Council approves interlocal agreement to sponsor State Fair "Welcome to Grand Island" events

The Grand Island City Council on May 27 approved an interlocal cooperation agreement with the Nebraska State Fair that will make the city the primary sponsor of a hydration-station program and the ‘‘Welcome to Grand Island Day’’ at the State Fair, scheduled for Sunday, Aug. 24, 2025.

Spencer Schubert, the city’s communications manager, described the 2024 pilot collaboration and said the city provided program sponsorship, staffed a booth and distributed 5,000 fans during a hot day at the fair. Jamie and other State Fair representatives described the fair’s attendance history and the event’s potential reach; Jamie said the State Fair has recorded about 304,314 attendees in the past year and that attendance on the first Sunday has ranged from about 24,000 to 30,000 in recent years.

Under the year-two agreement, the city will receive branding and communications opportunities on fair materials, staffing at the gates during Welcome to Grand Island Day, hydration-station sponsorship (refill stations), and a photo-frame activation on the grounds. In exchange, the State Fair will receive limited media-production services, assistance from city staff for the state-fair marathon, and donated feather flags previously provided by Grand Island Tourism.

Council member Nickerson moved to approve the agreement (identified in the meeting as 2022-163); Council member Hazy seconded. The motion passed on a council vote.

Spencer Schubert said Grand Island Tourism and Grow Grand Island covered most of the costs of the 2024 activation and that the 2025 sponsorship aims to encourage visitors to return to or stay longer in Grand Island.

The agreement was approved as a consent-agenda item after brief discussion; council did not set additional conditions.