45th Homestead Days Celebration wraps up its run

BEATRICE – By all accounts, attendance was solid at the Homestead Days celebration which wrapped up its 45th year in Beatrice, Sunday. Things got off to a great start at an east Beatrice Family Fun Night Friday, followed by a fireworks display.

"Not having done the event for a long time, we didn't know what to expect what attendance was going to be. But, it was packed the whole evening and people had a great time....kind of nostalgic. And, what does that mean going forward? Do we keep it....if we do, how do we get more volunteer engagement to keep it going?"

 
Beatrice Area Chamber of Commerce Executive Director Angie Bruna said the parking area was full for the fireworks display and because of its location at Beatrice High School near the House of Orange, surrounding homes got a good view of the display.  Saturday’s Homestead Days Parade lasted an hour and 45 minutes, with entries pushing near one hundred.

 
"Nine o'clock hits and there's still empty spaces...but my golly, by the time ten o'clock....it's like people the whole way. We had 93 entries in the parade, which was a higher number than we had for several years. I think we had great attendance."

Kids activities were held Friday in Charles Park.  "We had just a nice steady flow for the whole afternoon, which is great. We had make and take craft section going on....the first one hundred kids got to tie-dye t-shirts and make projects. We had a zipline going and that was a big hit...bounce houses and different activities....a lot of fun."

The Jayhusker Auto Club car show was a big closing event for Sunday of the celebration, along with a flea market at Chautauqua Park. Bruna says the chamber was hoping to match last year’s turnout of auto entries for the car show.

 
"We're on track for that one-hundred and thirty...I'm really excited to see if we can break our record and have a new one."

The duck race….a throwback event that returned to Homestead Days this year, faced a schedule change. Because of the low level of the Big Blue River, the plastic ducks raced down a drainage canal fed by a fire hydrant….past the entrance to the Big Blue Water Park. All five-hundred ducks were sold at ten-dollars each, for a chance at winning prizes.