News Release

Annual Old-Fashioned Spelling Bee and ice cream social on Labor Day at Homestead National Historical Park

Date: August 19, 2024
Contact: Tanner Christy, 402-223-3514

BEATRICE, Neb. – On Monday, September 2, 2024, starting at 10 a.m. at the Freeman School, join in that time honored tradition of the annual Old-Fashioned Spelling Bee. Stick around after the spelling bee for a free ice cream social, complete with games and activities that schoolchildren would have played back in the homestead era. 

Contestants will be grouped into five categories: under 7 years of age, 7-9, 10-12, 13-15, and 16+. Registration begins at 9 a.m. with the under 7 age group starting off the event at 10 a.m. Joanne Neemann, Director of the Beatrice Public Library, will serve as pronouncer, who will help speak out the words and provide information a speller will need to help them spell out the word. There is no entry fee required to participate in the spelling bee or the ice cream social, and trophies will be awarded for the first and second place winner in each age category, courtesy of the Friends of Homestead National Historical Park. Even if you don’t want to compete, you’re welcome to join us for the fun!

Historically, spelling bees were not only a chance for good spellers to be recognized for their skills but were also social events for homesteaders, with the community coming together to enjoy the festivities. Words in the English language come from many different languages, just like homesteaders came from many different countries. This means that many words aren’t spelled phonetically and can be quite the challenge to spell. Out of this challenge came the spelling bee, a tremendously popular event in one-room schools across the country.

Join us at Homestead National Historical Park during Labor Day weekend for our fun, family-friendly schedule of events, including the Living History Extravaganza on Saturday, August 31, and the annual Old-Fashioned Spelling Bee and ice cream social on Monday, September 2.

Remember, Homestead National Historical Park has an exciting schedule of events planned for 2024. Keep up with the latest information by following us on Twitter (HomesteadNHP) and Facebook (Homestead National Historical Park).
 

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About the National Park Service. More than 20,000 National Park Service employees care for the 430 parks in the National Park System and work with communities across the nation to help preserve local history and create close-to-home recreational opportunities. Visit us at www.nps.gov, on Facebook www.facebook.com/nationalparkservice, Twitter www.twitter.com/natlparkservice, and YouTube www.youtube.com/nationalparkservice.