Omaha Events and Things to Do the Week of June 30, 2026

Summer is in full swing, and this week's issue is packed with things to love about our city.

Here's what's inside:

Let's get into it 👇

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🎪 Papillion Days Weathers the Storm
Despite overnight rain that pooled in and collapsed vendor canopy tents, the annual Papillion Days pushed through Sunday. The Papillion Community Foundation reached vendors early to help them adapt, and the festival ran noon to six with carnival rides, market vendors, and a great crowd. Some things just won't be rained out.

🌳 Nebraska is Home to the World's Biggest Cottonwood
A massive eastern cottonwood at Wheeler County's Pibel Lake just earned the title of world's largest of its species, scoring 561 points nationally. Standing 85 feet tall with a 120-foot crown spread, the tree is roughly 125 years old. Wheeler County elementary students recently circled its enormous trunk hand-in-hand on a field trip.

🚴 Adams Park Trails Turn One
One year ago this week, Omaha's Adams Park trail system opened to the public, giving North Omaha a brand-new place to ride and play. The trail features an all-wheels playground, pump track, flow trail, and miles of scenic routes -- the result of a 2021 partnership between Trails Have Our Respect and Bike Collab.

The commercial real estate playbook is being rewritten—and Brightway Commercial's expertise is where businesses are putting their trust for measurable savings. The company specializes in tenant representation, investment sales, and strategic consulting that protects your bottom line.

🚲 A National BMX Championship Is Coming to Omaha This Summer Mark your calendars. The USA BMX National Event is headed to Hefflinger Park from July 29 to August 2. The city council gave BMX Omaha the green light to host the five-day event — including overnight camping right in the park. It's a rare chance to see top-level BMX racing in your own backyard. Bring the kids and enjoy one of this summer's coolest events.

🏠 160 Senior Apartments Coming to North Omaha — Most Affordable A run-down building at 4809 Redman Avenue is getting a major second chance. Novella Senior Living plans to turn it into a 160-unit senior apartment complex. Of those, 136 units will be priced for lower-income residents. The city is kicking in $2.8 million to help fund it. City planners support the project. For North Omaha seniors who need affordable housing, this could be a real game-changer.

💰 Omaha Could Set Its Own Minimum Wage — Vote Coming July 14 Omaha might soon have its own minimum wage law, separate from the state's. At the June 16 meeting, 19 people showed up to support the idea, including reps from the ACLU and Voices for Children. A state senator came to oppose it. The council pushed the final vote to July 14. If it passes, the law would set a wage floor for Omaha workers and protect those who speak up about violations.

Watch the City Council meeting here.

Africa on a Plate, the downtown spot specializing in East African cuisine, has shuttered its doors at 301 South 16th Street. The space is now vacant and available.

The Good Life Sports Bar & Grill made a timely debut with a new North Downtown location, swinging the doors open just ahead of the College World Series at nearby Schwartz Field.

OCookieOs has finally made the jump from virtual to physical, debuting its very first brick-and-mortar shop at 2575 South 171st Court in Lakeside Hills Plaza. Cookie lovers in west Omaha now have a dedicated spot to satisfy their sweet tooth.

The Academy Sports Bar is now open inside the newly completed NOVA Apartments building at 12th & Nicholas Street in Millwork Commons. The bar adds another social option to the growing neighborhood.

Mercredi Market, a locally owned concept from Nathan Ma, opened this past Tuesday, June 24th, at 509 South 11th Street in the Old Market. The shop brings a fresh energy to the neighborhood.

There There, described as an all-day café, wine bar, and market, is gearing up to debut this August at 3020 Leavenworth Street in Midtown. It's one to keep an eye on as the summer winds down.

Panda Express is coming to the southwest suburbs, with construction now underway on a new location at 4815 South 205th Street in the Kensington Park development.

Hy-Vee is planning a significant interior overhaul at its store at 17810 Welch Plaza, northeast of 180th & Center. Shoppers at that location can expect some construction disruption ahead.

Yum! Brands has struck a deal to hand off its Pizza Hut chain to private equity firm LongRange Capital. The transaction is expected to close later this year, though day-to-day operations at local locations should be unaffected in the near term.

The Omaha City Council made a notable change for local food truck operators, voting to drop the rule requiring trucks to return to a licensed commissary kitchen every 24 hours. The move gives food truck owners more flexibility in how they run their businesses.

Q: What economically important insect (with the scientific name of Apis Mellifera) was declared Nebraska's state insect in 1975?

(Answer below.)

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A: Honeybee