Events

Jeff Quinn's all-new magic show needs YOU! Get your friends and family together and join Jeff Quinn's Summer Reading Show. This is a free event for all ages.

Join on Tuesday evening, June 24, at E.T. Mahoney State Park’s James Family Conservatory and Nature Center to learn all about irises! The Sass Memorial Iris Garden on the grounds of Mahoney State Park displays and preserves over 300 iris cultivars. Learn to appreciate irises in a new way after discovering the rare and award-winning flowers of the collection. Join the Greater Omaha and Lincoln Iris Societies for an educational program and garden tour.

Ages 0 - 8. Meet at Southwind Park for some messy art activities! Wear clothes you can get dirty.

Join OPL staff at different parks and places for storytime, featuring stories, creative movement, music and more. Storytime is geared toward preschoolers, but all ages are welcome. Rain or shine, we'll be there!

Theatre and balloon art come together with this highly interactive show.  Audience volunteers will dress as (premade) balloon characters and act out a story with Patti as the narrator and the audience as the sound effects.  In the event of inclement weather this program will be moved to the CB Library.

Come watch as Dr. Oxygen brings science to life in this "hands on and minds on" show.

Bennington Library Community Partners

Join OPL at Lake Cunningham, Entrance 3, for storytime! Storytime is geared toward preschoolers, but all ages are welcome to join in the fun. Rain or shine, we'll be there! We will be in the shelter at Entrance 3 at 9600 Garvin Road.

Join at the library on Wednesday, June 25, for a magical event! Local magician and hypnotist Jeff Quinn will surely amaze you.  This event is open to all ages, so bring the whole family!

Muggles and magic users of all kinds are invited to OPL for a celebration of the characters, creatures, and world from the "Harry Potter" book series! Come discuss the books, get sorted into your House, and do crafts and activities based on this popular fandom. Costumes are encouraged, but not required. This program is for teens ages 13-18. Registration is required

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 2 p.m., 2:45 p.m., and 3:30 p.m. for participants ages 8-12. Try to escape over summer break! Registration is required

All ages and ability levels are welcome at OPL’s Tabletop Time At the Library where we’ll be playing popular, modern board games like Catan, Ticket to Ride, Splendor, King of Tokyo and more! Come hang out with friends or family, learn a new game, or enjoy a group favorite at the library. This is a free event for all ages. Registration is required 

Join for Community Fishing Night at Fontenelle Park Pond! 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.

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.

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

Join children’s book illustrator, Chloe Burgett, as she shares what it's like drawing pictures for children's books. Chloe will present about her job, read her book, answer questions, and lead a draw-along activity. This is a free event event for children K-5th grade and their caregivers. Registration is required

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 6-12. Registration is required

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 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!

Join OPL for a special storytime featuring the book Harry and Hot Lava by Chris Robertson! At the conclusion of storytime, children will be timed as they jump and hop their way through an obstacle course using various surfaces. Go as fast as you can, but don’t fall in because…the Floor is Lava! This is a free event for children 4+.

These free outdoor concerts will feature live performances with local artists in bite-size pieces. No fees and no tickets required.

Join for an animal experience with Under an Acre Adventures! Come meet the miniature horse Peanut, Mama Goat Mimsy and her babies, the rabbits, and chickens. Learn all about them and their care. 

Join OPL for a musical storytime with guests from the Omaha Conservatory of Music. This storytime will include a special musical story, songs with movement, and an instrument petting zoo, where participants can try out a violin, cello, glockenspiel, stirring xylophone, lollipop drum, and a shaker instrument.

On June 28, the topic will be insects! Bug-out on a hands-on adventure where explorers will catch, observe, and learn about the incredible insects that call Nebraska home. The event will be held at the pavilion east of the Caboose Park.

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

Roll on into OPL and roll up some candy sushi! We’ll explore the different types of sushi, make our own out of candy and rice krispie treats, and practice our chopstick skills in this free, interactive program for children ages 8-12. 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.

Join OPL for a Super Smash Bros tournament at the Washington Branch. We will be playing the game on Nintendo Switch. This is a free program for ages 11-18. Registration is required

Celebrate International Mud Day on Sunday, June 29 at E.T. Mahoney State Park’s Outdoor Pavillion with excitement, education and mud! Make mud pies & mud art, dig in dirt and discover our slip & slide with a very muddy twist! You will get muddy! You should definitely pack a change of clothes and dress for a muddy mess. We recommend garbage bags to sit on for the ride home and bringing a water bottle. Valid park permit required for entry.