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About The daily Nebraskan. ([Lincoln, Neb.) 1901-current | View Entire Issue (Aug. 21, 1997)
The ostrich races will equally entertain, offering something for both equestrian and Romanesque chariot fans, Palmer said. “People are used to seeing four legged animals race. (They) move front to back when they run,” Palmer said. “But ostriches move side to side, so it looks a bit exotic, especially when they are attached to a chariot.” While the bareback ostrich jockeys at the state fair all will have previous experience with the bird, Palmer said race offi cials will recruit those interested in chariot racing. “We hope to get some local celebrity guests, like DJs ■ from the Blaze or Froggy 98.1. but we might have volunteers from the audience as well.” Palmer said that no ostriches would be hurt in the event. She did not comment on the volunteers. Not as exotic as sprinting camels, but equally danger ous, will be the daily Mexican circus, featuring the Globe of Death. Inside the 15-foot-diameter orb, a father and two sons will mount dirt bikes and proceed to simultane ously ride in circles, frequently coming dangerously close to collision. “It is really incredible,” Palmer said. “They flip upside down and race around in circles inside this little globe. They do it at night, too, and all you can see are their head lights flashing and streaking around in this little cage.” In addition to the men on motorcycles, the women of the family will perform a half-hour trapeze act and tight wire show, Palmer said. With tractors and ostriches, pig farmers and Mexican motorcyclists, this year’s fair offers a new mix of attrac tions to complement, as well as juxtapose, the old fair favorites. New music by new artists will be played along side classics by old masters. Foreign animals will be seen in the same pens as their domestic counterparts, perhaps indicative of a new awareness and accessibility of the world around us. Mexican entertainers will display their skills and cultural pride to celebrate a state with an increasing Mexican presence. This year’s fair promises to be the most representative of Nebraska’s evolving and shifting population, offering a proportionate mix of old state fair staples and new attempts to attract a younger and more diverse generation of state fair fans. State Fair performances Bob Devaney Sports Center Aug. 22: “Weird Al” Yankovic, 7:30 p.m. Aug. 23: Gary Puckett and the Turtles, 7:30 p.m. Aug. 24: Chris LeDoux, 7:30 p.n|.'"-- * Aug. 25: Lonestar, 7:30 p.m. & • Aug. 26: Sawyer Brown, 7:30 pm. * Aug. 27: The Statler Brothers, 7:30 p.m. Aug. 28: Terry Clark, 7:30 p.m. - Aug. 29: Alabama, 7:30£m,. % . Aug. 30: Doobie Brothers, 7:30 pm. Sept. 1: Toby Keith, 2 p.m. Beer, Blues, and Regional Rock Aug. 22: Self Righeous Brothers, 6 p.m.; Exit, 8 p.m.; Chris Herriges Project, 9 p.m. Aug. 23: Sandy Creek, 8 p.m. *, Aug. 24: Baby Jason and the Spankers, 6:30 p.m.; BossPhilly, 9:30 p.m. Aug. 29: Jill Marie, 6:30 and 9:30 p.m. Aug. 30: Secret Skin and Grasshopper Takeover, 9 p.m. Aug. 31: Blue Moon Ghetto, 9 p.m.
