Busy fun time with festivals, vacation
We have vacation planned for mid- to late-June.
We have found that our weekends leading up to the vacation trip are packed, as well. With summer festival season upon us, the next few weeks are among our favorite events in the area.
First up is Taste of Omaha this weekend. The three-day event consists of area restaurants bringing their food to the Riverfront area of our downtown. Vendors set up from Heartland of America Park to just short of the Bob Kerrey Pedestrian Bridge that connects Omaha to its neighbor across the Missouri River, Council Bluffs, Iowa.
In addition to the food and drinks, local bands, as well as national acts, will take to the three stages scattered throughout the festival area. A former member of Boston will perform on the main stage Saturday night. A couple of years ago, we had the Ides of March, who performed their great hit, “Vehicle.”
Carnival rides and merchants will also dot the landscape.
June 7-9 will feature the Omaha Arts Festival along a few blocks of downtown. Artists from around the nation will display their artwork in hopes some of us buy it. Music and food will also be part of the festival. A traveling jazz/blues band from New Orleans will be the featured act June 8th. MarchFourth Marching Band will lead a procession through a section of downtown before performing on stage.
On the same weekend, Omaha has its “Sand in the City” event. A fund–raiser for charity, various organizations and companies build artistic sandcastles. The public buys tickets to vote for the winners. It’s a neat event to take in for a few minutes downtown. It will be a few blocks north of the arts festival.
June 14th kicks off the College World Series festivities in Omaha. Eight college baseball teams will descend on our city for the chance to walk away champion of NCAA Division I. It’s a great baseball tournament to watch. The teams are always great to watch. The people watching is an added pleasure. People from all over the United States will visit our area during the almost two weeks of the CWS. It’s always a treat to see the Louisiana State University Tigers in town, with their fans. Those folks support their baseball and are a hoot to watch.
The band O.A.R. kicks off the opening night festivities June 14th with a concert outside the TD Ameritrade Ballpark.
Then, each baseball team enters the field in a parade. Fireworks close out the night.
Then, starting June 15th through as late as June 26th, it’s “Play ball!”
Outside of Omaha, June 14-15 are “Ice Cream Days” in the self-proclaimed Ice Cream Capital of the World, Le Mars, Iowa. We hope to be able to make it up there on the 15th.
June 16th is Father’s Day. Not much more to say than enjoying it with my family.
We start our vacation at noon CT Friday, June 21st. Looking forward to it. We are heading north to Wisconsin, the Uper (Upper Michigan for a couple of days), Minnesota and then home. Lots of things planned to see and do in a short time away.
Once back, the festivities continue for a couple more weeks.
Omaha hosts the College Home Run Derby at TD Ameritrade Ball Park on July 3rd. College all-stars are invited to participate in the home run competition. Following the event, the Omaha World-Herald sponsors its annual fireworks show.
July 4th is, of course, Independence Day. A local suburb, Ralston, hosts one of the region’s best parades.
Things start to settle down for us after the weekend of July 13-14. That weekend is Railroad Days. Several Omaha and
Council Bluffs museums and other attractions open their doors to the public for a small family fee. Museums, such as the Union Pacific, Joslyn and Durham, join with the Botanical Gardens to participate. It’s a fun and enjoyable time.
You can take a look at the history of the railroad in the United States, as well as other historical and artistic attractions.
After that, we can sit back and enjoy a weekend or two before getting ready for fall activities and possible road trips.
So, while we have our festival fun planned, we encourage everyone to check out the activities in their areas to help make the summer months enjoyable.
