North Platte Post
NORTH PLATTE – Local event organizers continue to work hard to create fun and exciting events in North Platte that bring in visitors and contribute to the economic vitality of our community in addition to giving locals and visitors options for unique activities.Visit North Platte operates under an agreement with the Lincoln County Board of Commissioners to facilitate the Nebraska Visitors Development Act. Grant funds, marketing, and operating expenses for Visit North Platte are funded by lodging taxes collected and remitted by lodging properties from overnight stays in Lincoln County.
The Visit North Platte Board of Directors approved grant funding at the monthly meeting held on April 26, 2023. The applications totaled $88,458.37 in requests and a total of $53,383 was awarded.
• Approved $500 in promotional funding for the Sutherland Rodeo. The Sutherland fourth of July celebration and rodeo starts on July 1st and runs through July 4th. It includes rodeo slack, an allgirls roping competition, two rodeo performances, and a Jr. Rodeo Queen contest. Year after year the Sutherland Rodeo continues to provide family entertainment for locals and visitors alike.
• Approved $700 in incentive funding for the Lincoln County High School Rodeo. The Lincoln County High School Rodeo is held annually at the Wild West Arena. High school contestants from across the state compete in fourteen events to earn points that qualify them for State and National Finals Rodeos. Contestants and their families travel to North Platte from across the state of Nebraska with some even coming from Colorado and Wyoming. This year’s rodeo will be on September 16th and 17th.
• Approved $500 in incentive funding for Brady Days. The Village of Brady will hold their annual celebration August 4th through the 6th. It will include a parade, BBQ, volleyball, basketball, softball, and cornhole tournaments, turtle races, a car show, and family night. Many alumni return with their families or bring friends to our area to enjoy the festivities.
• Approved $4,983 in promotional funding to the Lincoln County Historical Museum. The LincolnCounty Historical Museum is truly a local treasure, proven by the fact that visitation has grown to approximately 21,000 visitors annually under the curatorship of Jim Griffin. Promoting the museum is pivotal to its continued success. The museum will be open from May 1st to September 30th and will also host the annual Heritage Festival on June 10th and 11th, Old Fashioned Corn Feed on August 5th, Pancake Breakfast on September 23rd, and Christmas Village during the month of December.
• Approved $2,000 in promotional funding to Pals Brewing Company for their Western Nebraska Craft Beer Festival. The 5th annual Western Nebraska Craft Beer Festival will be held at Pals Brewing on September 9th. Attendees will sample beer, wine, and spirits from breweries around Nebraska. This event increases craft beer awareness in the western portion of the state, raises money for the Nebraska Craft Brewers Guild, and brings visitors to North Platte for the weekend.
• Approved $1,000 in promotional funding for the Homestead Pumpkin Patch. The Homestead Pumpkin Patch continues to provide family fun for locals, the surrounding communities, and visitors alike. They will be hosting a Flower Bazaar July 29th and 30th as well as August 5th and 6th. Their fall festivities, which will feature another new attraction this year, will be back from late September through the month of October.
• Approved $5,000 in promotional funding to the Ag Society for their concert during the Lincoln County Fair. Easton Corbin and Jason Mayer will be performing live at the Lincoln County Fairgrounds on July 28th. Easton is a well know county music singer and his performance will draw in many music fans from surrounding areas to enjoy not just his performance but the Lincoln County Fair. Jason Mayer is from Kearney and has a strong following throughout the state. This show will be fun for attendees of all ages and will hopefully be the start of bringing live music back to the Lincoln County Fair annually.
• Approved $500 in promotional funding for Music on the Bricks. Music on the Bricks has become a North Platte staple since it began in 2017. The event not only showcases the beautiful downtown Canteen District but also highlights area talent by giving them a chance to perform for a large crowd. There are also vendors, food, and kids’ activities which make it a great time for the entire family. Visitors like to experience destinations by engaging with the locals and seeing what events they gravitate towards. The spring Music on the Bricks event will be held on May 20th with the larger, two-day Music on the Bricks event coming August 11th and 12th.
• Approved $15,000 in promotional funding for Family 1st Productions, Fijack Entertainment, and Dean Shaffer Productions for their collaborative live entertainment series Party ‘N’ Platte. These three companies are coming together to bring live music and entertainment events to North Platte that will be enjoyed by locals and bring in visitors. Hosting events that appeal to live entertainment enthusiasts year-round will be a great asset to our community.
• Approved $6,600 in funding for North Platte Pow Wow. The North Platte Pow Wow is a cultural dancing and singing celebration featuring Native American participants. Along with the Pow Wow this event includes a PTSD Awareness Walk, a tipi raising, a tribute to our veterans, a Quilts of Valor presentation, and a basketball tournament. This will all be happening July 7th through the 9th and will primarily take place at Buffalo Bill State Historical Park. Annually, 650-1,000 attendees and participants come to the North Platte Pow Wow. 95% of the participants are from out of state and well over half of the spectators are from outside of North Platte. Attendees and participants have grown to enjoy the North Platte Pow Wow over the past three years and the numbers are expected to grow again for the fourth annual showcase.
• Approved $3,000 in funding for Platte River Cruise Night. Platte River Cruise has grown from a single day event to a three day celebration that offers not only a car show and cruise, but also rockabilly competitions, a kids’ cruise, burnouts, a 4x4 off road course, a stunt bike exhibition, a loud exhaust contest, live music, a firework show, vendors and food trucks, and appearances from celebrities like Steve Darnell from Vegas Ratrods and Ryan Evans from Counting Cars who will be attending the 2023 event. This year Platte River Cruise Night is scheduled for July 7th through the 9th. This event continues to bring car enthusiasts to our area while also providing a weekend of fun for locals.
• Approved $7,100 in funding for Viva North Platte. This new event will be a two-day Hispanic cultural celebration that will educate on the history and celebrate the traditions of the Hispanic culture. There will be Native dancers, a mariachi band, a queen/princess coronation, boxing matches, pinatas, food, fruit, and craft vendors, and more. This event will help welcome newcomers by providing a space where their traditions are celebrated as well as educating existing community members and bringing in visitors and guests. The first Viva North Platte will be held at the Lincoln County Fairgrounds on September 15th and 16th.
• Approved $3,000 sports incentive funding for the Rail Yard Ringer Open Horseshoe Tournament. The Rail Yard Ringer is a regional/national horseshoe tournament that will be held August 4th through the 6th which is during the local Rail Days Celebration. The event will start off with a fun tournament on Friday with the larger competition being on Saturday and Sunday. Horseshoe pitches from across Nebraska, surrounding states, and across the nation will travel to participate in this tournament at Cody Park.
• Approved $3,500 in incentive funding for the North Platte Canteen Festival. The North Platte Canteen Festival celebrates and honors the North Platte World War II Canteen which served more than six million soldiers passing through. Now in its third year, the Canteen Festival is becoming a local favorite, and it offers visitors a chance to learn about our rich history. The 2023 festival will include a Fall Vendor and Art Show in the downtown Canteen District from 10:00am-4:00pm on September 23rd. During the Fall Market & Art Show there will be performances by the Flatrock Irregulars who will play all 1940’s hits as well as Jody Ingalls from Encore History who will take attendees on an unforgettable journey through the WWII years with iconic songs of the day performed in character by some of the era’s favorite voices. On September 24th there will be a Canteen inspired performance at the North Platte Community Playhouse.
The next round of funding is now open, with a July 1 deadline for events or projects occurring in October, November, and December 2023. These applications will be considered at the regular monthly Board of Directors meeting scheduled for July 26, 2023. Anyone interested in submitting a grant application is encouraged to contact the Visitors Bureau at 308-532-4729 and discuss their project with a staff member.
Grant funds, marketing, and operating expenses for Visit North Platte are funded solely through the lodging taxes that are collected and remitted for overnight stays by lodging properties in Lincoln County. It is thanks to the efforts of the lodging property partners located within the county that funds are available to attract more visitors, which have a significant impact on the economic well-being of our Lincoln County communities.