Serving proudly since 1873 as the beautiful Nebraska Panhandle's first newspaper
Serving proudly since 1873 as the beautiful Nebraska Panhandle's first newspaper
The 12th annual Hay Day will be held on Saturday.
The 12th annual Hay Day Festival will be a free night of fall fun at the Cheyenne County Fairgrounds.
The festival will be held on Saturday from 5-7 p.m.
It started 13 years ago when a day-care provider in Sidney hosted the event at the Shelter House in Legion Park. However, the event turned out to be more chaotic than planned.
According to Cool Kids program director Coleen Landon, the next year Cool Kids was invited to sponsor the event and the Hay Day Festival was born.
As the festival attracted more and more people over the years, it was moved from the basement of the Youth Center to the Cheyenne County Fairgrounds.
The event is now hosted by the Cool Kids Club/No Limits, Kids Plus, 4-H and the Cheyenne County Community Center.
According Langdon, the event was established to provide a low-cost, family event during the Halloween season.
"This is a holiday that the younger children truly love," Langdon said. "So this night is for them. We try to make it worth while for families with the prizes that are offered for the costume contest."
Families are encouraged to come in costume, for the costume contest portion of the event. Categories will range from infants to family costumes. Prizes will also be given away for each respective age category. Toys, sports equipment, art supplies as well as a one year membership to the Cheyenne County Community Center will be given to the best costumes.
"The Hay Day Festival is open to anyone who wishes to attend," Landon added. "In fact, we encourage our neighbors in surrounding areas to attend. With 4-H and the Cheyenne County Community Center involved, it is truly a county and beyond event. We try to make this very family friendly and at no cost, so everyone can be included."
An addition to this year's celebration is local law enforcement officers handing out goodies.
"This is another part of the evening the children love," she said. "For some, it is the first time they get to see our law enforcement people up close and personal."
The festival will include face painting, cookie decorating, a cake walk, carnival booths and more. Free refreshments will also be provided to guests.
She aded that if locals are interested in helping, cake donations for the cake walk are still needed as well as volunteers to help man the game booths.
Cakes can be dropped off at the Cheyenne County Community Center through Saturday at 1 p.m. or brought to the fairgrounds on Saturday night.
"Every year it amazes me the number of families that take advantage of the evening," Langdon said. "The next week at school the kids are so full of excitement of what they go to do with their mom and dad and their brothers and sisters. Sometimes we even get grandparents to take part! It is all about families playing together."
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