Time to ‘showcase your fair face’ at the Nebraska State Fair

Grab your selfie stick and prepare yourself for an experience unlike any other. It’s time to “showcase your fair face” at the 2025 Nebraska State Fair.

This year’s theme is all about showcasing the talents of the exhibitors and highlighting the different emotions that are evoked at the fair, said Nebraska State Fair marketing director Courtney Glock.

“All kinds of faces make up the Nebraska State Fair, and it wouldn’t be what it is without the friendly faces in the volunteer shirts or the determined faces in the showring, the excited faces when they see their purple ribbons in the exhibition hall or the puckered faces from fresh-squeezed lemonade. Even those faces with wide-open eyes, shrieks and gasps coming down the roller coaster at the carnival,” Glock said.

This is a mere glimpse of all the activities and sights you can encounter at the State Fair. This year’s fair runs Aug. 22 to Sept. 1 at Fonner Park in Grand Island.

The 11-day event is so jam-packed with activity that it is actually impossible to see or do everything. Glock said the executive director added up every hour of shows, entertainment and attractions.

“There are 51,000 hours of things to see at the Nebraska State Fair across the 11 days,” revealed Glock.

The State Fair begins Friday, Aug. 22 with free gate admission from 9 a.m. to noon. At 11 a.m., vendors will showcase their bizarre fair foods at the New and Unique Food Contest. A panel of judges will select their favorite sweet and savory food items at the State Fair.

This year’s menu will entice you with peanut butter and jelly wings, maple bacon elephant ears, donut grilled cheese with bacon, lobster mac ‘n cheese and stuffed cucumbers.

Of course, you can taste-test all of these extraordinary flavors, along with the more traditional fair foods, for yourself when you visit the State Fair. With nearly 60 food vendors on the grounds, there are many options to stuff your face.

The State Fair aims to showcase the accomplishments and skills of thousands of 4-H and FFA youth in Nebraska. Projects are on display daily in the exhibition building on the north end of the fairgrounds, while contests, exhibitions and livestock shows will take place throughout the fair. Opening weekend celebrates 4-H youth, and FFA youth are highlighted Labor Day weekend.

You will not want to miss the newest attraction at the Nebraska State Fair, a showcase of grit, determination and trust between man and beast. The Branded Bonanza presents wild horses that were adopted in April and tamed for in-hand competition the first weekend of the State Fair.

“These horses came from the open range in middle of nowhere Nevada to a farm or ranch. Earning the horse’s trust and being able to ride it after a couple of months is pretty incredible,” praised Glock.

Over a dozen horses were placed through the program. Those participants who bring their horses and compete in the show will receive $500,000 cash. Glock said this is an incentive for those who really spent time with their horses and can prove that relationship and trust has been built.

Taking place Friday, Aug. 22 and Saturday, Aug. 23, the Branded Bonanza is a partnership with Forever Branded and the Bureau of Land Management. Through this program, additional horses will be available for adoption at the State Fair.

“We will have horses available for adoption that have gone through the program and may be a little more tame or trained,” said Glock.

Other equine events will take place throughout the entire fair, including a draft horse pull, a horsemanship clinic and a variety of horse shows.

Rodeo events are a main attraction at the State Fair, including the Ultimate Bull Riding Tour as the evening entertainment on opening day on Aug. 22 and the Ultimate Bullfighters Tour the following evening on Aug. 23; tickets are available for purchase at www.statefair.org.

The Nebraska High School Rodeo will showcase Nebraska’s finest young rodeo athletes on Labor Day. The 2024 event was truly award-winning, claiming the title of high school rodeo of the year. This year’s rodeo is sure to be equally impressive.

“To see high schoolers from all across the state compete is so much fun,” said Glock. “It is always a huge event and continues to grow.”

Visitors to the State Fair can attend the Nebraska High School Rodeo for free with gate admission.

Another growing attraction is the Nebraska State Fair Craft Show, a two-day shopping spree showcasing Nebraska’s custom creations. This is the second year for the “small business expo” to be hosted in the Heartland Event Center. The event runs Friday, Aug. 29 to Saturday, Aug. 30 and is free to attend with gate admission.

“We call it the ‘Nothing More Nebraskan’ craft show. Small businesses from across the state will have homemade products, home baked goods, décor, clothing—tons of great shopping,” Glock touted.

Nothing is more Nebraskan than Husker football, and Fonner Park will be tailgate central leading up to the football game between the Nebraska Cornhuskers and Cincinnati Bearcats Thursday, Aug. 28.

Then fair attendees can take in a free concert that night at 7:30. Country legend Sawyer Brown will be serenading on the outdoor stage for fairgoers of all ages to enjoy.

“Sawyer Brown has hits spanning across multiple generations, and we’re excited to bring them to central Nebraska for the Nebraska State Fair,” said Glock.

The Sawyer Brown concert is free with gate admission. You can bring your own chair and relax in the pit area, or enjoy the songs while sitting in the bleacher area or strolling around the fairgrounds.

The State Fair offers a free music series featuring different bands every day; the entire schedule can be found in the gate book or online. Nebraska’s musical talent will also be showcased by local high school marching bands seven days of the fair.

The music does not stop there. Matthew West and special guest Josiah Queen will take center stage at the Heartland Events Center Sunday, Aug. 24. The Righteous Brothers comes Aug. 25 with Darryl Worley and the Marshall Tucker Band with special guest Blacktop Pony to follow Aug. 27. Labor Day weekend concerts include Skillet and Theory of a Deadman, Forever Young Tour and the La Arrolladora Banda El Limó de René Camacho. Gate admission is included with the purchase of advance tickets, available at www.statefair.org.

Cap stoning the evening entertainment both weekends is a Drone and Fireworks Show. Every face on the fairgrounds will be pointed to the sky in awe as 300 drones adorn the night sky and fireworks bedazzle the darkness.

No matter where you are on the fairgrounds, there is an emotion attached to that, said Glock. You can capture each of those emotions at the many photo stations set up around the grounds, a new way to “showcase your fair face” this year.

Then submit your photos to the QR code found in the gate book and posted around the fairgrounds. As the gate book advertises, “You might just see your smile lighting up our giant screens throughout the Fair or featured on our social feeds.”

So grab your phone and selfie stick. Or better yet, bring your family and friends to capture the moments with you. It’s time to “showcase your fair face” at the Nebraska State Fair.