Businesses Taking the Wheel: A Free Fair Giveaway Built on Community

Dickinson County is roadmarkable — and this week, three local businesses proved it.

With the Central Kansas Free Fair on the way, NextHome Unlimited in Abilene wanted to help ramp up the spirit early — giving the community a reason to start looking forward to Fair week before it even arrived. So they decided to throw a kickoff of their own, and they didn't do it alone.

On Thursday, July 23, NextHome Unlimited hosted a Free Fair kickoff at their Abilene office, 115 NW 3rd Street, with a free hot dog lunch from 11 AM to 1 PM. The spread came together with help from two more Dickinson County businesses: KRH Construction and Tossed and Sauced Pizza both donated to the feed, turning one business's idea into a shared community effort.

"We just wanted to help ramp up the spirit for Free Fair week," said Missy Blacketer of NextHome Unlimited. "Getting KRH Construction and Tossed and Sauced Pizza on board made it even better — that's what community is all about."

NextHome also gave away a family four-pack of rodeo tickets, a family four-pack of derby tickets, and a few more surprises, with the winner drawn at 1 PM. Congratulations to all the winners (listed below)! Kids who stopped by grabbed a free parade bag to fill with candy and goodies at this year's parade — set for Tuesday, July 28 at 4 PM with the theme "Let Freedom Ring" and local VA groups serving as parade marshals.

It was a small event with a bigger point. When local businesses decide to invest in getting their community excited — not just for their own event, but for the county's biggest week of the year — the return shows up in ways that are hard to measure and easy to feel. That's what driving Dickinson County forward actually looks like: not one organization steering alone, but businesses across the county taking the wheel, one event at a time.

A huge thank-you to NextHome Unlimited, KRH Construction, and Tossed and Sauced Pizza for putting community first this Free Fair season.

To learn more about the Central Kansas Free Fair — including tickets, schedule, and parade details — visit ckff.net.

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Facebook Giveaway Winners

• Family 4pk - Rodeo Tickets - Melinda Bruna

• Family 4pk - Demo Tickets - Aleisha Edwards

• Adult Demo Ticket - Connie Dugan

• Adult Rodeo Ticket - Karlee Voit

• Tossed & Sauced Gift Card - Kristine Meyer