Nebraska City, NE

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Nebraska man sets world record by riding a pumpkin 38 miles down the Missouri River

It's not even fall yet, but a Nebraska man has set a new world record by riding a pumpkin 38 miles down the Missouri River. Duane Hansen spent years growing a behemoth 846-pound pumpkin. He then hollowed it out and paddled down the river, starting in Bellevue Saturday morning and ending in Nebraska City that night. The pumpkin's name? Berta. Hansen only had to go 25.5 miles to beat the Guinness World Record, but he did nearly 13 extra miles for good measure. If someone happens to beat the record?

Here's what Hansen says: "I went 38 miles down the river without standing up in that pumpkin, and my knees still hurt. But, I probably wouldn't try this again. And if somebody breaks this record, I will, like, bow down to them because they are tough." Here's another interesting note—this is how Hansen celebrated his 60th birthday!

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Nebraska Pumpkin Grower Paddles The Missouri River to Set World Record

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Nebraska man sets record for riding hollowed-out pumpkin downriver



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Champion trees rollick at Arbor Lodge

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The Great Outdoors

Greg and John talk about the Applejack Festival

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Fall in Nebraska: AppleJack Festival kicks off second weekend
Arbor Day Farm offers other autumn activities in September & October, but the festival remains a fan favorite.

NEBRASKA CITY, Neb. (WOWT) - It’s a sure sign of Fall in Nebraska: AppleJack Festival continues this weekend at Arbor Day Farm. “The AppleJack Festival weekends brings out the best of what the farm has to offer,” an Arbor Day Farm spokeswoman said in the release. For this year’s 54th annual festival in Nebraska City, the farm teamed up with Omaha artist Maggie Heusinkvelt to create an interactive “barn-sized” mural on the side of the Apple House Market. “The mural is another way Arbor Day Farm is commemorating the Apple House Market’s first AppleJack Festival since the building was damaged by a fire in 2020,” the news release states.

The festival keeps the popular Nebraska destination for fall-related activities this month but there are always lots of events happening throughout September and even into October, including the Harvest Celebration, orchard wine tasting, tree adventure, apple and pumpkin picking, living history weekends, and even Oktoberfest. Event tickets can be purchased online, and there are lots of activities to choose from, and much fall food favorites to sample while you’re there. “This family-friendly event has something for everyone, from our hard cider and wine tastings for mom and dad to the Tree Adventure and apple picking for the children. We are so excited to share our love of harvesttime with our guests,” she said.

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IF YOU WANT TO GO: The farm is open from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. Saturdays, and 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Sundays throughout AppleJack Festival weekends. Free parking is available on-site. You can even make a weekend of it by booking an overnight stay at the Lied Lodge.

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Nebraska pumpkin boater holds the Guinness world record after Missouri River trip

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55th Annual Applejack Festival prevails amid early spring orchard concerns



The 55th annual Applejack Festival starts this weekend in Nebraska City. Despite some seasonal growing challenges, the apple orchard is thriving. In late April, the orchard saw some challenges. "We had a frost about 26 degrees, killed about 10% of the crop and then a week later we had a hail storm that killed another 10% and then a week later another hail storm," said Ben Heusinkvelt, the ground and orchard manager.

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Nebraska City apple orchard seeing larger crops for harvesting season after a tough spring



After a late frost, hail storm and a drought, Arbor Day Farm says their apple trees have actually grown larger and sweeter fruits, just in time for the upcoming AppleJack Festival.

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AppleJack Festival has largest opening day on record



The AppleJack Festival continues through September 24.

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Homemade desserts a staple at Nebraska City destination



NEBRASKA CITY, Neb. (KOLN) - The Keeping Room not only provides shopping opportunities for visitors, but it also features lunch service, homemade pies and the ever-popular bread pudding. We visited with store owner Kelly Bequette to learn more about this important business in downtown Nebraska City. “The pies are a big reason why people come,” Bequette said. “It’s hard to find homemade desserts, and we just pride ourselves on that and using local products.”

The building where The Keeping Room is located now was built around 1870. “The main floor was built first,” Bequette said. “A few years later the second floor was built. It started as a grocery store, but local historians say the building has been home to a number of different businesses. It’s been a jewelry store, a clock shop, a bakery, a dentist’s office, a paint store, and a furniture store. The Keeping Room actually started with a different person. She didn’t have the restaurant, but did have the boutique and an antique store. She started it in 2006. She renovated the building on the other side. I bought it in 2012, and then in 2014, we added the restaurant, and in 2016 we added the clothing boutique and renovated the upstairs. It was all plaster and lath, so we did it in phases.”

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Lewis & Clark replica fort taking shape in Nebraska City



NEBRASKA CITY, Neb. (KOLN) - In the shadow of the Missouri River Basin Lewis and Clark Visitors Center in Nebraska City, an important building project is underway. “We decided for a lot of reasons to build a replica of a Lewis and Clark fort,” fort and boat builder Butch Bouvier said. He is leading the construction of a fort that Lewis and Clark would have built themselves during their expedition up the Missouri River. “This fort is a replica of a fort that Lewis and Clark built across from present day St. Louis approximately, in the winter of 1803-1804,” Bouvier said. “They were putting together the Corps of Discovery and putting together the expedition.

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Crew building fort in Nebraska City: "You want to touch history"



NEBRASKA CITY, Neb. (KMTV) — In the winter of 1803, Lewis and Clark built a fort east of St. Louis which would protect them from the cold. Setting out to create touchable history today, a Nebraska City crew is building five cabins - honoring the materials and techniques used more than 200 years ago.

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State funds will help spruce up Nebraska City’s Arbor Day Farm;
weekend holiday activities planned

LINCOLN — A $1.5 million state grant to the Arbor Day Foundation is intended to help improve the Arbor Day Farm in Nebraska City. In honor of Arbor Day, observed in Nebraska and across the nation on the last Friday of April, the Nebraska Department of Economic Development outlined how the public funds are to be used. Awarded last fall as part of the state’s shovel-ready capital project program, the funds are to help expand parking at the farm so the historic property has room for more visitors.

Additionally, the funds are to assist in renovating the farm’s Window on the World’s Trees exhibit, which showcases the foundation’s global reforestation and conservation work. Founded in 1972, the Lincoln-based Arbor Day Foundation is the largest nonprofit membership organization dedicated to planting trees. With its partners, it has helped plant more than 500 million trees worldwide and also spearheads various initiatives to improve air and water quality and to provide habitat for wildlife.

“Our team in Lincoln, Nebraska City, the State of Tennessee, and remote across the United States come to work daily to elevate our mission — to inspire people to plant, nurture and celebrate trees,” said Taylor Barnes, a recruiter at the Arbor Day Foundation.

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Arbor Day Farm shares plans to celebrate tree-planting holiday

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Camp that reunites siblings separated in foster care looks for volunteers this summer



NEBRASKA CITY, Neb. — Siblings separated in foster care don't always have the opportunity to bond. Camp Catch-Up helps kids between eight and 19 reconnect over the summer or fall. It will be in western Nebraska at Camp Cameca and runs from July 11 to July 14.