a partnership grounded in history and focused on the future. THE NEBRASKA SPRINGTIME TRADITION Fonner Park’s origins begin in the early 1950s and is named after Gus Fonner, a land owner who allocated some of his land toward the development of the campus. CEO Chris Kotulak shares, “It was April 29,1954 that the first thoroughbred horse race was run at Fonner Park. For close to 75 years we have had a racing season that begins in mid February and concludes on the first Saturday in May, which is always the Kentucky Derby. At Fonner Park, our racing season and our presentation of horse racing we refer to as the ‘Nebraska Springtime Tradition.’” Over time, Fonner Park has expanded well beyond its original footprint, into a 230-acre campus housing multiple attractions and facilities. Among those additions is the Heartland Event Center, a 6,000seat arena that opened in the mid 2000s.Additional amenities followed, including a variety of community events, Fonner Keno, and eventually the Nebraska State Fair itself. More recently, the campus welcomed the Grand Island Casino Resort, a seven story, 162 room hotel and casino that became fully operational in April 2025. Beyond entertainment and tourism, Fonner Park has also contributed land for public use. “There’s a fire station that was formerly on the Fonner Park grounds that Fonner Park gave to the city of Grand Island,” Kotulak expands.“There’s the Island Oasis Waterpark that used to be just a soccer field. We really have quite a little gem here in central Nebraska.” BRINGING THE FAIR TO GRAND ISLAND The relocation of the Nebraska State Fair from Lincoln to Grand Island was a turning point, both for the fair itself and for the community. That move required legislative approval, community vision, and a clear plan. “That was not a decision that the legislature made lightly, but it was a decision that they made within one session, which is pretty phenomenal when you think about moving an event that has been in the capital city for decades,” acknowledges Cindy Johnson, who works with the state fair on governmental relations and other special projects. As the University of Nebraska explored expansion needs in Lincoln, Grand Island saw an opportunity. “When that plan by the University started to actually take shape, we convened a group of community leaders, both elected and non elected, and put together a plan of what the State Fair could look like in Grand Island, Nebraska, with Fonner Park as one of our core anchors,” she recounts. 107 BUSINESS VIEW MAGAZINE VOLUME 13, ISSUE 01 NEBRASKA STATE FAIR & FONNER PARK
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