The Mesmerizing Christmas Display In Nebraska With Over 1 Million Glittering Lights
By Delana Lefevers|Published December 02, 2017
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Delana Lefevers
Author
As a lifelong Nebraskan, Delana loves discovering the many hidden treasures of her state. She has worked as a writer and editor since 2007. Delana's work has been featured on more than a dozen websites and in Nebraska Life Magazine.
Nebraska towns tend to go all out for Christmas — just look at this adorable Christmas village that gets better and better every year. But Nebraska’s largest city really takes the cake when it comes to enormous holiday light displays.
Omaha's Holiday Lights Festival kicks off every year at Thanksgiving and runs through January 1st. It encompasses an impressive 40 city blocks in downtown Omaha and even extends into surrounding areas.
The 2017 festival kicked off on Thanksgiving evening at the Gene Leahy Mall at 14th & Farnam. More than 20,000 people filled the Old Market to watch the beloved spectacle, while hundreds of thousands more are expected to visit the lights during the course of the festival.
The lights are turned on every evening at 5 p.m. and stay lit until 1 a.m. It's a truly dazzling sight, especially in the Gene Leahy Mall and Heartland of America Park where the lights reflect off of the water like magic.
Although the Holiday Lights Festival was once located only in the Old Market, it has expanded to include beautiful displays in North Omaha and South Omaha.
The lights are just part of this winter tradition, though. The Wells Fargo Family Festival takes place today, Sunday, December 3rd, from noon to 5 p.m. A free trolley will take attendees between all of the great events, musical performances, and seasonal activities at The Durham Museum, W. Dale Clark Public Library, the Wells Fargo Bank downtown branch and Joslyn Art Museum. (There are fees for some activities.)
Music is a big part of the festival. There are free performances by a variety of musical groups all the way from Thanksgiving to New Year's Eve. Free Sounds of the Season concerts will take place every Saturday at 7 p.m. in the Gene Leahy Mall.
Ice skating is also back this year, and for the first time, it will be located in the NRG Energy Ice Rink in The Capitol District at 10th St. and Capitol Ave. There are even several figure skating shows scheduled throughout the Holiday Lights Festival.
The entire festival culminates in a huge New Year's Eve fireworks show over downtown Omaha. The show starts at 7 p.m., and the theme this year is "Girls Who Rock." You can turn your radio on to STAR 104.5 to listen to the synchronized music... or simply watch the incredible show in the sky.
The Holiday Lights Festival started out as a celebration of the millennium in 2000, but it was so popular that the city has brought it back every year. The Shine The Light On Hunger event coincides with the festival. Attendees are encouraged to bring nonperishable food to the ice skating rink or various collection barrels in the community.
For more information on specific events, times, costs, and everything else you need to know about the Holiday Lights Festival, go to their website and have a look around. This is one of those holiday festivals that you just don’t want to miss.
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