8 | Dawson & Gosper County Travel Guide 2025
Elwood finalizing plans to welcome 500 cyclists for Tour de Nebraska Lunch will be served from 11 a.m. to 2
the carnival grounds, with local groups encouraged to participate as fundraisers. According to Jenkens, Nebraska Rodeo Queen Danielle Forster might make an appearance on her way home from NEBRASKAland Days. All lodging accommodations are booked, with additional beds available if needed, according to Jauken. The welcome booth, staffed by The Home Agency, will provide information, goodie bags, postcards with QR codes, maps and designated selfie spots. The HiLine Stampede, a pep club for Elwood and Eustis-Farnam schools, is preparing signs to greet cyclists along the highway and in town. Amenities will be overseen by the Lions Club, which will ensure bathrooms are stocked and cleaned, monitor trash collection, and oversee charging stations equipped with power strips at two tables. Shaben has provided six rollout carts for the parking area and a roll-off dumpster across from the Legion Hall. A first aid station will be available courtesy of Lexington Regional Health Center, while Kirk Corder will serve as the emergency contact overnight for issues at the civic center. Organizers have arranged backup locations at the school and senior center in case of severe weather or excessive heat. Transportation will include a continuous horse-and-buggy route, along with vans and buses operated by local volunteers including Tara Giger and Nathan Masten. Host homes are also expected to provide transportation for their guests. The following morning on Thursday, June 26, the Ag Society will serve breakfast from 5:30 to 8 a.m. at the Civic Center with pancakes, breakfast casserole and fruit. A coffee bar will be set up outside on the south end, while the Methodist Church will offer an oatmeal bar and cinnamon rolls.
p.m., with surrounding communities contributing. Farnam will provide breakfast burritos from 8 to 10 a.m., and Eustis will supply snacks and drinks. In Elwood, options include a taco bar at the Civic Center hosted by HiLine Stampede, burgers from The Cove, and barbecue fare from the Lone Wolf BBQ food truck. Dinner will run from 3 to 7 p.m., featuring hot dogs and hamburgers served at the Civic Center from 5 to 7 p.m. by Elwood students who are fundraising for their Washington trip, a baked potato bar at the Senior Center from 3 to 6 p.m., and additional offerings from The Press, The Cove and Lone Wolf BBQ. Concessions such as ice cream, popcorn, nachos and drinks will be available from 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. at the carnival grounds. When cyclists ride into Elwood, they will be greeted by live music, according to Jay Edwards of The Press, with performances continuing into the evening in the beer garden. Artists for music performances are still being finalized. A kids bike parade is scheduled for 4:30 p.m., and from 5 to 8 p.m., Cozad’s Frontier Frau will host a beer garden at the carnival grounds. Community member Andrew Price has offered to provide bus tours around Johnson Lake through his company Price’s Rentals, with the possibility of shuttling visitors to lakeside dining spots for drop-off and pickup service. Additional entertainment includes musical performances at the Elwood Care Center courtyard starting at 2 p.m., followed by an ice cream social at 3 p.m. Organizers are also coordinating massages by Amber Nelson during the afternoon. Visitors can enjoy games like cornhole, Plinko, basketball and softball throws at
BY JOSE PEREZ Lexington Clipper-Herald T
he village of Elwood is finalizing plans to welcome hundreds of cyclists when they co-host the Tour de Nebraska on Wednesday, June 25.
Tour de Nebraska (TDN), which limits participation to 500 riders each year, provides cyclists a unique opportunity to experience the beauty and hospitality of rural Nebraska, according to the event’s website. Riders of all ages from around the world have praised the tour as the “most memorable adventure of their lives.” This year’s ride will take place June 24-29. The starting point is at Curtis, followed by Elwood, Cambridge, and McCook, and then back to Curtis. The 500 riders will ride over 30 miles per day. At Elwood’s community planning meeting on Tuesday, May 29, organizers worked through a detailed itinerary to ensure a seamless experience for visitors. Village Clerk and TDN organizer Laurie Jauken shared notes from the meeting, outlining food options, entertainment, lodging, transportation and amenities to showcase Elwood’s hospitality. Food preparations were at the top of the agenda, with vendors and organizations offering a wide range of options. TDN organizer Jennifer Edwards coordinated with TDN staff to accommodate dietary needs, planning gluten-free, vegetarian and vegan meals.
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