UNL to Host Many Events at Nebraska State Fair

Aug. 19, 2013

LINCOLN, Neb. — The University of Nebraska-Lincoln will host many events at the Nebraska State Fair in Grand Island from Aug. 23- Sept. 2.

The College of Agricultural Sciences and Natural Resources will have a booth focusing on degree programs for prospective students in the Exhibition Building Hall, as well as hands-on activities promoting CASNR academic programs in the 4-H Building.  The Institute of Agriculture and Natural Resources and CASNR will host an open house in the hospitality loft of the Five Points Band Livestock Arena from 1 p.m.-3 p.m. Sept. 1.  Free ice cream will be provided by the UNL Dairy Store.

UNL Extension will host an informational booth about its programs.

A UNL Admissions booth in the 4-H/FFA exhibition building will show fair-goers what it's like to receive a Big 10 education. Husker spirit items including buttons and tattoos will be distributed.

The UNL Food Processing Center display in the 4-H/FFA exhibition building will feature more than 20 food companies offering samples of food produced in Nebraska. Visitors will be able to sample salsas, pickles, beef jerky, popcorn and more.

More than 5,000 4-H members will have more than 10,000 exhibits in such areas as science, agricultural literacy and career development. Youth from all 93 counties will be represented.

Fair-goers will get their first glimpse of the Nebraska Building now under construction. Starting in 2014, the $5.4 million building, financed mostly by Nebraska banks, will host the Ag Literacy Experience partnership with the Nebraska Department of Agriculture. That exhibit will feature 25,000 square feet of interactive activities designed to help participants understand the science and art of agriculture, as well as expose them to agriculture-related careers.

New interactive activities at the 4-H exhibit hall will include:

– A Commodity Carnival Aug. 26-27, which aims to engage and educate youth about the vital role of agricultural commodities in everyday life. Developed by The Ohio State University Extension, the Commodity Carnival will consist of two hands-on mini carnival games – Invest and Grow and Pig-Linko – to introduce the concepts of agriculture futures, options and commodity trading to the target audience of families and youth ages 8-14. Each activity will guide the participants through the process of producing a commodity (i.e., hogs) and selling it.

– A series of hands-on science experiments on Aug. 31, Science Discovery Day, including:

          – Let's Communicate: A LEGO building challenge where one person gives instructions to his or her partner about how to build a structure.

         – Blast Off: Families will design paper rockets.

         – Build a Bridge: Families will build a bridge out of index cards to support washers.

         – Build a Tower: Families will build towers out of dry spaghetti and mini-marshmallows.

         – Inspired by Nature: Families will match human inventions with their inspiration in nature.

         – Learning from Failure: Families will create a boat out of aluminum foil and test it until it sinks.

A full list of activities and schedule is at 4h.unl.edu, or available by downloading the Nebraska 4-H State Fair app.