Fonner Park — Restaurant in Grand Island

We went to the Nebraska State Fair on 9/4/22, which was located at Fonner Park. I was amazed at all the work they've done. They've added benches and seating all over the fair area which is so nice, especially since I'm elderly. So many areas have been landscaped which has greatly added to the beauty of the Fair grounds. I can't say enough about how modern & well-maintained the buildings are (& air-conditioned). The restrooms were clean and unlittered, amazingly so since there was such a huge crowd of fairgoers. There are shuttles to move people through the fairgrounds who prefer not to do a lot of walking; also walkers, wheelchairs, & scooters were available for rent. I was impressed at the caliber of carnival ride operators...very clean, well-dressed, polite, and attentive to each ride. I liked how they had ropes in the parking areas, creating a more efficient way for fairgoers to get in and out of the parking areas. So many volunteers were all over the Fair and were knowledgeable about the Fair events, pleasant, helpful, and keeping the grounds picked up. Everyone I saw was having a very enjoyable experience. They had a nice, big selection of food services and long lines showed the most popular. There were wonderful, day-long free events/entertainment for...

Ran the Nebraska State Fair Half Marathon race. Lots of aid stations which is always a plus. There were people stationed throughout the route cheering you on which was really nice. It was my first time to the Nebraska State Fair in Grand Island and the layout to me seemed a bit chaotic. Not a clear path to get around the grounds. Attended the Pentatonix concert with over 12000 people. Love the P's but the whole set up was a disaster. Getting in the arena was brutal. After still not getting in after the first 30 minutes of the show starting. Snuck in a way we weren't suppose to go in. How they set up inside was ridiculous. I thought I had seats in the stands but I ended up in an area where we stood all night. I didn't see any stands. Plus there were people behind me that brought lawn chairs. They did have screens in front of the standing folks, although I don't know how visible they were to those sitting behind us. If the P's didn't have such a strong following I don't know how that whole situation would have turned out. Not sur if this is really a review of Fonner Park as it is one day...

Great place to do so much. Let's see there is the Heartland Event Center for concerts, sporting events, and even large conventions. It's also the home of the Nebraska State Fair, held each year in late August ending on Labor Day. Need space for a Convention? Try the Bosselman Conference located under the Event Center. Then there is the Grand Island City Recreation Field House that houses 4-H exhibits during the State Fair. Next, to that is the Nebraska Building, home offices for the Nebraska State Fair. Then there is the Pinnacle Bank Expo Building that has plenty of space to show off just about anything. South of that is the 5 Points Arena. Great place to put on Livestock events. If you need even more space to show animals there is the Thompson Foods Outdoor and Indoor Arenas. Above the Fonner Park Concourse, you will find Fonner Keno Casino great place to dine. Oh, I almost forgot Fonner Park Race Track, which started it all, for live and simulcast...