Plenty of family fun around this weekend

OMAHA

Celebrate 150 years of making the grade

The Omaha Public Schools bring their story of a century and a half of teaching the Omaha community to the Durham Museum starting Saturday.

Explore the history of OPS through a collection of rare photos and one-of-a-kind artifacts.

The exhibit is part of a larger celebration throughout the year taking place at multiple OPS schools in recognition of the sesquicentennial. Events will include family festivals, sports clinics and student demonstrations.

“Omaha Public Schools: 150th Anniversary” will be open from Saturday through Dec. 27.

The Durham Museum is at 801 S. 10th St. Hours are Sunday 1 p.m. to 5 p.m., Tuesday 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. and Wednesday through Saturday 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. It is closed Mondays.

Admission is $7 for adults, $6 for those older than 62, and $5 for children ages 3 through 12. Members and children 2 and younger are free.

For more information, visit www.ops.org, visit www.durhammuseum.org or call 444-5071.

GRAND ISLAND, NEB.

Get a hands-on feel for old-time ag fair

This weekend brings another journey to the past, courtesy of the Stuhr Museum. The 1899 Agricultural Fair rolls into Railroad Town from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday and noon to 5 p.m. Sunday.

The fair brings with it the chance to get a hands-on feel for the importance and impact of farming in our region. Activities include a midway, apple peeling contests, a fortuneteller, a display of antique farm equipment, textiles displays, art displays, photography displays and “J.P. Black's Curiosities.”

The museum is at 3133 W. U.S. Highway 34 in Grand Island. Admission is $10 for adults and $8 for children. For more information, call 308-385-5316 or visit www.stuhrmuseum.org.

ARLINGTON, NEB.

Cowboy boots optional at fair

It's been 91 years, and the fun hasn't stopped.

The Washington County Fair kicks off another year of family festivities Friday, setting the stage for 2009's celebration with evening rodeos beginning at 7:30 p.m. both Friday and Saturday.

During Saturday night's rodeo, country music artist Rick Trevino will perform.

4-H competitions will take place throughout the fair, which runs through Wednesday in Arlington.

Sunday will bring a pancake feed and a parade through the streets of Arlington beginning at 4:30 p.m. On Monday evening, fans can enjoy free admission to the antique tractor and pickup pull. Tuesday is the Fontanelle tractor pull.

The fair ends Wednesday night with a bang: A demolition derby, a showcase of crashing vehicles with nothing to lose, begins at 7:30 p.m.

All major events will take place at the fairgrounds on U.S. Highway 30 at the west edge of Arlington.

Admission to the rodeos, Tuesday's tractor pull and Wednesday's demolition derby is $7 for adults (ages 13 and up), $3 for children ages 9 to 12, and free for ages 8 and younger.

For more information and a full schedule, call 478-4663 or visit www.wcffair.com.

ASHLAND, NEB.

Hold onto your hats: Whirlybirds are on the way

Look up in the sky! It's — well, easily identifiable as a helicopter.

Bring the kids out to witness the marvel of human flight during Helicopter Day, happening Saturday at the Strategic Air & Space Museum.

Families will enjoy the show as multiple helicopters come in for a smooth landing on the grounds, beginning at 10:30 a.m. An Omaha Police Department helicopter, a Black Hawk military helicopter, a LifeNet medical helicopter and a privately owned helicopter will touch down close, but not too close, to the gathered crowd.

Before and after the helicopters land, Offutt Air Force Base personnel will bring working military dogs to demonstrate their training.

Also performing aerial demonstrations will be the Orbiting Eagles and the Omahawks, model airplane clubs specializing in control-line models and radio-control models, respectively.

After the helicopters land, families will be able to see them up close and get an introduction to the internal workings.

Finally, at 2 p.m., visitors can watch as the helicopters take to the sky again.

The museum is at 28210 West Park Highway in Ashland.

For more information on Helicopter Day, call 402-944-3100 or visit www.sas- museum.com.