Nebraskaland Days (is the official state celebration of Nebraska! The Nebraska Game and Parks Commission organized the original festival which debuted in Lincoln in 1965 with a spectacular parade that incorporated the best of Nebraska’s community and culture. The Celebration stayed in Lincoln through 1967, Nebraska’s centennial year, and also included a rodeo, a kids western costume parade, the Miss NEBRASKAland DAYS pageant and the Frontier Revue musical. The creation of the Buffalo Bill Award, given to a film or television star that identified with the Wild West through his or her body of work, brought celebrities like Charlton Heston and Henry Fonda to the state until 2007. In 1968, NEBRASKAland DAYS moved to North Platte, fittingly the city where William F. “Buffalo Bill” Cody had his Scout’s Rest Ranch and created America’s first spectator rodeo. Through the hard work of the City and the Celebration’s first board of directors, NEBRASKAland DAYS merged the existing Buffalo Bill Rodeo and Parade into its traditional schedule of events and thus began the NEBRASKAland DAYS we know and love today. The iconic Wild West Arena, located across the road from the Buffalo Bill State Historic Park and the Lincoln County Museum, was completed in 1971. It houses the Buffalo Bill Rodeo, Summer Jam Concert Series and the NEBRASKAland DAYS organization. Fifty-six years after the inaugural Celebration, NEBRASKAland DAYS continues to be a source of pride for North Platte and the state. The “newly” added Summer Jam Concert Series has brought in high-end musical entertainment since 1975, attracting visitors from all over the country. The Buffalo Bill Rodeo committee was inducted in the Pro Rodeo Hall of Fame in 2008. Every year, thousands of fans know the third week in June means the return of NEBRASKAland DAYS and a good time for all who can be there to experience the celebration)

Wild West Arena under construction.......................

1965.................

Calling it a night................................

Outdoor Theaters in Kentucky - Summer should be spent outdoors, especially in Kentucky. You may not know that throughout the Bluegrass State, there are a number of outdoor theaters, putting on quality productions of some of your favorite plays and musicals. They all provide an excellent opportunity to enjoy the warm, summer evenings while watching an engaging show, surrounded by Kentucky’s natural beauty. There are 10 such theaters in Kentucky; I've been to the three listed below.

The Stephen Foster Story - Bardstown, KY. In idyllic Bardstown, experience what is possibly Kentucky's most well-known outdoor theatre with The Stephen Foster Story. (Comment: This is my favorite and I've been many times. I had a friend who had a role and sang two solos in the play for 37 years.)

Kentucky Shakespeare Festival - Louisville, KY. From May 31st - August 13th, experience a variety of Shakespeare's classics in Central Park in Louisville. The 8pm shows are free, and there are even a number of food trucks set up behind the amphitheater.

Jenny Wiley Theatre - Prestonsburg, KY. Within Jenny Wiley Resort State Park, this outdoor theatre has expanded to year-round productions that include performances in nearby Pikeville. But their outdoor productions are simply magical. This summer, look for favorites such as Madagascar and Tarzan on their outdoor stage.

Pool Noodles (is a cylindrical piece of flexible, buoyant polyethylene foam. Pool noodles are used by people of all ages while swimming. Pool noodles are useful when learning to swim, for floating, for rescue reaching, in various forms of water play, and for aquatic exercise. The most common dimensions are about 160 centimetres (5 ft 3 in) in length and 7 centimeters (3 in) in diameter. The pool noodle is also used for people who experience difficulties in swimming. The pool noodle is often used to protect sharp edges and corners)

not just for use in the pool, pool noodle DIYs..................

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Queens Water Lantern Festival (July 8, 2023) - Water Lantern Festival is more than just an event, it's an experience. We realize that everyone has different life circumstances and many are going through the same struggles and victories, heartfelt losses, and personal gains. These life-events, and the emotions that go along with them make us human. At Water Lantern Festival, we bring everyone together to create an atmosphere of hope, unity, love, and happiness. This event is celebrated in various locations throughout the United States. In Queens, NYC, in 2023 it took place on July 8th at the Fountain of the Planets.

Root Beer Float (the quintessential summer treat! with scoops of vanilla ice cream floating in bubbly foamy root beer. Also known as a "black cow" or "brown cow", the root beer float is traditionally made with vanilla ice cream and root beer, but it can also be made with other ice cream flavors. Frank J. Wisner, owner of Colorado's Cripple Creek Brewing, is credited with creating the first root beer float on August 19, 1893. The similarly flavored soft drink birch beer may also be used instead of root beer. In the United States and Canada, the chain A&W Restaurants are well known for their root beer floats. The definition of a black cow varies by region. For instance, in some localities, a "root beer float" has strictly vanilla ice cream; a float made with root beer and chocolate ice cream is a "chocolate cow" or a "brown cow". In some places a "black cow" or a "brown cow" was made with cola instead of root beer. In 2008, the Dr Pepper Snapple Group introduced its Float beverage line. This includes A&W Root Beer, A&W Cream Soda and Sunkist flavors which attempt to simulate the taste of their respective ice cream float flavors in a creamy, bottled drink)

off to work..............................

I've got the root beer, but not the vanilla ice cream. 

Street Rod Nationals - is the world's largest street rod gathering. It is hosted annually by the NSRA (National Street Rod Association). The Street Rod Nationals was first held in 1970 in Illinois and is currently held in Louisville, Kentucky. It has historically been held in a number of cities across the United States such as Columbus, Ohio and Memphis, Tennessee. The event encompasses a variety of activities aimed at celebrating street rod culture. It acts as a Trade Fair for street rod vendors and an Auto Show for hot rod enthusiasts. All of the cars shown at the event must be at least 30 years old. The Street Rod Nationals also hosts seminars on topics relevant to street rodding. Prize winners are decided based on the overall quality of the vehicles presented including the fit and finish, gaps in the build, interior leather, air conditioning, wheels, chassis and so on. Tens of thousands of spectators attend each year.

Kentucky Exposition Center - Louisville

YouTube

Street Rod Nationals parade through downtown Louisville to kick off annual event

The event at the Expo Center starts Thursday and continues through Sunday.

YouTube

54th annual Street Rod Nationals kicks-off at the Kentucky Expo Center

54th annual Street Rod Nationals kicks-off at the Kentucky Expo CenterSubscribe to WLKY on YouTube now for more: http://bit.ly/1e5KyMOGet more Louisville new...

I have a can of root beer in the fridge too, the only ice cream I have is a chocolate chip cookie dough but that could work...............

Tree Climbing Goats (Every June, goats climb 30 feet or more up the thorny and gnarly Argan trees of southwest Morocco to get a taste of the tree’s fruit, which looks like a shriveled up apple. It’s a scenario that seems like only kids could imagine but these goats were made for tree climbing. They have two-toed hooves, which spread out to give them balance and leverage. The soft soles of the goat’s hooves help them grab onto the bark and their dewclaws give them the ability to pull themselves up branches)

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National Ugly Truck/Ugly Truck Contest Day (July 20) - It is an annual celebration to discover the weirdest and ugliest trucks in the nation. This quirky day is popular among truckers and collectors who have old and modified trucks that look like art pieces or like complete junk with wheels and a working engine. Every part of a truck is important to someone who loves trucks, and they would have already made wonderful memories with the truck. For most truckers, their truck, no matter how old or unkempt it appears, is their life, and they treasure it above all else.

Winners of the first Ugly Truck Contest 

Veep Day (on August 9 recognizes and celebrates the American constitution related to presidential succession matters. The day came to the attention of the masses during the 1970s when President Richard Nixon resigned following the Watergate scandal, and in his place, Gerald Ford was announced as the new president of the U.S. This was the first time in history that a president was sworn into the Oval Office without being elected as president or vice president. Spiro Theodore Agnew, who was the vice president during Nixon’s presidency, had resigned a year before Nixon’s resignation, becoming the second and most recent vice president to ever resign in the history of the country. American history shows 14 vice presidents who became presidents due to elections or the sudden deaths/resignations of their presidents)

never saw this show, but maybe the Veep we need......................

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WorldFest in Louisville - returned to downtown Louisville for its 21st year on Labor Day weekend. The festival, which ran from Sept. 1-4, celebrates international cultures, with more than 20 different countries represented over the four-day celebration. The free festival was held at the Belvedere from 11 a.m. to 11 p.m. each day, except on Monday, when it ran from 11 a.m. until 8 p.m. There were 40 food vendors and more than 100 booths offering international crafts and merchandise across the festival grounds. On the first day of WorldFest, there was a naturalization ceremony held at the Muhammad Ali Center, where officials say more than 60 immigrants became U.S. citizens. Also returning this year, on Sept. 2, there was the Parade of Cultures, where residents marched down 5th Street to the top of the Belvedere dressed in native attire to showcase their cultural heritage.