Latest news with #GrandDrive
Yahoo
21-04-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Campustown Showdown in Ames will feature cattle drive, live music, fashion show
Cattle will take over Welch Ave. this weekend as part of the inaugural Campustown Showdown. Presented by MaxAg in partnership with Discover Ames, the inaugural event, taking place on Friday, April 25, and Saturday, April 26, is a spinoff of the Aggieville Showdown in Manhattan, Kansas, which began in 2021. More: A cattle show is headed to the streets of the Iowa State campus. Find out when: The event aims to blend agriculture, entertainment and community 'in a way that's equal parts tradition and spectacle,' according to a news release. Attendance is free and will feature a "Grand Drive" cattle show on Welch and champion livestock from across the Midwest. More: McFarland Clinic is 1st business to break ground at Iowa State's CyTown district. What to know 'Campustown has never hosted an event like this before,' Kevin Bourke, president and CEO of Discover Ames, said in a news release. 'It's a chance to showcase our vibrant community and its rich agricultural heritage to a wide audience.' The cattle show starts 6 p.m. Friday at the Hansen Agriculture Student Learning Center, where exhibitors will compete to have the chance to show their cattle in the streets of Campustown. 'Our mission is to bridge the gap between rural and urban communities by hosting engaging livestock show events in entertainment districts, providing consumers with an immersive experience of the cattle industry's producer-to-consumer journey,' Christian Calliham, founder and executive director of Campustown Showdown, said in a news release. More: New renderings for CyTown revealed, including rooftop bar and The Cardinal hotel Exhibitors will compete at 6 p.m. Friday, April 25, starting with the showmanship competition at the Hansen Ag Center. At 9:30 a.m. on Saturday, April 26, the competition resumes with market beef and breeding heifer divisions. The top competitors will advance to the Grand Drive on Welch Avenue in Campustown. The public is invited to both the Hansen Ag Center and the Grand Drive. The Grand Drive will begin its stroll at 6:30 p.m. on Saturday, April 26 on Welch Avenue, between Chamberlain and Hunt streets. Visitors can watch the competition and enjoy vendor booths in the area. More: Making cheese is a 'gouda' thing for ISU Creamery. How a $25K grant will double production There will be live music, a western fashion show and an after-party at BNC FieldHouse. The champions will compete for more than $7,500 in cash prizes. Ronna Faaborg covers business and the arts for the Ames Tribune. Reach her at rfaaborg@ This article originally appeared on Ames Tribune: First-ever Campustown Showdown in Ames bridges urban-rural gap
Yahoo
21-03-2025
- Automotive
- Yahoo
Final Oklahoma Youth Expo Grand Drive inside Jim Norick Arena
OKLAHOMA CITY (KFOR) — It was a bittersweet moment inside Jim Norick Arena at State Fair Park Thursday night. For the final time, the building played host to Oklahoma Youth Expo's Grand Drive. This is a big deal to Oklahomans both young and old who are involved in agriculture. 4H and FFA students grew up knowing Jim Norick Arena as 'The Big House.' Their goal was to always make the Grand Drive and be crowned champion. Jim Norick Arena hosting its final state basketball tournament before demolition This made Thursday night extremely special for one high school senior, who is going out on top. 'Being crammed packed into the limo and coming out and walking in under the bright lights in the big house just filled with people, it's an experience that every member wants and only a select few get,' said Addyson Schneberger, a student. The roar of the crowd filled Jim Norick Arena one last time, as dozens of students stepped out of the limo and onto the red carpet for the opportunity of a lifetime. 'Every student's goal is to make it in the limousine because it's obviously really cool,' said Kass Newell, Executive Vice President for the Oklahoma Youth Expo. 'The feeling in this arena during the Grand Drive is unlike any other.' Newell has been working the event for nine years and says it has grown immensely, but one thing that has remained the same is the impact it has on so many. 'When you go to the grocery store and you're selecting meat out of the counter, these exhibitors are the ones producing that food that you're eating,' Newell said. Each spring, nearly 8,000 4H and FFA exhibitors bring more than 14,000 head of cattle, sheep, goats, and hogs to Oklahoma City, representing years of hard work, dedication, and passion. 'They're learning so many true values through this program,' Newell said. 'These are the students that we want to keep in Oklahoma to be the future for our workforce here.' Less than 40 kids received the honor of breed champion and riding in the limo. The selection process is based on the quality of their animal. OG&E Coliseum at the OKC Fairgrounds on track to open this summer 'Knowing that you put in all that effort and that they're going to reward you for the success that you've worked for is amazing,' said Schneberger. Many students were awarded scholarships for their success, then the select few who were crowned grand champions. Schneberger won the Premiere Exhibitor Award, signifying an academic all-state student who exhibited elite animals at the Oklahoma Youth Expo. She calls it the perfect ending to a historic ride inside Jim Norick Arena. 'Everything is going to end here,' Schneberger said. 'I think that there's going to be a few tears shed from people in the crowds. I'm very thankful for all the goals that I've achieved over the years, and I can't wait to see what the next chapter brings.' On Friday, the top 212 exhibitors will sell their animals in the 'Sale of Champions,' where more than $1.25 million will be awarded to the top exhibitors. The show will go on, but starting in 2026, it will be in the brand-new OG&E Coliseum. Addyson, who will graduate in May, says she plans to pursue a degree in AG Business, then attend Law School to become an Agricultural Lobbyist. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
