Fred Uhe sits down with Amy Allgood, Director of Nebraska City Tourism and Commerce, to talk about how a hometown-bound accountant ended up running one of the region's busiest small-town tourism operations. Amy walks through the growth of the Applejack Festival — now split across two weekends and drawing over 100,000 visitors to a town of 7,500 — and shares the story behind Nebraska City's Farm to Fork dinner, a locally sourced feast staged right on Central Avenue. Along the way, they cover the logistics of free festival buses, the balancing act between chamber and tourism work, and why Amy sees hospitality as "management by crisis" — plus a few Highland cows, a floating bridge, and a cameo from Cars, the movie. It's a warm, behind-the-scenes look at what it takes to keep a small Nebraska town welcoming visitors 365 days a year.
What is Backroads and Byways With Fred Uhe?
Fred Uhe is taking you on a journey to meet some of the individuals, attractions and events that make the Midwest special. In each episode, Uhe will be joined by a new guest from the Midwest with a variety of topics to cover ranging from Omaha radio legends, to chefs and some of the key behind the scenes cogs of the College World Series. Come along for the ride and learn something new about the Heartland!