs (again, crowds isn't one of them!).
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Post by almighty_tuna »

Harpoon wrote:For attendance comparisons with what I would deem "good" State Fairs...

Minnesota drew over 1.68 Million in attendance this year over 12 days, or 140,000 / day.

Iowa drew 1.01 Million over 11 days, or 92,000 / day.

Nebraska gets 28,000 / day.

They have a long way to go to be worthwhile.
Thinking about the space provided for the NE State Fair, I don't know if I'd want to be jammed in with 101,000, per day, of my closest friends. 101,000?...yes, because the NE fair is 10 days, not 11. Having that many people daily in that small area of Lincoln, traffic notwithstanding, would probably detract from my State Fair experience rather than add to it. Though, some might argue that finding a bigger swath of land to host a state fair could be a good problem to have.
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Post by Coyote »

They closed the gates to the parking for a while on Sunday when the lots were full. Parking would also become a big issue.
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Post by DTO Luv »

I went on Monday to see Kansas. It was pretty cool. My mom and I were wondering why not just move this to Omaha. It was to crowded with terrible parking. Plus if they want to increase attendance, I think this would help.
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Post by Uffda »

I were wondering why not just move this to Omaha
Never been to the NE State Fair but what I have seen at others --- there is a lot of infrastucture and buildings that would need to be built and then it is only used a few weeks of the year for the fair and other stuff.

Maybe just create "Going to the Fair" bus system to take care of the parking problem.
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Post by Coyote »

DTO Luv wrote:I were wondering why not just move this to Omaha
There was actually talk of people wanting to move it to Grand Island - a more central location and closer to the farming and 4-H communities. Not much talk - but discussion none the less.
Uffda wrote:Never been to the NE State Fair but what I have seen at others --- there is a lot of infrastucture and buildings that would need to be built and then it is only used a few weeks of the year for the fair and other stuff.

Maybe just create "Going to the Fair" bus system to take care of the parking problem.
They are going to be adding more buildings to the state fair property, upgrade a few. If it were to move it would be very expensive or a great economic project for one community.

I think a "Going to the Fair" bus is a great idea. There is a shopping Mall just to the north of the fair grounds - which I believe provides transportation to Memorial Stadium.
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Post by loyalomahan »

According to the fair website, there was a free 'park and ride' shuttle available from 27th and Superior.
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Post by DTO Luv »

Uffda wrote: Never been to the NE State Fair but what I have seen at others --- there is a lot of infrastucture and buildings that would need to be built and then it is only used a few weeks of the year for the fair and other stuff.
You know what; you're right. It's not like Omaha has a parking lot big enough for rides and some sort of building that get's used a few times a year for rural events. What was I thinking.

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Post by Uffda »

yeah what were you thinking? :D


I am sure there is enough parking lots for carnival rides but I dont think the convention center would be a suitable space for for a few hundred animals to live in pens for a week. :shock:
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Post by Coyote »

I would have to think that most state and county fairs need a dedicated site to hold these events. I don't think petting zoos and camel rides and other displays would work well at a convention site. It really is a rural affair. I don't know the history of fairs but I would have to think it comes from the farming community. I heard someone the other day wondering if state/county fairs will become a thing of the past since now what percentage of the US populace is actually in the farming industry?
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Post by Harpoon »

Here are some of the performers at the Minnesota state fair this year:

Brook and Dunn
Kenny Rogers
Oak Ridge Boys
Alan Jackson
Poison
Steve Miller Band
Amy Grant
Bonnie Raitt
Rascal Flatts
Flaming Lips
Bodeans
Gear Daddies

Nebraska had Pat Benetar and Kansas, not really any big names.

The MN fairgrounds are used year round, many of the buildings are rented out for small 4-H shows, model railroad shows, crafts events, auto shows, and many other activities. So it isn't like these buildings are sitting vacant all year round.

As far as attendance numbers, I don't buy the argument of "Lincoln is a smaller metro", look at football attendance to the Huskers and the Gophers... Nebraska wins that one 85,000 to 45,000 (Metrodome seats over 65,000). A state fair brings people from all across the state, not just Des Moines or the Twin Cities. If people were interested in the Nebraska State Fair they would show up.

Basically what I am getting at, is that the Nebraska State Fair organizers really have a lot of work to do in my opinion to improve their fair. Fair's to me are about good food, checking out the animals, people watching, good food, laughing at the carnies in the midway, good concerts, and more good food. Nebraska only has the people watching, the carnies, and the animals.
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Post by Candleshoe »

One of the original reasons to consider moving the fair out to Grand Island
is that few farm equipment vendors bother showing up to the fair anymore,
which was always a huge draw in the past. They opt now to go to Husker Harvest Days,
just west of GI (it's next week BTW) which enjoys an attendance of over 100,000 over three days each year.


http://www.huskerharvestdays.com

But the overall cost to move the fair and build the needed infrastructure wouldn't make any sense.
Everything they need could work at Fonner Park/Heartland Events Center, but that's ten miles from the HHD site.
The HHD site is a permanent "town" with streets and permanent buildings.

Here's a portion of the site, taken from UNL's website.

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Post by GuyInLenexa »

I had a great time, Lincoln is very underated. I was very impressed. I do want to go to the IA one next year, it is in the book "1000 Things to See Before you Die".

I am catching the Texas State Fair in a few weeks when I go home to Dallas.
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Post by Coyote »

State Fair Sees More Visitors
KETV wrote:The fair, which wrapped up on Monday, saw total attendance of 299,175 compared with 289,683 in 2006, a 3.28 percent overall increase in attendance, according to a news release.



Fair administrators want feedback. The public is encouraged to log on to http://www.StateFair.org and tell fair officials what you liked or didn't like about this year's fair.
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