These 6 Nebraska Towns Have The Most Unique Festivals
Welcome to Nebraska, where the corn is tall, the skies are wide, and the festivals are as quirky as the state's nickname, "The Cornhusker State." Known for its vast plains and friendly folks, Nebraska is home to the world’s largest rail yard, the birthplace of Kool-Aid, and enough stars to fill a dark sky park. With a history of fur traders, railroads, and apple orchards, Nebraska offers a unique blend of fun, food, and festivals. Here are six Nebraska towns that have the most unique festivals.
Mitchell
The Old West Balloon Fest is western Nebraska’s premier hot air ballooning event, celebrating its 11th anniversary this summer from August 14 to 17, 2025. The inaugural event was first held in the 1980s and then reinflated in 2015. It’s a family-friendly festival, attracting pilots and visitors from all over the United States to Scotts Bluff County, home of the Scotts Bluff National Monument. The monument rises about 800 feet above the North Platte River and was a key landmark and navigational aid for pioneers traveling westward along the 2,000+-mile Oregon National Historic Trail, the storied gold rush route known as the California National Historic Trail, and the 1,300-mile Mormon National Historic Trail starting at Nauvoo, Illinois, and ending in Salt Lake City, Utah, during the 19th century.
This year’s festival includes an opening ceremony and a 100th-anniversary celebration at nearby Western Nebraska Community College, followed by a weekend of balloons in flight, all-day food trucks, a craft fair, and an odd wiener dog race whose entrants are classified by age as little sizzlers, Oscar Meyers, bratwursts, and aged brats. Due to the hot summer temperatures, the balloons do not fly during the day, which is the perfect opportunity to explore Scotts Bluff, Wildcat Hills State Recreation Area, and the Legacy of the Plains Museum.
Nebraska City
During its historic AppleJack Festival, the small town of Nebraska City sees its population blossom from about 7,500 residents to over 60,000 as visitors celebrate the region’s rich apple-growing heritage. The AppleJack Festival is held annually every September, with this week’s celebration spread over two weekends, September 19 to 21 and 27 to 28, 2025. Both weekends are jam-packed with family activities, including apple-themed treats, orchard tours, craft fairs, a parade, an Apple Jamboree, and more.
While in Nebraska City, continue to explore the region’s deep connection to nature and history by visiting the 72-acre Arbor Lodge State Historical Park, home to the 52-room historic mansion once the residence of J. Sterling Morton, the founder of Arbor Day. The mansion and grounds celebrate the importance of trees, conservation, and Morton's legacy. Visitors can explore the historic house, gardens, arboretum, log cabin, carriage house, and over 200 varieties of lilies.
Chadron
Located in the northwest corner of Nebraska, the town of Chadron is thought to be named after the French fur trader, Louis Baptiste Chartran. It’s no surprise that this former fur-trading post hosts the 49th annual Fur Trade Days celebration from July 10 to 13 this year. Billed as a historic celebration of buck-skinners, traders, and Native Americans, the four-day event includes a Buckskinner’s Camp, carnival rides, live entertainment, a trader’s market full of craft and food vendors, a parade, and fireworks.
Take a break from the festivities and explore the Museum of the Fur Trade, which is dedicated to preserving the history of the North American fur trade. Listed on the National Register of Historic Places and built on the site of an original trading post for the American Fur Company in 1837, the museum’s collection boasts items like a blanket from 1775, 125-year-old crop seeds, and firearms once belonging to Mountain Man Kit Carson and Tecumseh. For outdoor lovers, Chadron is also home to one of the 154 National Forests in the U.S., the Nebraska National Forest, and the Pine Ridge National Recreation Area.
Valentine
In a town usually celebrated for its connection to romance and Valentine’s Day, the stunning Merritt Reservoir in Valentine is the site of the Nebraska Star Party (NSP) from July 20 to 25, 2025. As of 2022, the Merritt Reservoir State Recreation Area joined other Dark Sky Parks in the U.S. as an official International Dark Sky Park, and in 2024, Travel + Leisure magazine named the Nebraska Star Party the best astrotourism spot in the U.S.
The week-long event attracts stargazing enthusiasts across the U.S. for family-friendly activities like constellation tours, Dark Sky observation parties, sky games, and beginner astronomy lessons. Attendees typically stay at primitive campgrounds in the park, with chuck wagon-style meals served in the NSP tent on the main observing field, although there are motels, bed and breakfasts, and RV spaces in the area. During the day, swap meets, lunches, and optional add-on activities like float trips down the Niobrara River are available.
North Platte
The town of North Platte is intrinsically linked to U.S. rail history, as it has played a pivotal role in the development of railroads. The town's connection to the railroad dates back to the 1860s when the Union Pacific Railroad was constructed through the area as part of the Transcontinental Railroad project. North Platte is home to the Union Pacific’s Bailey Yard, the largest railroad classification yard in the world, and the location of North Platte Rail Days. Rail Days is an annual two-day festival where train spotters and their families can tour the Bailey Yard by motor coach. This year, the event takes place from August 1 to 3, 2025, with activities like pancake breakfasts, model train shows, obstacle courses, and more.
Visitors will also have the opportunity to see the Golden Spike Tower and Visitor Center where a Hall of Fame honors the people who built the yard, an open-air observation deck, and finally the fully-enclosed eighth floor of the tower for a bird's-eye view of Bailey Yard, where over 13,000 railcars are processed and coordinated daily. In the Flag Courtyard, 23 flags fly, representing each state the Union Pacific Railroad serves.
Hastings
Hastings is renowned as the birthplace of Kool-Aid, invented by Edwin Perkins in 1927. Beyond its sweet roots, Hastings is rich in history and culture. It is home to the Hastings Museum of Natural and Cultural History, which is lauded for its wildlife dioramas from the 1930s-40s, which are considered works of art. Other landmarks in Hastings include the Nebraska Bigfoot Crossroads of America Museum and Research Center, which is dedicated to Sasquatch education and sightings.
Despite Hastings' claim as the official birthplace of Kool-Aid, the iconic sugary drink is often celebrated in other parts of the U.S., including appearing on a float during the 89th Annual Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade in New York City, the largest Thanksgiving parade in America. In Hastings, Kool-Aid Days will be held August 15 to 17, 2025, at the Adams County Fairgrounds. This year’s theme is “Grape Escape.” The much-anticipated event includes a fun run, Kardboard boat races, bouncy castles, and a Kool-Aid drinking contest.
Nebraska is a hidden gem of unique festivals celebrating its history, culture, and quirky charm. In Mitchell, the Old West Balloon Fest features colorful hot air balloons and even wiener dog races, while Nebraska City’s AppleJack Festival highlights the region’s apple-growing heritage. Chadron takes visitors back in time with Fur Trade Days, and Valentine shines under the stars at the Nebraska Star Party. North Platte’s Rail Days celebrates its connection to the railroad with tours of the world’s largest rail yard. Finally, Hastings embraces its sweet legacy as the birthplace of Kool-Aid, featuring a weekend of nostalgic fun.
