SAVE THE DATE FOR HOLIDAY LIGHTS FESTIVAL’S SILVER CELEBRATION
(OMAHA, Nebr.) October 22, 2024 – The Holiday Lights Festival is celebrating a major milestone this winter and there’s lots to enjoy this holiday season! The 25th annual Holiday Lights Festival, produced by Mayor Jean Stothert and The RiverFront, runs from November 30th to January 1st.
Throughout the holiday season, the Holiday Lights Festival will offer free family-friendly activities, as well as dazzling lighting displays in the Old Market and along North and South 24th Street. The RiverFront will also showcase their own 2024 holiday displays and décor in conjunction with the Holiday Lights Festival, including illuminated trees and a multimedia light show.
Key event dates for this year include:
The annual Lighting Ceremony produced by The RiverFront, is the official kick-off to the Holiday Lights Festival season. This year’s ceremony will once again be held on the Saturday after Thanksgiving, November 30th at 6pm in the Gene Leahy Mall at The RiverFront Performance Pavilion. Mayor Jean Stothert will lead the community in a countdown to the holiday season, after which the public is encouraged to explore The RiverFront’s winter wonderland and then walk over to the Old Market to support local shops and restaurants on Small Business Saturday.
The KETV Family Festival, a day of free family fun, is Sunday, December 8th from 11am to 4pm. Six of downtown Omaha’s favorite venues will have special holiday programming and free admission; this year’s venues include Heartland of America Park at The RiverFront; the Omaha Children’s Museum; the Omaha Public Library’s Downtown Branch; the Omaha Police Mounted Patrol Barn; the Durham Museum; and the Joslyn Art Museum, which is returning to the Family Festival after completing their incredible renovations earlier this summer. Ollie the Trolley will be offering free trolley rides between all the venues.
The New Year’s Eve Fireworks Spectacular will round out the Holiday Lights Festival season on Tuesday, December 31st at 7pm. Fireworks can be viewed from downtown Omaha and a special soundtrack will accompany the show, courtesy of STAR 104.5 The Christmas Station.
Additionally, the Conagra Brands Foundation’s Shine the Light on Hunger campaign will be collecting donations throughout the Holiday Lights Festival season. Non-perishable food donations can be dropped off at any Omaha-area Baker’s Supermarkets and various arts and cultural organizations throughout the city. All proceeds will go to the Food Bank of the Heartland to support their fight against food insecurity in our community.
For more information on the 25th annual Holiday Lights Festival and the Shine the Light on Hunger campaign, visit www.holidaylightsfestival.org or follow the Festival on Facebook and Instagram. For more information on The RiverFront and their holiday programming, visit www.theriverfrontomaha.com/holidaysattheriverfront.
About Holiday Lights Festival
Celebrating its 25th anniversary in 2024, the Holiday Lights Festival has been an annual celebration of Omaha’s holiday spirit. Produced by Mayor Jean Stothert and The RiverFront, the Festival offers free, family-friendly events throughout the entire holiday season and festive lighting displays that illuminate every night. Conagra Brands Foundation’s Shine the Light on Hunger campaign happens concurrently, raising awareness about food insecurity in our community alongside the Food Bank of the Heartland.
The RiverFront is a transformation of 72-acres in downtown Omaha, renovating and interconnecting three previously existing city parks: Gene Leahy Mall, Heartland of America Park and Lewis & Clark Landing. The project spans from the Missouri River westward into the city’s urban core, extending to 13th Street. The Metropolitan Entertainment & Convention Authority (MECA) manages park activation and maintenance. The RiverFront, which is a highly programmed green space, rich with native plantings and permanent amenities, reopened in phases beginning with Gene Leahy Mall in July of 2022, followed by Lewis & Clark Landing and Heartland of America Park in August of 2023.
