The 136th annual Buffalo Bill Rodeo kicks off June 15 at NEBRASKAland Days in North Platte. Photo by Nebraska Tourism. There’s no place like NEBRASKAland Days for celebrating Nebraska’s 150th birthday this summer. North Platte rolls out the Wild West red carpet June 14-24 for a supercharged sesquicentennial version of the official state celebration.
“We’ve ramped up the rodeo, parade, the concerts and everything in between,” said David Fudge, NEBRASKAland Days’ executive director. “This is a once-in-a-lifetime kind of deal.”
More than 85,000 people from 36 states and two foreign countries attended the Cornhusker culture-fest in 2016. More are expected this year. Signature events such as Cowboy Kickball join an impressive lineup of national talent to dazzle, wow and entertain audiences.
Loop Rawlins, the whip-cracking, gun-spinning, trick-roping wonder who gained fame on TV’s America’s Got Talent, performs during the 136th Buffalo Bill Rodeo. Country music legends Alan Jackson and Dwight Yoakam kick off the concert series on June 23.
People compete for prime Dewey Street parade viewing spots to watch the floats, marching bands and entries from all corners of Nebraska in the Official Sesquicentennial Grand Parade on June 17.
NEBRASKAland Days hosts one of the top rodeos in the nation in the birthplace of modern rodeo. Buffalo Bill’s Scout’s Rest Ranch is a stone’s throw away from the Wild West Arena. This rich history combines with North Platte’s long-standing reputation for Western hospitality.
Former North Platte mayor Jim Whitaker remembers canvassing local restaurants in the late 1960s to surprise out-of-towners with free rodeo tickets.
“That’s the way we do things out here,” he said. “This is an extension of how North Platte has always been, dating back to the World War II canteen. We want you to be our guest.”
For more information visit nebraskalanddays.com or (308) 532-7939.
Join the Discussion
No comments