Story by Visit North Platte
(North Platte, Nebraska, October 30th, 2026) Local event organizers are dedicated to creating fun and exciting events in North Platte and Lincoln County that attract visitors and boost the economic vitality of our community. Visit North Platte’s Promotional Grant Awards are specifically designed to promote, encourage, and draw visitors to Lincoln County. The grant funds, as well as the marketing and operating expenses for Visit North Platte, are entirely funded by lodging taxes collected from overnight stays at lodging properties within the county.
The Visit North Platte Board of Directors approved grant funding at the monthly meeting on October 28th, 2026, for the following. The applications totaled $24,770.25 in requests and a total of $20,270.25 was awarded.
Approved $2,220 in Grant Funds to the 2027 Miss Rodeo Nebraska. The city of North Platte has hosted the Miss Rodeo Nebraska Pageant for 35 years. This event happens during NEBRASKAland Days each summer and offers a great deal of entertainment for locals, draws in contestants, and brings spectators to the city of North Platte. Supporting the upcoming 2027 Miss Rodeo Nebraska, Kelsey Hutton, will help spread the word about Nebraska and North Platte as she attends nationwide events all year.
Approved $1,050.25 in Grant Funds to the City of North Platte. The City of North Platte will be printing new rack cards for the Cody Park Railroad Museum as well as a tri-fold brochures promoting North Platte Parks & Recreation. The Cody Park Railroad Museum is a significant tourism attraction in North Platte, drawing visitors interested in the area’s rich railroad history. The hands-on museum is home to the only Challenger 3900 series steam locomotive on public display in the world, along with a 6900 series diesel locomotive and the historic Hershey Rail Depot. These unique railroad artifacts give travelers a compelling reason to visit North Platte and experience a piece of the community’s history firsthand. The North Platte Parks & Recreation promotional brochures will highlight parks, trails, and recreation amenities throughout North Platte. Both materials will be distributed to visitors and tourism locations to encourage exploration of North Platte and Lincoln County and will help increase awareness of the museum and our amenities while encouraging visitation.
Approved $3,000 in Grant Funds to Midwest Championship Fighting. MCF will have their St. Patty’s Day Beatdown event at the D&N Event Center on March 20th. This will be the 27th MCF event and it will
feature pro and amateur mixed martial arts fights and street fighting. Supporting this event helps to bring in higher level fighters, providing top-tier competition for visitors and locals alike, right here in North Platte.
Approved $14,000 in Grant Funds to the Nebraska High School State Video Competition. The Nebraska High School State Video Championship and Workshop is a multi-day film festival and educational symposium that will be hosted for the second year by the North Platte High School on April 16th and 17th. It features student film screenings, interactive breakout sessions, and unparalleled networking with industry professionals and higher education programs. Before last year there wasn't another event like this available to students in Nebraska. This year the event is expected to grow significantly with approximately 1,000 individuals attending, plus they are adding specialized Friday evening programming which will encourage out-of-town schools to travel early and spend the night in North Platte.
The next round of funding is now open, with a January 1st deadline for events or projects occurring in April, May, or June of 2027. These applications will be considered at the regular monthly Board of Directors meeting scheduled for January 27th, 2027. Anyone interested in submitting a grant application is encouraged to contact the Visitors Bureau at 308-532-4729 and discuss their project with a staff member.
Visit North Platte operates under an agreement with the Lincoln County Board of Commissioners to facilitate the Nebraska Visitors Development Act. Grant funds, marketing, and operating expenses for Visit North Platte are funded by lodging taxes collected and remitted by lodging properties from overnight stays in Lincoln County.
It is thanks to the efforts of the lodging property partners located within the county that funds are available to attract more visitors, which have a significant impact on the economic well-being of our Lincoln County communities.