Calendar of Events

As the Home of Arbor Day, Nebraska City has been at the forefront of the tree-planting movement for more than 150 years. What started as a plan to make the empty plains welcoming to settlers and provide shade, shelter, and building materials has turned into a weekend-long celebration! Events include educational programs for local schoolchildren, commemorative tree plantings, a 5K, food trucks, a home, craft, and garden market, a parade, fly-in pancake feed, the Best of the Midwest Bloody Mary Championship, and more!

Last Friday in April – into the weekend
NebraskaCity.com

Willkommen to GermanFest – a family-friendly festival celebrating German heritage! Get a team together for the sand volleyball tournament, sign up for the 5K, grab a front row seat for the Lil’ Miss & Lil’ Meister Pageant, shop the craft and retail vendors, relax in the Beer Garden, find your favorite in the RibFest Competition, watch the Kinder and Grand Parades, root for your pup in the Viener Dog Races, best your friends in the Hammerschlagen, tap your toe to the live music, and tee off in the Burgermeister Open Golf Tourney!

September 29 – October 1, 2023
https://www.facebook.com/GermanFestSyracuseNE/
www.GoSyracuseNe.com

First Saturday in February
Unadilla is the “Groundhog Day Capital of Nebraska”. They have a full day of activities from a soup contest to a character re-enactment from the Nebraska Humanities Council. A Groundhog’s Day King and Queen reign over the events, which also includes a 2-block 45 minute-long parade, flea market and parachute jumpers.

See their Unadilla Bill – Groundhog Celebration Facebook page
www.UnadillaNebraska.com

Enjoy a weekend full of small town goodness with the Palmyra Old Settlers Picnic! Events include a community garage sale, 5K, flea and farmers market, softball and baseball games, used book sale, root beer floats, carnival, cornhole tournament, wine tasting, parade, fireworks, and our ever-popular Dunk-A-Priest.

2nd weekend of June (annually)
https://www.facebook.com/PalmyraActionLeague

Everything you could ever want in a County Fair can be found every summer in Syracuse! It’s the Otoe County Fair! From animals to carnival rides, from displays to food, from Bingo to rodeo…don’t miss the Otoe County Fair!

End of July
www.OtoeCountyFair.com

Ranked one of the Top 10 Fall Festivals in the nation, AppleJack in Nebraska City is where memories are made! Visit any of our popular orchards to pick your apples fresh off the trees, or grab a bushel of pre-picked…along with some apple pie, apple cider, apple jelly, apple donuts, and caramel apples! Head downtown for a pancake feed, shopping, the parade (featuring a Marching Band Competition), the Classic Car Show, craft & vendor fairs, a flea market, and food trucks. Other activities include the Nebraska City Extreme Bull Riding Tour, the traditional Water Barrel Fights, the Taste of AppleJack ‘All Things Apple’ Recipe Contest, and the Progressive Dinner. This festival is so big, it had to be spread out over two weekends!

NebraskaCity.com

AppleJack Parade:

AppleJack Festival Water Fights

Celebrate Otoe at the Otoe Barbeque! Traditional events include a breakfast and Fun Run, a Blue Rock Shoot, car show, vendor market, Bingo, parade, tractor drive, and, of course, a fantastic BBQ meal.

Second Weekend in September
https://www.facebook.com/Otoe.BBQ/

Join us for old-fashion Christmas fun on the 1st Sunday of December. Celebrate with your children doing Christmas kids’ crafts and visiting with Santa! Or see what home-made baked goods and crafts are for the taking. Local businesses on our downtown cobblestone 5th Street have open houses with treats and special sales. There is a Living Nativity that takes place, followed by the traditional tree lighting of the giant 30′ Christmas tree located right in the middle of the main intersection downtown. Get into the Christmas spirit with our community celebration!

Early December
https://www.facebook.com/Tannenbaum-Syracuse-NE-2054805761420244/