Jose Perez
COZAD — Cozad Community Leaders kicked off their Hay Days 2024 “Welcome to the Jungle” celebration on Thursday, with the Cozad Elementary fourth- and fifth-grade Little Miss Hay Days and Mr. Haymaker Essay Contest and a window decorating contest.
The essay contest challenged students to explore their creativity and problem-solving skills by responding to the following prompt: “If you could invent any small or new technology that would improve your life in some way, what would you create? What would it do? How would it work, and when would you use it?”
Students were given 30 minutes to develop their essays, focusing on originality and usefulness. The specifics of each student’s invention were not revealed during the award presentation.
In the fourth-grade division, Annabell Davis and Kamden Kugler took home top honors, while Nakita Griffis and Jacob Martinez were named winners among the fifth graders.
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Families and staff at Cozad Elementary cheered for the children as each winner’s name was read aloud.
Proud parents quickly took out their phones and cameras to capture the moment, and several impromptu photo sessions followed as the winners were congratulated by their families, teachers and friends.
As part of their reward, the female winners were given plastic tiaras for their “Little Miss Hay Days” accomplishment, while the boys were honored as “Mr. Haymaker,” with each of them receiving a football as a symbol of their achievement.
In addition to their crowns and footballs, the winners will be honored during the 2024 Hay Days “Welcome to the Jungle” parade on Saturday.
In the days leading up to the Hay Days celebration, Cozad Community Leaders had encouraged local businesses, organizations and schools to participate in a window decorating contest that embraced the event’s jungle theme.
The contest included around 10 entries, sparking a sense of friendly competition among the participants, who worked hard to transform their storefronts into vibrant displays that captured the spirit of the jungle.
Participants included Homestead Bank, Waypoint Bank, Security First Bank, Wilson Public Library, Cozad Middle School Library, Meridian Tap House, Big E’s, VVS, Inc., Earl’s AutoGlass and South Central Development Services.
The “Welcome to the Jungle” theme prompted contestants to think creatively about their designs. Participants decorated their windows with jungle-related imagery, including animal stickers, hand-drawn trees, lush greenery and vines. Many displays also featured quotes or sayings that connected to the wild, adding a layer of thoughtful interpretation to the visual spectacle.
Cozad Community Leaders representatives were tasked with judging the window decorations, and the deadline for completion of windows was set for 7 p.m. Thursday. The winner was announced about noon Friday: Big E’s.
Hay Days schedule
Saturday
8-10 a.m.: Farmers market at Veterans Memorial Park.
10 a.m.-2 p.m.: Maker Market vendors and Braxton’s SmokeHouse BBQ at Veterans Memorial Park.
11:30 a.m.-1:30 p.m.: Scouts BSA hamburger feed at Veterans Memorial Park.
11 a.m.: Downtown Hay Days Parade begins (lineup at 10:30 a.m., judging at 10:45 a.m.).
11 a.m.-2 p.m.: Cheerleaders sell walking tacos downtown.
11:30 a.m.-1:30 p.m.: Elks Club buffet lunch at Cozad Elks Lodge
11:30 a.m.-2 p.m.: Knights of Columbus ice cream sale at Sonny’s parking lot.
Noon-5 p.m.: Cozad Dance Team serves mac and cheese bowls near 100th Meridian Museum sidewalk.
Noon-midnight: DC Lynch Carnival downtown.
Noon-8 p.m.: Gelly Ball Meridian events in downtown green space.
12:30-8 p.m.: Pulled pork feed at the Grand Generation Center.
1 p.m.: Registration for Elks greased pig wrestling contest and auction at 820 J St.
2-4 p.m.: Cozad Fire Department water fights on the west side of Veterans Memorial Park.
2-6 p.m.: Bingo at the Grand Generation Center.
2-8 p.m.: Braxton’s SmokeHouse BBQ at Eighth and F streets parking lot.
7 p.m.-midnight: Cozad Alumni Association Banquet at the Cozad Elks Lodge.
Sunday
Noon-5 p.m.: Gelly Ball Meridian events in downtown green space.
1-5 p.m.: DC Lynch Carnival.
4 p.m.: Cozad Community Leaders bike raffle drawing.
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