Nebraska-Made Products Shine at Fair
 Competitive Exhibits see growth in 2025 The Nebraska State Fair’s Competitive Exhibits department celebrated a standout year in 2025, highlighted by artistic achievement and increased participation across the board. At the 2025 Fair, Competitive Exhibits participation grew by 12 percent over the previous year. A total of 11,173 exhibits were entered by 1,486 exhibitors, […]
2025 Life Saver Awards
Pictured above: Deputy Bosler (Stanton County), Deputy Lucas (Hall County) and Deputy Fowler (Hall County) stand together for a photo after being presented with their Life Saver Award at the State Fair Board Meeting on Dec. 19. Pictured above: Sharon and Mark Dreher of Double Locked Security stand alongside employees: Deputy Bosler (Stanton County), Deputy […]
2025 IAFE Awards Announced
Nebraska State Fair Takes Home 14 International IAFE Awards, Including Seven First-Place Honors The Nebraska State Fair recently announced that it has earned 14 international awards from the International Association of Fairs and Expositions (IAFE), including seven first-place, five second-place, and two third-place recognitions for their 2025 event. Competing against thousands of entries from fairs […]
Advertisement for Bids
State Fair Proposals listed below The Nebraska State Fair issues Requests for Proposals (RFPs) to ensure a fair, transparent, and competitive process for selecting vendors, contractors, and service partners. Each RFP outlines the project scope, requirements, evaluation criteria, deadlines, and submission instructions. Interested parties are encouraged to carefully review all documents and submit a complete […]
Student Experience Enhanced by Nebraska State Fair
State Fair Birthing pavilion Provides student Opportunity At the Nebraska State Fair, one of the most meaningful experiences doesn’t happen on the midway or on stage — it happens in the Birthing Pavilion, where veterinary students from the UNL 2-plus-2 Professional Program in veterinary medicine get real-world experience caring for animals and educating the […]
State Fair Donates 179 Broilers Following Stock Show
Serving through the mission https://youtu.be/oYsmn0Kj46s The Nebraska State Fair recently distributed 179 broiler chickens to area non-profits, an act of service that their team began back in 2018. These birds were exhibited by youth at the Aksarben Stock Show. Following the event, the Nebraska State Fair (who coordinates the Stock Show) paid to have the […]
98th Annual Aksarben Stock Show
world-class youth showmanship Author: RJ PostGrand Island Independent The livestock competition taking place this week at the Nebraska State Fair grounds, in some ways, exceeds the State Fair itself. The Aksarben Stock Show on Thursday through Sunday brings youth from 14 states to Grand Island to exhibit beef, swine, sheep, goats and broilers. “The State […]
A grateful reflection on 2025
Letter from Jaime Parr, Executive Director Pictured above: Jaime Parr, Executive Director of the Nebraska State Fair. Parr has been employed by the Nebraska State Fair since 1998. As the dust settles on another Nebraska State Fair, my heart is full of gratitude. Once again, Grand Island and its surrounding communities opened their arms to […]
2025 Brought Strong Attendance
The numbers are in! The Nebraska State Fair wrapped up its 2025 run with a total attendance of 334,383, marking an increase of 6% year over year. Opening weekend was bolstered by phenomenal weather, with Saturday and Sunday providing some of the best conditions the Fair has seen in recent years. The second weekend experienced […]
Bobbie’s Bargain Book
Packed with Over $1,500 in Fair Savings Fairgoers can stretch their dollars even further this year with the return of Bobbie’s Bargain Book, now on sale for just $5 through the end of the day on Wednesday, August 21. The books can be purchased online at statefair.org or in person at the Nebraska Building Box […]
