Omaha Events This Week: NOMAfest, Tori Amos, and New Restaurant Openings (Aug 13-19)

This week brings four days of free live music downtown, a new Drury Plaza Hotel headed to South 10th Street, and plenty of ways to fill your calendar before summer winds down.

Here's what's inside:

Let's dive in!

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🎷 NOMAfest returns to North Omaha for its fifth year
Four days of live music hit the city this week. NOMAfest runs Thursday through Sunday with jazz, R&B and hip-hop on North 24th Street. Saturday's show moves to Gene Leahy Mall and it's free. The festival raises money for youth music programs.

💗 Project Pink'd raises more than $600K at annual gala
Hundreds of breast cancer survivors filled a La Vista ballroom Friday night for the "Viva La Vida" gala. Project Pink'd brought in over $600,000, and every dollar stays local to help patients cover groceries, utilities and other bills during treatment.

🎒 Bellevue church hands out 200 backpacks for the new school year
Glory Tabernacle Church filled its Sunday drive with music, food and activities, not just supplies. The pastor says smaller neighborhood drives feel more approachable than big events. The church stocked 200 backpacks this year, double last year's total.

👟 Pleasant Green Baptist Church gives away 2,000 pairs of shoes
The North Omaha church held its fifth annual back-to-school shoe giveaway Sunday afternoon. Pastor Brian Page shopped for all 2,000 pairs himself. Kids had to be there in person to pick out a pair, and everyone was welcome until the shoes ran out.

🌲 A nature-based charter school opens soon in Crescent
The Red Barn Schoolhouse starts classes in two weeks, tuition free and open through fourth grade. Kids spend more time outside and less on screens. One parent said the school fills a gap left when Crescent's elementary closed in 2023.

🌉 Lake Cunningham closes two trail bridges for repairs
Trail access is cut off near entrances one and four while crews rebuild bridge foundations. Old flooding sank the anchors and created a safety hazard. Officials call this a permanent fix after years of patch jobs. Both bridges should reopen Wednesday.

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.

Why smart businesses choose Brightway:

💧 City Pays $731K More for Wastewater Plant Work
The city approved another $731,214.72 for Hawkins Construction to keep working on the Papillion Creek Wastewater Resource Recovery Facility. The extra funds cover more work on the plant's biosolids and energy improvements project. These upgrades help the facility handle waste and generate energy more efficiently for the whole metro.

🧪 $658K Contract Moves Soil Cleanup Forward
Shekar Engineering landed a $658,349 purchase order to help clean up contaminated soil at several Omaha addresses. The work is part of the city's ongoing Soil Remediation Program, which targets properties the city has flagged for environmental cleanup. It's another batch of sites getting attention this year.

🗺️ Nearly $622K Heads to Tourism Marketing
The Omaha Convention and Visitors Bureau is getting a $621,656.47 appropriation routed through the Destination Marketing Corporation. The money covers future commitments and helps fund a new visitor information booth. It's part of the city's push to welcome more tourists downtown.

🎨 New Face Joins South Omaha Business Board
Mayor John Ewing Jr. appointed Cecilia L. Macias, owner of Cecy's Decoraciones, to the South Omaha Business Improvement Board. She'll serve a five year term running through August 2031, helping guide investment decisions for that business district.

🏠 New Homes Planned Near Fort and North 24th
The council approved a Tax Increment Financing plan for Workforce Housing 3 Round 2, backed by $257,093 in TIF support. It clears the way for six new single family ranch style homes northeast of Fort and North 24th Streets, part of the city's push for more affordable housing on the north side.

🏨 $7.5M Drury Plaza Hotel Coming Downtown
The council approved a redevelopment plan for a new eight story Drury Plaza Hotel at 501 South 10th Street. The $7.55 million project brings 210 rooms, structured parking, a fitness center, an indoor pool, and meeting space to downtown Omaha. Expect construction activity in that stretch as it comes together.

📋 Other Business
New liquor licenses were approved for Piezon's Pizzeria plus special designated licenses for AB's 66 Dundee Place and Second Wind Inc. The council also approved new plats and subdivision agreements for McArdle Ridge, Walnut Hill Replat 10, Serenity Estates Villas, and Iron Bluff Replat 4. Other items included a contract with McKinnis Roofing & Sheet Metal, a payment to Safety Guard Inc., and board appointments for Heather Tedesco and Annie K. Butler.

Watch the City Council meeting here.

Here’s the latest on Omaha’s restaurant scene - openings, moves, and what’s next.

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(Answer below.)

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*Dates and times can change, so please confirm with the venue before you go.

*Dates and times can change, so please confirm with the venue before you go.

TRIVIA ANSWER

A: Hilary Swank