Don’t miss the radiant kickoff of Midtown’s Crossing’s Season of Lights at dusk. And come early for the annual Midtown Merry Market. Settle into the peace and tranquility of a winter’s night. Stroll through tens of thousands of white LED lights strung throughout Turner Park and along Farnam Street. Plus, visit the beautifully decorated tree in Farnam Court.
Tree of Lights Family Festival 2025
Help us light the way to a joyful holiday season! Join November 13th at 90th & Dodge for The Salvation Army Tree of Lights Family Festival Presented by American National Bank. Festivities kick off at 5 p.m. in the bank parking lot with free food, family-fun activities, and pictures with Santa. Then, the fun continues with live music—and finally, we’ll celebrate the 20th anniversary of the Tree of Lights being hosted by the bank…as we light the big Christmas tree just after sunset. Mark your calendars: 5 p.m. November 13th in the American National Bank parking lot. We’ll see you there!
Winterfest at Bayliss Park
Join for Winterfest at Bayliss Park on Friday, November 21, 2025 from 6-8 p.m. Arrive early as Winterfest activities begin promptly at 6 p.m. with the Bayliss Park holiday lighting ceremony.
The City of Council Bluffs is partnering with The Council Bluffs Public Library, Pottawattamie Arts, Culture & Entertainment, The CB Chamber, Union Pacific Museum, and The Salvation Army to give the community a holiday tradition unlike anywhere else.
Free Winterfest Activities:
Lighting Ceremony (takes place promptly at 6 p.m.)
Santa’s Workshop featuring Santa and Mrs. Claus
Reindeer
Festive Photo Ops
Screening of the movie “Frozen 2”
Characters from the movie “Frozen”
Face Painting
Balloons
Free Hot Cocoa
Ice Sculpting
Games and Prizes
Art Activities
Pop-up Market (vendors!)
Live Music
Food Trucks
Giveaways
Bike rides with the Grinch
Lighting Ceremony (takes place promptly at 6 p.m.) Santa’s Workshop featuring Santa and Mrs. Claus Reindeer Festive Photo Ops Screening of the movie “Frozen 2” Characters from the movie “Frozen” Face Painting Balloons Free Hot Cocoa Ice Sculpting Games and Prizes Art Activities Pop-up Market (vendors!) Live Music Food Trucks Giveaways Bike rides with the GrinchFood Truck Food Court
Have dinner on Pearl Street! We will set up a food court at the intersection of Pearl and Willow with food trucks, seating, and live music. Food and drink will be available for purchase.
Have dinner on Pearl Street! We will set up a food court at the intersection of Pearl and Willow with food trucks, seating, and live music. Food and drink will be available for purchase.
Bayliss Park transforms into a wonderland at Winterfest. We hope to see you there!
Midtown Merry Market
Empire Room at Midtown Crossing
Free and open to the public
Make merry – with local makers and vendors!
Join for festivities & drinks for our annual Midtown Merry Market! Shop 30 local makers and vendors – hand-poured candles and soaps, hand-lettered signs and products, coffees and teas, trendy clothing and much more.
The weekend also marks the start of Turner Park’s annual “Season of Lights” with dozens of trees and thousands of lights glowing at dusk each evening through the season. You won’t want to miss this spectacle!
Enjoy:
- Storytime with Santa and Mrs Claus from 12 noon to 1pm
- Holiday Sips from The Empire Room’s fully-stocked bar, including the signature Merry Mimosas!
- Open to the public with free admission
- Holiday photo opportunities nearby including the festive tree in Farnam Court and life-size Santa Sleigh in Turner Park
The Empire Room is located in Omaha, overlooking the beautiful Turner Park at 200 S 31st Ave. Unit 4107. Special thanks to the Empire Room for the lovely venue!
18th Annual Christmas Tree Lighting & Holiday Parade!
Join for our 18th Annual Tree Lighting & Holiday Parade!
They have a new date this year, the Saturday before Thanksgiving on November 22nd at 6PM!
Santa and all of his friends will be here, as well as surprise parade guests!
Holiday Modern Market
Event Highlights:
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Shop Local: Explore over 30 curated small shops from Nebraska offering unique, locally-made goods.
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Snacks + Sips: Enjoy delicious food, snacks, a hot cocoa bar, coffee, and adult beverages.
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Santa Sighting: Meet Santa Claus and take professional photos with him on both days from 10 AM to 4 PM.
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Little Locals: A fun play areas for kids to enjoy and stay entertained to make the line go quick
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Do Good: A portion of the ticket sales will benefit Angels Among Us, a local charity that supports families with a child battling cancer.
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Giveaways Galore: We are so excited to partner with Elevate Recovery and Medspa again for Ladies’ Night – they are giving away THOUSANDS of dollars of products and services (every 15 minutes of Ladies’ Night) including Hydrafacial Deluxe, Smooth + Radiant Facial, SkinVive, Lip Flips, Lash Life and Brow Tint, Lip Filler, 10-pack of wellness injections and recovery therapies, stretch sessions + more! The grand prize includes a Skin Consultation, 20 units of Botox, Lip Filler and a Local Cryofacial. They will also provide swag bags and deals on their services.
Bring the entire family for a weekend of festive shopping, sipping, and making memories!
Holiday Modern Market
Event Highlights:
-
Shop Local: Explore over 30 curated small shops from Nebraska offering unique, locally-made goods.
-
Snacks + Sips: Enjoy delicious food, snacks, a hot cocoa bar, coffee, and adult beverages.
-
Santa Sighting: Meet Santa Claus and take professional photos with him on both days from 10 AM to 4 PM.
-
Little Locals: A fun play areas for kids to enjoy and stay entertained to make the line go quick
-
Do Good: A portion of the ticket sales will benefit Angels Among Us, a local charity that supports families with a child battling cancer.
-
Giveaways Galore: We are so excited to partner with Elevate Recovery and Medspa again for Ladies’ Night – they are giving away THOUSANDS of dollars of products and services (every 15 minutes of Ladies’ Night) including Hydrafacial Deluxe, Smooth + Radiant Facial, SkinVive, Lip Flips, Lash Life and Brow Tint, Lip Filler, 10-pack of wellness injections and recovery therapies, stretch sessions + more! The grand prize includes a Skin Consultation, 20 units of Botox, Lip Filler and a Local Cryofacial. They will also provide swag bags and deals on their services.
Bring the entire family for a weekend of festive shopping, sipping, and making memories!
Christmas in Wahoo
6:00 AM – 1:00 PM
Nightmare Before Christmas–Themed Treats for Purchase
Jack Skellington Cupcakes (reg & gf), Sally Stitches and Oogie Boogie French Macarons (gf), Sally Stitches Rice Krispie Treats (gf)
📍 Wahoo Bakery
9:00 AM – 1:00 PM
Get Your “License to Sleigh”!
Take a pic and take home your official North Pole license and enjoy a Barista Hot Chocolate
📍 Sid Dillon Wahoo
Make a Bag of “Magical Reindeer Food for Rudolph and Friends”
Free for kids of all ages!
📍 Rivalry
Build Your Own Popcorn Mix and Snag Christmas Movie Tees on Special
📍 Husband’s Approval
9:00 AM – 5:00 PM
Outdoor Container Workshop
Reserve online: www.foundandflora.com (costs vary per project)
📍 Found & Flora
Record a Christmas Greeting & enjoy a Christmas treat
📍 Saunders County Online
Holiday Membership Event
with Wahoo Area Arts Council
📍 Found & Flora
Digital Scavenger Hunt
Find on the We Are Wahoo app under Events
10:00 AM – 12:00 PM
Visit with Santa & Enjoy a Morning Snack
📍 Saunders Medical Center Lobby
10:00 AM – 1:00 PM
Holiday Open House
With deals, snacks, and gift certificates
📍 The Estie Hut
Fur Friends Donation Station
Items needed: Purina dog & cat chow, Arm & Hammer scoopable cat litter, paper towels, and antibacterial wipes
📍 SCLP
1:00 PM – 5:00 PM
Christmas on the Prairie
📍 Saunders County Historical Society
Self-Guided Tours & Live Holiday Piano Music
📍 Howard Hanson House
1:30 PM – 3:30 PM
Visit Santa and His Real Reindeer
📍 Wahoo Winter Wonderland (Wahoo Civic Center Lawn)
Reindeer sponsored by Medicine Man Pharmacy
1:30 PM – 4:30 PM
Inside Senior Center
- Hair Tinsel by Cassandra ($5+)
- Face Painting sponsored by Wahoo Kiwanis
- Children’s Christmas Ornament Giveaway with CASA of the Midlands
- Swag and Resources with Three Rivers Public Health
1:30 PM – 6:30 PM
Christmas Block Party
📍 Linden between 4th & 5th Streets
- Food Trucks (Amigos, High Voltage, Hudson Mini Donut Company, Twisted Hitch & The Omaha Corn Dog Company)
- Fire Pits
- S’mores Station ($3 each / 4 for $10) — fundraiser for Scouts BSA Troop #140
- Hot Chocolate Station — fundraiser for Bishop Neumann FCCLA
- Salvation Army Donation Stations
- Entertainment by DJ Katz
2:00 PM – 4:00 PM
- Write Your Letters to Santa 📍 First Interstate Bank
- Make Your Own Ornament 📍 FirstBank of Nebraska
2:00 PM – 5:00 PM
Holiday Bingo
($0.50 per card/game) — fundraiser for the VFW Christmas Drive
📍 VFW
They will also be accepting toys for the VFW Christmas Drive
Holiday Cookie Decorating
📍 First United Methodist Church
3:00 PM – 6:00 PM
Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer Games
📍 Let’s Play Yoga & Wellness
“Clarence” Angel Wing Ornament Giveaway
(Limited supply)
📍 D’s Boutique
Sidewalk Games
📍 Title Services
4:00 PM – 6:00 PM
Glow Wand Giveaway
📍 Law Office of Bromm, Lindahl, Freeman-Caddy & Lausterer
5:00 PM – 6:00 PM
Wahoo Area Schools Music Ensembles
(Neumann – 5:00 PM, Wahoo Public – 5:30 PM)
📍 Wahoo State Bank
5:00 PM – 7:00 PM
Soup To Go
📍 Wahoo State Bank
6:00 PM
Parade of Lights
(Check the map on the back for the route)
After the Parade of Lights
Winter Wonderland
📍 Senior Center / Civic Center Lawn
After the lighting of Winter Wonderland
Christmas Royalty Banquet
Hosted by the Wahoo Saddle Club Rodeo Queens
📍 Backroom
Christmas Ornament Making for Kids
Our Top Ten Things We Love About Fall
Fall is such a beautiful season and it is a favorite for many of us! It fills our senses with so much to take in and enjoy. We asked our readers: “In addition to going to Pumpkin Patches, what do you love about Fall?”. We loved the responses and put them all together and called it:
Our Top Ten Things We Love About Fall
1. Sights
Changing colors of leaves, beauty of nature, seeing the leaves fall, beautiful fall colors
2. Sounds
Leaves crunching under your feet, crackle of campfire
3. Touch
Cool, crisp weather, cozy hooded sweatshirts, snuggly sweaters, fun jackets, favorite jeans
4. Smell
Campfires, kettle corn cooking, foods baking, roasted pumpkin seeds
5. Taste
Hot chocolate, chili and soup, baking, kettle corn, candy corn (and peanuts!), hotdogs and marshmallows cooked over bonfires, s’mores, apple picking and eating/making apple pies, apple crisp, caramel apples, and apple cider
6. Football
Football, especially Husker football!
7. Everything pumpkin
Decorating and carving pumpkins, roasting pumpkin seeds, pumpkin pie, pumpkin pie flavored Blizzards and Shakes, pumpkin spiced coffees and creamers, pumpkin everything!
8. Pumpkin Patches
Going to Pumpkin Patches and Fall Festivals and enjoying all they have to offer – hayrack rides, picking pumpkins and apples, duck races, corn pits, being outside, fun activities, yummy food
9. Halloween
Halloween is one of those holidays that we can celebrate all month long! We love decorating, haunted houses, and finding the perfect costume
10. Family
Enjoying Fall and everything it has to offer with your family was by far the most mentioned! We enjoy snuggling up with kids for a family movie night, all the things available for families to do together, hunting, fishing, yardwork, celebrating traditions and creating new ones, just hanging out with the family, enjoying holiday feeling, indoor activities, family dinners, craft fairs, and building leaf piles and jumping in them! Fall brings a feeling and sense of family.
What do you love most about Fall? Anything more you would add?
