Aksarben Stock Show Welcomed 1,300 Exhibitors

Grand Island, NE — The 2024 Aksarben Stock Show, coordinated by the Nebraska State Fair, concluded another remarkable year for guests with nearly 1,300 exhibitors and 2,300 head of livestock. More than 25,000 people attended the four-day event on the Fonner Park campus in late September.

With exhibitors ranging from ages 9 to 19, the Aksarben Stock Show remains one of the largest regional youth livestock shows in the U.S., attracting top-tier youth Exhibitors from 14 states and showcasing a wide variety of breeds. Underscoring its commitment to supporting young agricultural leaders, the Aksarben Stock Show, awarded more than $85,825 in premiums and $118,750 in premium scholarships at the 2024 event.

Nebraska State Fair Board Chair, Jeff Kliment says, however, the event is ‘more than a livestock show’, with staff putting an extra emphasis on the Beyond the Show Ring participant experience in 2024.

Kliment says the 4-day event was filled with livestock shows in each of the arenas, but exhibitors and their families also enjoyed a kids’ entertainment area, a movie theater, a study hall space, a miniature outdoor football field, and more, allowing memories to be made for all ages.

"The Aksarben Stock Show is about creating an experience that every exhibitor and their family will remember," said Jeff Kliment, Nebraska State Fair Board Chair. "Our focus is providing an environment where kids can learn, grow, and enjoy their time here, even outside of the show ring, as we have a lot of younger siblings that come out to the show with their family."

The Aksarben Stock Show also hosted a number of competitions that allowed youth to showcase a variety of skills. Competitions outside of the show ring included events like livestock quiz bowl, junior and senior speech contest, and livestock judging contest, where participants did not have show livestock to compete.

This year, Aksarben celebrated its 97th annual event, it’s 8th year in Grand Island. Vaughn Sievers, Director of Agriculture for the Nebraska State Fair, says participants love the convenience and facilities the event provides.

“We hear time and time again that the facilities are some of the best in the country. Capital improvements made by the Nebraska State Fair and facility maintenance provided by Fonner Park continue to make this Campus a venue people want to show at,” said Sievers. “In many cases, youth and their families are traveling hundreds of miles to compete, and our community really embraces them all very well while they are here.”

The show’s tradition of fostering the growth and development of future agricultural leaders continues to thrive with the help of the invaluable support of Aksarben Stock Show scholarship donors and event sponsors alike.

"Aksarben Stock Show is most successful because of the Nebraskans who stand behind it year after year," said Kliment. "Our Board is grateful to the donors, sponsors, and volunteers who make it possible for us to continue this Nebraska livestock legacy."

For more information on the Aksarben Stock Show or to view highlights from this year’s event, please visit Aksarben Stock Show’s Facebook page.