Home » NGPC News » Fort Robinson Christmas Dinner has 1939 theme

Fort Robinson Christmas Dinner has 1939 theme

Christmas Dinner
Attendees enjoy the historical Christmas Dinner at Fort Robinson State Park in 2014. (NEBRASKAland/Justin Haag)

CRAWFORD, Neb. – World War II was beginning in Europe, “Gone with the Wind” was a hit at the box office and the soldiers at Fort Robinson enjoyed a Christmas dinner of turkey, pork loin, oyster soup and an array of sides and fixings.

The 200 attendees of the 23rd annual Christmas Dinner at Fort Robinson State Park on Dec. 2 will be treated to the same menu as that one in 1939, when Fort Robinson was a quartermaster remount depot producing horses and mules for the military. The dinner’s program, always enhanced by many attendees who dress in period attire, includes live music and historical commentary.

Tickets for the event, which often sell out in a hurry, will become available at select locations 8 a.m. Monday, Nov. 6. They may be purchased at the Fort Robinson’s headquarters, Herren Brothers True Value in Harrison and the Visitors Center-Chamber of Commerce in Chadron. Because of high demand, there is a limit of four tickets per household.

Again complementing the event’s festive atmosphere will be the Christmas lights installed on park buildings with help from community members. The lights will turn on at 6 p.m. the night of the dinner and will remain lit each evening through December. Groups interested in decorating a building at the park may contact the park’s office at 308-665-2900 or ngpc.fort.robinson@nebraska.gov.

About Justin Haag

Justin Haag has served the Commission as a public information officer in the Panhandle since 2013. His duties include serving as regional editor for NEBRASKAland Magazine. Haag was raised in southwestern Nebraska, where he developed a love for fishing, hunting and other outdoor pursuits. After earning a bachelor’s degree in journalism from Chadron State College in 1996, he worked four years as an editor and reporter at newspapers in Chadron and McCook. Prior to joining the Commission in 2013, he worked 12 years as a communicator at Chadron State, serving as the institution’s media and public relations coordinator the last five. He and his wife, Cricket, live in Chadron, and have two children.

Check Also

Volunteer Spotlight – Windmill State Recreation Area

An interview with Helen Brazee, campground host at Windmill State Recreation Area By Eric Fowler …