Our Top Ten Things We Love About Fall

**Check back soon for 2013 Halloween Events!

Halloween is one of my favorite holidays to celebrate with the kids.  In addition to trick-or-treating on October 31st, there are many fun family activities where kids can try out their costumes, participate in parades, listen to storytimes, carve pumpkins, and celebrate Halloween all month long!

***See also Halloween Deals at Krispy Kreme and Outback and Orange Leaf!

Free Halloween Events in Omaha

Lowe’s Free Build and Grow Clinics – 10/13 and 10/27, 10:00am

• Lowe’s offers free Build and Grow clinics every other Saturday at 10am.  Bring the kids to any Lowe’s store to build fun projects. This is recommended for children in grades 1st-5th.  Registration opens a few weeks before each clinic’s date.
  • Ghoul Bus – 10/13
  • Creepy Keeper – 10/27

Mangelsen’s Witches Tea – 10/13, 11am-3pm

• It’s our 35th Annual Witches Tea – a great Halloween Party in the parking lot that is fun for the whole family!  Ghoulish Games, Face Painting, Balloon Animals, Halloween Crafts, Jered the Incredible Magic Show @ 11:30am, and Costume Contest at 1:00pm  – 5 age categories, no pre-registration needed.

Harry Potter Halloween at Barnes & Noble Booksellers – 10/13, 7:00pm

• Select Barnes & Noble stores will host a Harry Potter Halloween Party for ages 7 to 16 on Saturday, October 13. Dress up as your favorite Harry Potter character and join us for a scavenger hunt and costume contest.

Omaha Public Library Halloween Events – 10/18-11/5

• Many events including storytimes, parades, crafts and more at Omaha Public Libraries.

Halloween Event 2012 at Bass Pro Shop – 10/19-10/31

• Halloween Photo Opportunity, Crafts, Trick or Treating, Grab an Apple Activity, Halloween Scavenger Hunt, Costume Parade.  See website for exact dates and times of all activities.

Mav Kids Halloween Party – 10/20, 11am-2pm

• UNO Campus Recreation is hosting the annual Mav Kids Halloween Party in the HPER Building.  The Halloween bash features a haunted house, games, prizes and candy.  The event is free and open to the UNO community and general public.  They will be collecting canned food for the local shelves and towels and blankets for Town and Country Humane Society.

Special Halloween Events at Omaha Community Centers – 10/24-10/31

• Special Halloween Events will be held at the following Community Centers: Montclair, AV Sorenson, Camelot, Mockingbird, and Benson.  Click on link for details.

Halloween Safe Night and Fall Festival at Papillion-LaVista South High School – 10/25, 6:00-8:00pm

• Events will include a costume contest, games, prizes, bounce houses and activities for all ages.  Admission is free with a canned or non perishable food item for one of the Sarpy County Food Pantries.

Halloween Trick-or-Treat at OneWorld Community Health Center – 10/26, 4:30-7:00pm

•  Kids ages 12 and under can Trick-or-Treat in a fun and safe environment at OneWorld Community Health Center, 4920 South 30th Street (30th and L, in the  Historic Livestock Exchange Building).

Halloween Family Fun Night at your Local YMCA – 10/26

• Council Bluffs YMCA – 10/26, 5:30-7:30pm – Games, musical chairs, and make and take crafts.  Friendly costumes welcome.  Free to the community!
• Sarpy YMCA – 10/26, 6-7:30pm – Free to members, $10/family for non-members.  Trunk or Treat in the parking lot, followed by games and fun inside.  Sign-up ahead of time.
• Maple Street YMCA – 10/26, 6:30-8pm – Free to members, $5/family for non-members.  A fun-filled Halloween party for all ages. Join us for games, crafts, and food. This year we have a new Trunk or Treat, too!

Monster Mash Bash at Oak View Mall – 10/26, 6-9pm

• Kids and Parents – Come to Oak View Mall and Celebrate Halloween Inside!  Wear Your Costume and Trick or Treat Merchants throughout the Mall from 6-9 pm.  Treats, Dance Contest, Costume Contest, Craft Table, Watch a Movie.  We went to this last year and my kids loved it!

Westroads Mall Spooktacular Trick-or-Treat Event – 10/26, 6-8pm

Omaha’s Great Pumpkin at Village Pointe – 10/27, 10am-2pm, 7-8pm

Benson Boo Bash and Trick or Treat on Maple Street – 10/27, 10:30am-1pm

Trick-or-Treat at Nebraska Furniture Mart – 10/27, 11am-2pm

• Join us Saturday, October 27, from 11am-2pm in your favorite Halloween Costume for trick-or-treating throughout the store.

SPOOKTACULAR at Saddlebrook – 10/27, 1-3pm

Halloween Meet and Treat – 10/27, 4-8pm

• The Southeast Precinct (25th and Vinton Street) of the Omaha Police Department is hosting the Halloween Meet and Treat on Saturday, October 27th. This is an opportunity for kids to meet officers, and have a safe trick-or-treating experience.  Thanks Momaha!

Fall Folk Festival at Dee-sign Landscaping and Garden Center – 10/28, 12-4pm

•  Fall Folk Festival will be held at Dee-sign North Nursery, 5602 Read St. (3 blocks N. Sorenson).  Free admission with Live music, bake sale, nursery garage sale, pumpkin painting, scavenger hunt, games, bouncy house, henna tattoos.  Halloween costumes encouraged.

Halloween Hoopla at Shadow Lake Towne Center – 10/28, 1-3pm

Old Market Trick or Treat – 10/28, 1-4pm

• Free fun for the entire family.  Get in costume and stroll the Old Market where participating merchants will be handing out treats.  Interact with strolling characters.  Music, activities, and storytelling sites will be located throughout the Old Market.  Maps will be available the day of the event at 11th & Howard information booth.  New this year…”Books Are Treats”.  FREE books are available to all on the Metro Transit Book Bus.

Halloween Fun Day at Village Pointe – 10/28, 2-5pm

Trick or Trunk in Aksarben Village – 10/28, 3-5pm

Halloween Story Time at Pottery Barn Kids – 10/30, 11am

Pumpkin Patch Party at Salvation Army Kroc Center – 10/31, 5-6:30pm

• Free to All!  Come in costume and celebrate Halloween at the Kroc Center’s Pumpkin Patch Party!  Including a Pumpkin Push, Monster Pop Toss, The Creepy-Crawl, a kid-friendly meal & drink, and a keepsake Halloween photo for each family.  The first 100 kids (age 12 & under) get a free treat bag.

Halloween Events with Admission

Cobweb Castle at Omaha Children’s Museum – 10/2-10/31

Haunted Safari at Wildlife Safari Park – 10/12-10/13, 6-9pm

• Go on a haunted hike, take a spooky ride, enjoy supper, roast marshmallows and participate in ghostly games.  Wear your costume and dress warm as this is an outside activity.  Children must be accompanied by an adult.  Reservations are required and cost is $15.00 per person, which covers admission from 6-9pm only.

Halloween in the Parks – 10/13-10/27

Grab the halloween costumes and get the family to the Nebraska Parks (click on link for further details):

• 14th Annual Hallowfest at Ponca State Park – 10/13, 10/20
• Haunted Hollow at Indian Cave State Park – 10/13, 10/19, 10/20, 10/26, 10/27
• Friends of Arbor Lodge presents: Enchanted Forest at Arbor Lodge – 10/16, 6-8pm
• Halloween Event at Two Rivers State Recreation Area – 10/27, 2-7pm
• 2nd Annual Fall Festival at Wildcat Hills – 10/27, 1pm

Wizards and Witches Potion Party at Saddlebrook Community Center – 10/16, 10-11:30am

• Ages: 2 – 5 years, $2/Child.  Come in costume for a Halloween celebration including a fun story, crafts, and a ghostly snack!  Registration Deadline: Sunday 10/14.

Healthy Trick or Treat Night at Omaha Children’s Museum – 10/18, 10/25, 5:30-7:30pm

• Come test out costumes before the big night! Head to the museum to “trick or treat” around the museum for healthy treats provided by Whole Foods Market and fun things from Oriental Trading Company!  These nights are offered free with museum membership or regular admission. In an effort to be green, kids are asked to bring a reusable trick-or-treat bag or basket.

Spooktacular at Omaha Zoo and Aquarium – 10/19, 10/20, 10/21, 10/26, 10/27 and 10/28, 6-9pm

• When the sun goes down, what happens at the Zoo?  Visit the Lied Jungle to see the free flying bats or stop by Kingdoms of the Night to see the nocturnal animals during their daylight cycle. The evening includes admission to Omaha’s Zoo and Aquarium after hours,  trick or treating and fun activities like Boo Bowling or Penguin-Pickin-Apples.   Get up close and personal with different Animal Ambassadors, special animals used for educating visitors.  Purchase tickets in advance for $7.00/person for Omaha’s Zoo and Aquarium members or $8.00/person for non-members online or at Guest Services.  Children 2 and under are free and do not require a ticket.

Trick or Treat & Airplane Peek at Strategic Air and Space Museum – 10/27, 10am-1pm

• Trick or Treating amongst our aircraft, educational activities, costume contest for all ages and spooktacular prizes (special prizes for the best robot costume)!  Members of the 501 Legion Star Wars Stormtroopers will be available for photographs.

Halloween at Hummel Park Nature Center – 10/27, 10:30am-12:00pm

Ghoulish Garden Adventure at Lauritzen Gardens – 10/28, 12-4pm

• Come to the garden in costume on Sunday, October 28 from 12-4pm, for our annual Ghoulish Garden Adventure. Hike through the garden, and enjoy trick or treating at five different activity stations throughout the garden. Learn about pumpkins, spiders and other creepy crawlies, and make a few ghoulish crafts to take home.  Children must be accompanied by an adult. This event is free with paid garden admission or membership.

Halloween at the Castle – 10/28, 3-8pm

• Enjoy “Kids at the Kastle” with Halloween-themed basement tour for younger children, and a “spookier” option for older kids, face painting and pumpkin decorating, apple biting contest and costume contest, scavenger hunt and trick-or-treating, movie on the grounds, fire pit and witches cauldron.  Food will be available for purchase.  All young attendees must be accompanied by an adult.  Tickets are $15/family, and can be purchased in advance or cash only at the door.

It is always a good idea to verify the information with the business before visiting.

Do you have a Family Friendly Halloween Event to add?  Please leave a comment below and I will add it the list!

• Free Fall Fun in Omaha
• Omaha Area Pumpkin Patches and Fall Festivals
• Upcoming Free Family Events in Omaha and Nationwide

I love Fall in Omaha!  Perfect weather, changing colors, Football, Halloween events, Pumpkin Patches, Hayrack Rides, and campfires all make wonderful family memories.  What do you love most about Fall?

Enjoy these free or inexpensive family attractions and events this Fall in Omaha!

Concerts

• Omaha Music in the Parks – May 7th – September 26th, various locations around Omaha

• End of Summer Concerts at Midtown Crossing – August 31st-September 28th, 7pm, Friday evenings in Turner Park.

Especially for Kids

• Home Depot Free Kids Workshops and Lowe’s Free Build and Grow Clinics for kids are great for learning new skills and working on a project together.

• Westroads Kids Club and Shadow Lake Towne Center Kids Club offer kids a different activity each month for free!

• Rec’s Kids Clubhouse is a year-round youth program for kids 6-12 that encourages active healthy lifestyles through crafts, games and sports, swimming, drama, special events and field trips.  It is held every day after school, with extended hours when school is out.

• Nature Nook at Hummel Park Nature Center – Join us for class to learn about bugs, trees, and animals while doing a craft, singing songs, and exploring outside!  All ages welcome.  Every Wednesday and Thursday 10:00-10:45am, September 5th – December 20th.  Fee: $1.00 drop in per child (2 and older).

• Jr. Adventure Club at Hummel Park Nature Center – Every Saturday morning, staff will lead kids in a variety of adventures that include hiking, games, stories, crafts, and more!  All ages welcome.  Saturdays 10:30-11:15am, September 8th – December 22nd.  Fee: $1.00 drop in per child (2 and older).

Farmer’s Markets 

• Omaha has several Farmers Markets, where local vendors sell fresh, locally grown produce, baked goods, and flowers.  ”Buy local and eat fresh.”
  • Village Pointe Farmers Market – Saturdays, 8am-1pm.  April 28th – October 6th
  • Main Street Market, Council Bluffs – Thursdays, 5pm-8pm, May – September (9th Avenue and Main Street, Council Bluffs)
  • Benson Farmers Market – Saturdays, 8am-1pm, May 5th – September 29th (Military Avenue at Maple Street)
  • Omaha Farmer’s Market – Old Market – Saturdays, 8am-12:30pm.  May 5th – October 13th
  • Omaha Farmer’s Market – Aksarben Village – Sundays, 9am-1pm.  May 6th – October 21st (67th and Center, Omaha)
  • Bellevue Farmers Market / Flea Market – Saturdays, 8am-12pm.  Begins May 26th (Washington Park, Franklin and West 20th, Bellevue)
  • Florence Mill Farmers Market – Sundays, 11am-3pm, June 3rd – September 30th (9102 North 30th Street, Omaha)
  • Brentwood Square Farmers Market – Thursdays, 4:30pm-7pm, June – September (84th Street and Giles Road, LaVista)

• The Omaha Downtown Improvement District Association (DID) will offer FREE activities and mini events all summer at the Gene Leahy Mall! Activities will be held from 5:30-6:30 p.m., Mondays-Thursdays during the months of May, June, August and September at 14th & Farnam Streets.
  • Mondays – Family Fun
  • Tuesdays & Thursdays – Boot Camp Exercise Classes
  • Wednesdays – Arts & Culture

Special Events at Pumpkin Patches

• Vala’s Pumpkin Patch – September 21st and 23rd – Military Appreciation Day.  Show your active military ID and each family member will receive a discounted admission price of $7.39 per person ($6.00 off the General Admission price).

• Bloom Where You’re Planted Pumpkin Patch – September 22nd – Military Family Day. FREE admission to military personnel and their immediate family when presenting a valid military ID.

• Ditmar’s Orchard and Vineyard – September 22-23: Midwest Winds Kite Fliers

• Camp Fontanelle Pumpkin Patch and Corn Maze – October 21st – Toys for Tots – Bring a girls or boys new toy valued at $5 or more and get free admission!  One toy = one free admission.  Marines will receive toys 2-5 pm.

• See All Omaha Area Pumpkin Patches and Fall Festivals here!

Storytimes

• Family Friendly Halloween Events in Omaha
• Omaha Area Pumpkin Patches and Fall Festivals
• Upcoming Free Family Events in Omaha and Nationwide
• Omaha Attractions
• Free Kids Programs in Omaha
• Free Family Activities in Omaha
• Event Calendar – Free Family Events in Omaha