News Channel Nebraska will be providing live coverage of Saturday’s Homestead Days Parade.

BEATRICE, NEB. - A southeast Nebraska town is in the midst of one its biggest weeks of the year.

Beatrice Homestead Days is a celebration of the Gage County town and its longstanding history.

“We’re 46 years old this year, we have a great time celebrating our Homesteading heritage,” Angie Bruna, Executive Director of the Beatrice Chamber of Commerce said.

Angie Bruna is the Executive Director for the Beatrice Chamber of Commerce and notes, while 2024 Homestead Days has the traditional events such as fireworks on Friday, a parade on Court St. Saturday morning, and rib fest Saturday evening, a new event is the “Big Rig Row” outside Charles Park and the Carnegie Building.

46 years of Homestead Days is a healthy number, one Bruna credits to community support.

“At the chamber we’re a staff of four people - we can’t physically do it all,” Bruna said. “We have great partnerships with the city and different organizations, Homestead [National Historical Park] is still very much involved and our volunteers and sponsors really come through.”

Bruna expects about 15,000 people to line Court St. on Saturday morning for the parade, presenting opportunity for area businesses and the Beatrice economy.

“That many people and the people who come in who are not here for the parade, that’s a great impact for us economically,” Bruna said. “They’re in our stores, restaurants, they’re filling up with gas. They’re putting extra dollars into our base for extra revenue we otherwise would not have.”

A full schedule for Homestead Days can be found on the chamber website at beatricechamber.com.

News Channel Nebraska will be providing live coverage of Saturday’s Homestead Days Parade.