Family Fun in Omaha

Your local resource for family-friendly activities and events in Omaha.

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Bison Fest at Botna Bend

In honor of National Bison Day, come visit our bison herd out at Botna Bend Park and learn more about this magnificent species and the conservation efforts that help protect them.

Swing by between 11 a.m. and 2 p.m. for fun, family-friendly activities, including:

  • Botna Bend’s live bison herd
  • Atlatl throwing
  • Bison wool spinning
  • Flint knapping
  • Hay rack rides
  • Bison artifacts
  • Food by The Feed Trough
  • Crafts
  • Fossils
  • Union Pacific Railroad Museum: Learn about the history of bison and the railroad
  • The Nature Conservancy: Learn about the symbiotic relationship between bison and the prairie 
  • Music by Ron Cisar
  • Video presentations on the Joy Creek Major archaeological site & Coralville Lake’s Devonian Fossil Gorge

This event is free with a $3 park entry fee or an annual permit and will be held RAIN or SHINE. We’ll see you there!

Fields of Flight

🎈 Fields of Flight – Hot Air Balloon Night at the Orchard 🎈

✨ Saturday, September 12 – Council Bluffs scenic Ditmars Orchard & Vineyard

Get ready for a truly unforgettable evening as colorful hot air balloons rise over the apple orchard and light up the night sky! 🌅

🍎 With live music, delicious food, and breathtaking views, this is one night you won’t want to miss.

🎶 Event Highlights:

  • 6:00 PM – Balloon Flight (weather permitting)
  • 5:30–9:30 PM – Live Music by RAVEN
  • ~7:40 PM – Balloon Glow at Dusk (weather permitting)

FAQ – All You Need to Know

🚗 Parking & Tickets:

  • $40 per car – Admission included (only ONE ticket needed per vehicle!)
  • Prepaid parking tickets available online only – limited quantity!
  • No walk-ins – carpooling encouraged.
  • Free shuttle/tram service from parking areas.
  • Non-refundable – this is a benefit for the American Cancer Society’s Relay for Life.

💳 Payments:

  • Orchard accepts Visa/MasterCard for purchases over $5.
  • No ATM on site – cash is fastest! (Some vendors may only take cash.)

🎈 Balloon Rides:

  • Spectator event only – no private or tethered rides.

🌤 Weather:

  • Balloon flights are weather dependent – pilots decide about 1 hour before launch.

✨ What’s a Balloon Glow?

  • At dusk, pilots fire up their propane burners to light the balloons while they remain on the ground – it’s magical and camera-worthy! 📸

🍔 Food & Drinks:

  • No outside food, drinks, or coolers.
  • Orchard Café favorites + food vendors (yes, apple cider doughnuts!)
  • Beer, wine, hard cider, pop, water, and apple cider available.

🐾 Pets:

  • As much as we love them, pets must stay home.

🚻 Restrooms:

  • Porta potties available (indoor restrooms closed).

🪑 What to Bring:

  • Chairs, blankets, bug spray – be comfy and prepared!

🍎 Orchard Activities:

  • U-Pick closes at 3:00 PM to allow tractors for shuttle service.
  • Apples available for purchase in the store.
  • Playground open for kids during the event.

Mark your calendars, grab your friends, and come enjoy an evening of music, food, and hot air balloon magic – all for a great cause! 🎈❤️

5th Annual Little Bo Backyard Bash

Join for the 5th annual Little Bo Backyard Bash in the Dundee Bank parking lot.
 
This year includes live music, art, activities, food trucks, beer, cocktails and much more! All proceeds go to the Little Bohemia Business Association.
 
Live music: Wedding, Nathan Ma Band, Parfait and Left Handed Country.
 
Skatefest Omaha, Film Streams, Local Art Plug, Bemis Center, BFF and many more will be set up. Food trucks, include La Sierra Mexican Hotdogs, Twin Happiness, Island Chill 402, Abra Kebabra and Best Burger. Beer & cocktail sponsors are Lumen Beer Co., Big Grove Brewery and Fizzy’s Fountain & Liquors.
 

The RiverFront One Community Cultural Festival : Community Culture Fest with NCA

Join the Nebraska Chinese Association and The RiverFront for an evening of cultural performances, regional vendors, family activities, and a great selection of food!  Performances will encapsulate various cultures, with live music and dancing from 6 to 9 PM.  The One Community Festival will be held at the Performance Pavilion and Downtown Green event lawn at Gene Leahy Mall.

Falloween

Friday, October 31, 4-6 p.m.

La Vista Community Center – Outdoors (8116 Park View Blvd.)

Cost: Free 

Join for Falloween, La Vista’s festive twist on the traditional Halloween Safe Night! 

Held outdoors at the La Vista Community Center, this fun-filled event is perfect for families and kids of all ages. 

Enjoy the hayrack ride, photo ops, games and activities. 

Fill up on a free walking taco for dinner, and take home a pre-filled Halloween treat bag. 

Whether you’re dressed in costume or bundled up in your favorite fall sweater, Falloween is the place to start your Halloween night off right.

Oktoberfest La Vista

Saturday, September 27, 2-10 p.m.

City Centre

Join for a traditional Oktoberfest celebration with a modern-day twist in City Centre! Main Street will be closed to make way for music, Oktoberfest-themed games and activities, a Husker Volleyball watch party (game time 3 p.m.), hearty food, and of course a beer garden.

Live music will be provided by local bands Evans & Moore, Kenny Janak Orchestra and Heartland Boogie Band.

Food and beverage available for purchase.

Families and all ages are welcome. Must be 21 or older to consume alcohol.

Festival themed fun includes:

Food trucks and traditional Oktoberfest fare!

Enjoy live music from local bands:

  • Kenny Janak Orchestra, 2-4 p.m.
  • Evans & Moore, 4:30-6:30 p.m.
  • Heartland Boogie Band – 7:30-9:30 p.m.

*Free Entry. Food and beverage available for purchase. Families/all ages are welcome, but you must be 21 or older to consume alcohol.

34th Annual Fort Omaha Intertribal Powwow

The Fort Omaha Intertribal Powwow highlights Native American dance, music, regalia, oral history and arts. With its rich ties to Native American history, where Ponca Chief Standing Bear and his people were detained pending the 1879 landmark civil rights case granting Native Americans the right of Habeas corpus, the Fort Omaha Campus continues to offer an ideal location for this outdoor community event uniting people of diverse cultures, races, socioeconomic backgrounds and ages. This event is family-friendly and free and open to the public.

Celebrating Native American cultures, the powwow honors the traditional dance, music, artistry, oral history and foods of various tribes across Nebraska and the surrounding region including Omaha, Ponca, Santee Sioux and Winnebago.

Afro Fest Omaha

Afro Fest Omaha is the largest celebration of African and Afro cultures in the Midwest with thousands of festival goers and tourist visiting Omaha on Labor-day weekend.

  • Children’s and Educational Village is filled with fun activities from working with robots, going on a virtual trip learning about Africa, making Arts and learning new works in different African languages
  • Google VIP Experience with Hood Sommelier whiskey tasting; premium seating with view the main stage while enjoying performances by local and international artists.
  • African Market and Food Row features vendors of African clothing, arts, crafts, jewelries, and delicious authentic African cuisine.
  • The Connectors Area is a hub for 10 service based small businesses and 5 community partners working to promote their services and products.
  • Electrifying Performances by local and international acts, with traditional and modern rhythms and sounds of Africa. Learn dance on the beats of drums, learn to move on the latest Afrobeats steps with thousands of other Afro Culture Lovers.

They invite you to come dance, eat, shop, learn and celebrate the African and Afro Cultures with thousands of others sharing the same love for Arts, Diversity and Culture!