Enders Extravaganza hopes to top ‘21

    It was such a big success in 2021 that staff at Enders Lake Recreation Area hopes to build on last year’s 100th anniversary celebration.
    This year’s Enders Outdoor Extravaganza will be held all day Saturday, June 25, at Enders Lake.
    All events will be located in Area A by the shower house and fish cleaning station. That camping area will be closed all weekend starting Thursday, June 23, according to Park Supt. Beau Licking,
    He and park employee Dayna Scherbarth already have a host of extravaganza events scheduled.
    They hope to build on last year’s successful event as they joined state parks across Nebraska in celebrating the 100th anniversary of the state park system.
    Game & Park Deputy Director Jim Swenson estimated that 2,000 people attended the 2021 Enders Extravaganza, noting it was one of the best attended 100th celebrations in the state.
    While some of the same events will return this year, there will also be a number of new ones, Scherbarth said.
    One of the main events of the day is its Smokin’ on the Lake BBQ contest. That’s returning for sure, and there’s already high interest, she said.
    Of the 15 contest spots open, 13 were already filled last week, Licking said. This year, contestants will put their personal touches on brisket, pork butt, a dessert and a “mystery meat” they won’t find out about until that day.
    Attendees will get to sample the contestants’ food following the contest, Licking added.
    Those wanting to fill the  last two BBQ contest spots can call either Scherbarth, 308-233-1026, or Licking, 308-530-2648.
    The morning will kick off with a 5K run with proceeds this year going to the Gary Sinise Foundation which supports America’s veterans, first responders and their families.
    The tractor show and working truck show also return in 2022, with prizes to winners. The planners emphasized that working truck entries should be just that—trucks actually working every day.
    Other events in the planning stages include a watermelon feed, arts and crafts show, petting zoo, a bouncy house, kayaking, a dutch oven cooking demo, the Game & Parks law enforcement trailer and outdoor games including horseshoes, cornhole, sand volleyball and ladder golf.
    The day’s events will be capped off in the evening with music and a dance featuring BB & the Boys out of Kansas, Scherbarth said.  
    The planners hope to have more arts and crafters this year, and they are now recruiting vendors. For a $25 fee, vendors will have a 10 x 10 foot space, but can schedule a larger area for an additional fee, she said.
    A number of other events are in the works including a possible working blacksmith demo. More details will be announced as June 25 nears.
    Scherbarth and Licking now have registration forms for the truck show, tractor show and arts/crafts displays.
    They have already received some good response from sponsors with $2,600 contributed, she said, but are looking for more. There are various levels of sponsorship.
    The sponsors help them defray costs for the day’s activities, she said. Contact either of them for more details.
Other activities this year
    Scherbarth and Licking have a host of other events already scheduled for 2022.
    Here are the dates and events:
    April 16—Easter egg hunt
    May 7—Spring horse trail ride
    May 20-21—BioBlitz
    Oct. 8—Fall horse trail ride
    Oct. 29-31—Haunted trail