Omaha Holiday Lights Festival

The Holiday Lights Festival is the city of Omaha's own holiday season, and it turns the downtown core into one long evening stroll for about five weeks. Strings of lights and garland go up across the Old Market, along The RiverFront parks, and in neighborhood business districts on North 24th Street and South 24th Street, so the glow reaches well beyond downtown.

The season opens with the Lighting Ceremony at Gene Leahy Mall on the Saturday after Thanksgiving. Live music warms up the crowd late in the afternoon and the switch is flipped at 6 p.m. In early December a free Family Festival spreads across downtown venues such as The Durham Museum, Omaha Children's Museum, the downtown library, the police Mounted Patrol barn and Joslyn Art Museum, with free trolley and bus rides linking them. The season closes with a New Year's Eve fireworks show at 7 p.m., timed so families can watch and still be home well before midnight.

2026 is the festival's 27th season. It is also tied to a food drive, Shine the Light on Hunger, that benefits Food Bank for the Heartland, so bringing a canned good or donating is part of the local tradition.

For visitors, this is one of the easiest and cheapest ways to see Omaha in winter. Pair a lights walk with dinner in the Old Market, a stop at the Durham Museum's giant tree, and a look at the reimagined RiverFront parks.

Highlights

• Lighting Ceremony at Gene Leahy Mall on Thanksgiving weekend, music from 5 p.m. and lighting at 6 p.m.
• Lights across the Old Market, The RiverFront, North 24th Street and South 24th Street
• Free Family Festival in early December at several downtown museums and venues
• Early New Year's Eve fireworks at 7 p.m., best seen from The RiverFront and the Old Market
• Food drive benefiting Food Bank for the Heartland

Tips for going

• The Old Market and RiverFront are walkable together; park once in a downtown garage and explore on foot.
• Arrive by 5 p.m. for the lighting ceremony if you want a spot close to the stage.
• The 7 p.m. fireworks are family friendly; book a downtown dinner for after the show.
• Dress for real cold. Late November and December evenings in Omaha are often below freezing.
• Bring a canned food item or plan a small donation for the food drive.