Omaha Events July 23-29: Concerts, Restaurant Openings & City Council News

It's a scorcher of a week around town, with plenty going on from downtown deals to new restaurant openings.

Here's what's inside:

Let's dive in!

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❄️ Salvation Army opens cooling centers on the year's hottest day
Two Salvation Army cooling centers opened Monday as triple-digit heat settled over Omaha. The North Corps kitchen served fresh meals alongside a cool place to rest, and staff sent extra food home with visitors. Chef Kevin Newlin says it is about giving back, not just feeding people.

🎉 Colombo Latino Festival brings Colombian food and music to Bellevue
The Colombo Latino Festival hit its fourth year Sunday at Bellevue Berry Farm. Dozens of food stands and small vendors set up shop, and the crowd caught the World Cup Final together. Founder Jorge Lopez says the event helps new local businesses find their footing.

🏳️‍🌈 Heartland Pride parade fills downtown despite brutal heat
Hundreds lined downtown streets Saturday as the Heartland Pride parade rolled through in near triple-digit temperatures. Rainbow flags, balloons, and crews from the Omaha Fire Department and City Hall marched together. The party kept going with vendors, a daytime festival, and an evening show at Steelhouse Omaha.

🎒 Back-to-school drive needs backpacks for 6,000 metro kids
Collective for Youth is collecting new backpacks and supplies at Gregg Young Chevrolet, 180th and Dodge, daily from 6 a.m. to 6 p.m. Last year's drive brought in 35,000 items but only 1,100 backpacks. Organizers say tight budgets make donations matter more this year.

🌿 North Omaha garden workshop turns herbs into salt and bug spray
Neighbors gathered at Abundance Garden near 24th and Lake for a free class on using local plants. They picked herbs, learned to identify them by smell, and mixed their own seasoning salt and natural bug spray. The next free class lands in September.

🍺 Benson brewery owner teaches his family the trade
Aaron Bush opened B5 Brewing Company on Maple with his wife and three kids in 2024. Months later he was diagnosed with slow-progression ALS. His kids voted to keep the doors open, and now Aaron is teaching his oldest son to brew.

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Why smart businesses choose Brightway:

🏟️ Downtown Soccer Stadium Project Clears a Contract Hurdle
Council approved a special construction contract type for the Downtown Omaha Soccer Stadium Project. It lets builders get involved early instead of waiting for standard bidding, which can help keep the project on schedule. One resident, Donnie Johnson, spoke against the move at the meeting, but the council approved it anyway.

🏗️ Two Tax Breaks Bring New Apartments to Midtown and Beyond
The city approved TIF financing for two housing projects: a five story, 34 unit building replacing a single family home at 7630 Pacific Street ($1.51 million), and a four story affordable senior living building at 1053 Park Avenue ($660,785). Both use future property tax growth to help cover construction costs.

🪧 13th Street Gets New "Jean Stothert Street" Name, Despite Some Pushback
Council approved naming the stretch of 13th Street between Douglas and Harney after former Mayor Jean Stothert. Public Works will put up new signs. At least one resident spoke against the idea before the vote, but it passed anyway.

🎰 Three More Omaha Bars Add Keno Machines
Pastime Neighborhood Bar & Grill, Pauli's, and Corner Kick all got approval to run Big Red satellite keno locations under the city's lottery agreement. It is routine paperwork, but it means three more spots around town to try your luck.

👶 New Daycare Approved for Crown Point Avenue Church
Emmanuel Fellowship can now open a general daycare at 8345 Crown Point Avenue after getting a special use permit. The approval lets the church add child care services in the surrounding neighborhood.

🚧 $1.2M Change Order Keeps School Zone Street Repairs Moving
The city approved over $1.2 million in extra work for last year's street resurfacing project near schools around Omaha. Omni Engineering, formerly Oldcastle Materials, is handling the additional repairs to keep roads near school zones in good shape.

🏋️ Indoor Sports Complex Gets Green Light on Irvington Road
Irvington Road 75 LLC won approval to turn a building at 7405 Irvington Road into an indoor sports and recreation facility. The $60,000 special use permit opens up a new place to play in that part of town.

🚒 Retired Fire Truck Heads to a South Dakota Ministry
The city is donating a 1992 Ford F350 fire pumper, no longer useful for Omaha, to The Ranch Ministries in Pierre, South Dakota. City rules let retired equipment like this go to nonprofit groups once it is no longer needed here.

Also on the agenda: new liquor licenses for Apple Nails & Spa, B's Liquor, El Deposito, EZ Mart, Lansky's, and Ware House Comedy Theater, plus plat and subdivision approvals for Rainwood, Webster Corner, Indian Ridge, and Ida Grove.

Watch the City Council meeting here.

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

Q: Populus deltoides is Nebraska's state tree. What's its common name, which comes from its white, fluffy seeds? (Hint: Elsewhere, you might call it a poplar).

(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.

A: Cottonwood