Summer's in full swing around Omaha this week, with a milestone at the Tri-Faith campus, a wave of restaurant news, and plenty of ways to get outside before the weekend's over.

  • 🌈 The Heartland Pride Festival brings two days of color, music, and community downtown

  • 🍨 A big restaurant roundup, from a new Freddy's going up to some old favorites closing shop

  • 🎸 The Black Keys roll into The Astro for a Monday night show worth catching

Grab your coffee and let's get into it.

NEWS
🥂 Ollie the Trolley rolls back to the Roaring '20s

Courtesy: VisitOmaha.com

🥂 Ollie the Trolley rolls back to the Roaring '20s
Omaha's iconic trolley is running a new Prohibition-era Speakeasy Tour, stopping at hidden bars with three handcrafted cocktails and local history. Riders dress in 1920s style for a best-dressed prize. Tours run Thursdays through Aug. 6, and tickets are nearly sold out.

👁️ Bingo night builds community for Omaha's blind residents
An Omaha paper-products plant doubled as a game hall Saturday, hosting braille and large-print bingo through Outlook Enrichment. Organizers say blindness can feel isolating, so they build spaces where accessibility comes first. The group also offers other outings, from golfing to white water rafting.

🕊️ Tri-Faith campus marks 10 years of neighbors across faiths
A church, mosque and synagogue have shared 38 acres in southwest Omaha for a decade through the Tri-Faith Initiative. A bridge over Hell's Creek links the three buildings. Leaders say they still argue, but staying neighbors turns disagreement into understanding and everyday peace.

🩺 Nebraska logs its first cyclospora case of the year
Nebraska has joined 31 states reporting cyclosporiasis, a parasite that causes days of stomach illness, health officials confirmed this week. Most local cases so far came from overseas travel. Doctors say cooking and washing produce well, plus clean hands, are the best defense.

🪲 A tiny Lincoln beetle hangs on against the odds
Crews counted 169 endangered Salt Creek tiger beetles this year in salty wetlands near Lincoln. Experts say the rare bug signals a one-of-a-kind habitat that shelters more than 600 insect species, plus birds and foxes. A couple of dry years, though, could still doom it.

🌾 A farm family shares its loss to make grain bins safer
After losing his father in a grain bin last harvest, an Illinois farmer is telling his story so others take safety seriously, Nebraska Examiner reports. Experts say 95% of these deaths are preventable with simple gear that clears clogs from outside the bin.

CITY COUNCIL - WHAT THEY DECIDED LAST WEEK
🏭 Oriental Trading Subdivision Deal Draws One Objector

🏭 Oriental Trading Subdivision Deal Draws One Objector
The city approved a subdivision deal with Oriental Trading Company to build the new Oriental Trading Industrial Park near 108th and I Streets. One neighbor, Donnie Johnson, spoke up against it at the hearing, but no one else did. The deal clears the way for new warehouse space in that part of town.

🏚️ $2.8M Boost Turns a Vacant Building Into Senior Housing
The council approved $2.8 million in tax increment financing to fix up a rundown, empty building at 4809 Redman Avenue. The nearly 32,000 square foot space will get new life as Novella Senior Living.

🏢 $3.6M TIF Clears Way for 180 New Apartments on Center Street
Two aging buildings at 2501 Center Street are coming down to make room for a brand new 180 unit apartment complex. The city approved $3.6 million in tax increment financing to help fund the project.

🌾 $10.4M Deal Saves Historic Grain Silos on Vinton Street
The council approved $10.4 million in financing for the Vinton Silos project at 3417 Vinton Street. Crews will tear down an old decommissioned grain elevator and most of the silos, but plan to keep some standing as a nod to the site's history while building something new around them.

🎰 New Keno Games Coming to Blondie's Pub and Pizza
The city approved a lottery agreement letting EHPV Lottery Services run a Big Red satellite keno location inside Blondie's Pub and Pizza at 5010 Grover Street.

🚧 $1.75M Contract Kicks Off Blackstone Streetscape Work
The council awarded a $1.75 million contract to Vrana Civil to rebuild streets and sidewalks as part of the Blackstone Streetscape Improvements project, paid for with 2022 transportation bond money.

🌳 City Puts $125K Behind Keep Omaha Beautiful's Tree Program
The council approved a $125,000 agreement with Keep Omaha Beautiful to run the 2026 Trees for Tomorrow program, which plants trees around the metro.

👶 New Daycare Gets the Green Light at Crown Point Church
Emmanuel Fellowship got approval for a special use permit to run a general daycare at its 8345 Crown Point Avenue location.

🏗️ $1.5M TIF Backs New Five Story Apartments on Pacific Street
A single family home at 7630 Pacific Street will make way for a new five story building with 34 apartments. The council approved $1.5 million in tax increment financing to help fund the project.

🏡 $660K TIF Funds Affordable Senior Apartments on Park Avenue
The council approved $660,785 in tax increment financing for a new four story building at 1059 Park Avenue with affordable one bedroom apartments for seniors.

📋 Also on the agenda
Two new liquor licenses (Beer City and Uptown Java), several new subdivision plats around the metro (Western Springs, Webster Corner, Indian Ridge, Ida Grove, State and Highway 133 Addition, and Lake Street Grocery Store), Mayor Ewing's appointment of Marco Floreani to a city board, a push to name a stretch of street after the late Senator Brad Ashford, and a handful of routine contracts and change orders keeping city projects on track.

Watch the City Council meeting here.

RESTAURANT NEWS
What's Cooking In Omaha's Restaurant Scene 🍽️

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

  • Barrett's Barleycorn just landed at #5 on a national list of the best sports bars for catching World Cup action, based on an analysis of Google reviews across all 50 states. With a 4.6 rating from more than 1,300 reviews, the spot clearly has its regulars. Find it at 4322 Leavenworth Street.

  • Freddy's Frozen Custard & Steakburgers is taking shape in the Coventry development, where the roughly 3,000 sq. ft. building is now sealed up and getting its interior finished. It'll sit between a Taco Bell and a new Hyper Energy Bar, adding to the seven Freddy's locations already scattered around the metro. Look for it at 6625 South 205th Street, near 204th & Harrison.

  • Mi Tierra, a family-run Mexican spot that got its start in 2018 with two Lincoln locations, is bringing its cooking to Omaha. It's moving into the former Copal and Benjamin's space, though the team hasn't shared an opening date yet. You'll find it at 3623 North 129th Street.

  • Papa Johns has permanently shut its doors at 4610 South 50th Street, part of a wave of nationwide closures the chain is going through this year. A note on the door points regulars toward nearby locations at 9765 Q Street, 657 North 46th Street, or 4102 Twin Creek Drive in Bellevue.

  • The Mill Coffee Shop is prepping a second Omaha outpost downtown inside the Duo building at 15th & Douglas, based on a recent city building permit. The Lincoln-born roaster already runs a shop at 3105 Leavenworth Street and is set to pour coffee at Eppley Airfield's new terminal too.

  • The Amazing Pizza Machine celebrated its 20th anniversary with a ribbon-cutting on July 9 at its Millard location. The indoor entertainment center pairs a buffet of more than 75 items with go-karts, bumper cars, rides, and plenty of other attractions. Swing by at 13955 S Plaza.

  • Chipotle Mexican Grill and 7 Brew Coffee are both headed to the northwest corner of 72nd & P Street in Ralston, where grading has already begun on a 1.81-acre lot near Liberty First Credit Union Arena. Chipotle is expected to open in late 2026 or early 2027, while 7 Brew hasn't named a date yet.

  • Hyper Energy Bar recently opened its third Omaha location in the Coventry development, and it marked the debut with a run of free and discounted drink specials from July 8 through the 13th. The Iowa-based drive-thru slings energy drinks, coffees, and snacks. Catch it at 6735 South 205th Street, near 204th & Harrison.

  • South O Sandwich Co. is now serving up sandwiches at the Dandelion Pop-Up in downtown Omaha. The shop teams up with Stephen Center to offer job training and opportunities for people getting back on their feet. Stop in at 1300 Howard Street.

  • Fazoli's has closed for good at its La Vista location in the Brentwood Village Shopping Center, leaving the fast-casual Italian chain with four other spots around the metro. The shuttered store was at 8017 South 84th Street.

FUN
Nebraska Trivia

Q: In 1988, what international food company pushed the city of Omaha into destroying a historic district so they could put up a new headquarters? In 2015, the company relocated its headquarters to Chicago.

(Answer below.)

Play Word Search! New Nebraska themed game every day.

Play Wordie (Nebraska themed Wordle)! New word each day.

CONCERTS
Upcoming musical performances in OMA/LNK



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

EVENTS
Upcoming non-musical events in Omaha



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

TRIVIA ANSWER

A: ConAgra

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