Events

Star Party Hosted by Bennington Public Library & The Omaha Astronomical Society

Kick off your summer with Kids FunFare — a lively, family-friendly event happening every Thursday morning in June at Regency Shopping Center!

Join OPL at the Gene Leahy Mall for storytime! Storytime is geared toward preschoolers, but all ages are welcome to join in the fun. Rain or shine, we'll be there! They will be under the big white pavilion.

The Very Hungry Caterpillar will visit for a special storytime! Children of all ages are welcome. Experience stories, creative movement, music and more. We explore the early literacy skills of singing, playing, reading, talking, and writing in each storytime. There will be opportunities to take photos.

Stop by and cool off with a refreshing dose of creativity! We've got all the supplies and plenty of inspiration for kids to make and take home something awesome. All they need to bring is their unique personality!

How much do you know about the animal kingdom? Can you tell the difference between a monkey and an ape? What farm animal is more dangerous than sharks? Join OPL and educators from Omaha's Henry Doorly Zoo and Aquarium for this gameshow-style program.

Are you in your beaded bracelet era? Join OPL to make these widely popular statement pieces! Use polymer clay beads, letter beads and more to bedazzle your own bracelet or make one for a friend. This is a free event and is suggested for kids aged 7-14. Registration is required

Join Omaha Street Percussion for a workshop designed to give young patrons an opportunity to drum, while at the same time learn the importance of teamwork. Participants will be challenged to multi-task by using skills such as counting, listening, and watching for instruction and guidance in order to accomplish the ultimate goal, which is to perform as a whole group!

Ages 0 - 12.  Chalk Paint at Southwind Park

Poop, vomit, slime, and even more amazing disgusting topics will be explored as we learn about some of the grossest (and coolest) animal traits. Join OPL and educators from the Henry Doorly Zoo and Aquarium to learn about mammal digestion and discover why scientists use poop to track animal migration patterns.

Just how do instruments make sound? In this storytime with the Omaha Symphony’s education team, we’ll explore pitch and vibration in this interactive program centered around Mary and her Little Lamb (and Llama!). Designed for students ages 3-7, all ages are welcome in this musical adventure.

Join time traveler Professor Brock Branabas for an immersive and entertaining adventure where we’ll learn to tame and protect ourselves from fierce dragons! In the event of inclement weather, this program will move to CB Library Meeting Room B.

Oh no! We're stuck in the past! Or is this the future? Work together to find hidden relics from each era and fix the T.I.M.E machine before that hungry dinosaur eats you for dinner. Do you have what it takes? Registration is required 

Drop in anytime to meet a variety of awesome mascots, take photos, and play some games. No library card or registration required.

The Very Hungry Caterpillar will visit for a special storytime! Children of all ages are welcome. Experience stories, creative movement, music and more. We explore the early literacy skills of singing, playing, reading, talking, and writing in each storytime. There will be opportunities to take photos.

Rotating schedule of free instructor-lead wellness classes sure to get you moving. This Week’s Activity: Yoga with Andi Palladino

Join OPL as we welcome Taylor Adams, head puppeteer for Opera Omaha’s Fantastic Mr. Fox. Taylor will educate young patrons about puppetry and encourage them through the creative process of making their own puppets. All supplies are free and included. Registration is required

Compete against other teams to complete the same puzzle in the fastest amount of time. All teams will be provided with a puzzle and will have two hours to finish the challenge. The first team to complete the puzzle wins!
Space is limited, and registration is required.

What wisdom could your ancestors offer us today? Make 5”x 5” collages to be displayed in spaces that people will encounter in their everyday lives. Share a message intended to provoke, reveal, or call attention to a historical or current issue, event, or system.

This workshop is writers who love to dream big, think outside the box, and have fun while learning. You’ll leave with exciting new ideas and maybe even the start of your next masterpiece. No matter your experience level, this class will help you grow your storytelling superpowers—and have a blast while doing it. Game on! This is a free program for ages 10-13. Registration is required 

The Very Hungry Caterpillar will visit for a special storytime! Children of all ages are welcome. Experience stories, creative movement, music and more. We explore the early literacy skills of singing, playing, reading, talking, and writing in each storytime. There will be opportunities to take photos.

Join a Teaching Artist from the Nebraska Writers Collective as they lead a writer’s workshop. Participants will workshop their own work and participate in a prompted writing activity. This is a free event for kids aged 8-12. All supplies are included. Registration is required 

Just how do instruments make sound? In this storytime with the Omaha Symphony’s education team, we’ll explore pitch and vibration in this interactive program centered around Mary and her Little Lamb (and Llama!). Designed for students ages 3-7, all ages are welcome in this musical adventure.

So..You wanna train a Dragon?? Why not start with slime?! The Dragons are BACK!! It's time to get our hands gooey with custom Dragon Slime Jars!! Channel your inner Hiccup and mix up a batch inspired by your favorite dragons-whether it's Toothless Night Fury Black or Light Fury Shimmer! This is a FREE, all ages event! First come, first serve, while supplies last!

Join for Celebrate Your Shine, a fun and inclusive dance party designed especially for individuals with special needs and their families and/or caregivers! This afternoon event offers a unique opportunity to enjoy the dance floor and explore the bar in a welcoming, low-pressure environment, free from large crowds. Come dance, celebrate, and shine together in a space where everyone is valued and included!

While we may not want to think about needing these skills, the fact is that we all do. Come to this all-ages self-defense class taught by Sanders ATA in order to get a basis in self-defense for all.  Free and open to the public. Hosted at Cochran Park. Registration not required. 

Young minds are going to burst with excitement! Stop by and be amazed as our friend Mrs. M. shows us a variety of fun tricks and fascinating experiments with bubbles. It's an adventure in science that'll seem just like magic!

Join OPL as we welcome Taylor Adams, head puppeteer for Opera Omaha’s Fantastic Mr. Fox. Taylor will educate young patrons about puppetry and encourage them through the creative process of making their own puppets. All supplies are free and included. Registration is required

Ages 12 - 17. Bring your own shirt/item. ONE per person. While supplies last.

Calling all witches and wizards! Think you have what it takes to participate in this Wizarding Adventure? Come solve puzzles and clues to unlock a prize box before time runs out in this escape room based on the best-selling "Harry Potter" book series. There will be three escape rooms, at 1 p.m., 2 p.m., and 3 p.m. for participants ages 8-12. Try to escape over summer break! Registration is required

Through hands-on experiments and fun, interactive stories, we get kids excited about the science that’s all around us as we celebrate the scientists who color our world with art! In the event of inclement weather this program will be moved to the CB Library.

Join a Fontenelle Forest Raptor Educator as they talk about birds of prey, including an owl, hawk, and a falcon. This program will take place outside, weather permitting. If not outside, it will take place in the Youth Department outside the Play-and-Learn Center.

Join OPL as we welcome Taylor Adams, head puppeteer for Opera Omaha’s Fantastic Mr. Fox. Taylor will educate young patrons about puppetry and encourage them through the creative process of making their own puppets. All supplies are free and included. Registration is required

Bennington Library Community Partners

Become a Jedi (or a Sith) by designing your very own lightsaber! Use colorful materials and a flashlight to bring your galactic weapon to life! Registration is required for this event.

Join OPL as we welcome staff from Papio Natural Resources District. They will teach us all about turtles! Did you know Nebraska is home to 9 species of turtles? With the help of a few animal educators, we will learn all about what makes a turtle, a turtle!

Bring your favorite stuffed animal friend to a pajama storytime! After storytime, your stuffie friend will stay at the library for a sleepover with the librarians, where we’ll take pictures of them doing all sorts of fun activities. This program is for kids ages 0-7, but older siblings are welcome too.

Kick off your summer with Kids FunFare — a lively, family-friendly event happening every Thursday morning in June at Regency Shopping Center!

Stop by and cool off with a refreshing dose of creativity! We've got all the supplies and plenty of inspiration for kids to make and take home something awesome. All they need to bring is their unique personality!

Join for a night of fun! Featuring topics like hairstyling, dress-up, and tea party etiquette.

Join for Community Fishing Night at Kramer Lake! Look for the Family Fishing Trailer, where loaner rods and reels, bait and fishing instruction are available free to participants. Fishing Instructors are also available to provide helpful tips and answer questions. This is the perfect opportunity for people of all ages who have never been fishing or haven’t fished for years to learn.

Just how do instruments make sound? In this storytime with the Omaha Symphony’s education team, we’ll explore pitch and vibration in this interactive program centered around Mary and her Little Lamb (and Llama!). Designed for students ages 3-7, all ages are welcome in this musical adventure.

Drop in and explore a variety of outdoor art, including water squirter painting, fiber art, chiseling on a group sculpture, and much more. They will be using paint so wear your messy clothes!

Take me out to the ballgame!!!  The College World Series are in town and what better way to celebrate than with a DIY Baseball Playdoh Craft!!  This is a FREE, al ages event!! First come, first serve, while supplies last!!

All Ages. This 45-minute family-friendly sow will showcase magic, juggling, storytelling, clowning and audience interaction.

Explore the science in art in this mystery science show called “Adventure of the Missing Color”. No library card or registration required. Please sit with your child.

Join this summer for some stargazing at Eugene T. Mahoney State Park! Powerful telescopes will be set up at the park’s golf shack for a glimpse of the night sky spectaculars. The event is free to the public, but you will need a valid Nebraska park entry permit for your vehicle. Stargazing will begin at dusk. Remember to bring your camp chairs or blankets! Telescopes will be provided.

Come explore different service vehicles from your community. From fire trucks to police cars, there will be a variety of "trucks" for all. This will be held at Papillion Landing, north of the Field House.

Enjoy the timelessness of painting “en plein air,” an inspiring way to immerse yourself in the beauty of the outdoors as you capture it on canvas. Supplies are provided; however you are welcome to bring your own if you prefer. Join Metropolitan Community College at the Canopies in Gene Leahy Mall for this artistic experience.

It’s your time to shine! Join OPL and instructors with Pear Tree Performing Arts studio to explore culture through the power of oral tradition, folktales, and drama. Participants engage in a variety of arts-based lessons and learn about the world, diversity, different cultures, values, virtues, and morals through tales passed down from generations. This is a free event for kids, ages 6-12. Registration is required

Enjoy a fun evening with family friendly activities including guided nature hikes, games, crafts, archery, and s’mores! Stay until dusk to see all the lightning bugs come out! Bring your own jar to decorate and catch/release these amazing insects. RSVP starting May 19th by clicking the button below!

Visit the 11th Street Promenade to see a magic show featuring cards, rings, ropes, silks, and even an escape. It's the Tricks of the Trade performed by Old Market Magician, Ryan Chandler. From The CW's "Fool Us" to the "Penn & Teller: Try This At Home" magic special, Ryan is known for his unique street style which often combines magic and elements of music. You can find out more about Ryan and his show at Old Market Magician.

Navigate like a true adventurer! Discover the science of magnetism and direction by creating your very own compass.

Experience stories, creative movement, music and more. Explore the early literacy skills of singing, playing, reading, talking and writing in each storytime! Children of all ages are welcome; storytimes will be tailored for the age of the children present. At this storytime, we will learn about fire safety with a local firefighter and even see a fire truck!

Join for 30 minutes of fun with professional dancers from the American Midwest Ballet! We’ll hear a story, watch a dance, and learn some moves of our very own! In the event of inclement weather, this program will move to CB Library Meeting Room A.

All Ages. Donna Trout Clown Demonstration.

Missing any socks? You just might find the culprit at our store! Author Lisa Smith and illustrator Cherri Yost will be here to read and sign their book The Sneaky Sock Gremlin. Don't miss out!

Join OPL as we engage in digital storytelling through exciting STEM and coding activities with our new community partner Snapology! While children are exploring robotics, coding, and design challenges using LEGO® bricks and technology, they are learning new skills and having fun! This is a free event for kids 6-12.