Enjoy Free Admission, Holiday Activities, and Festive Entertainment at Downtown Attractions
(OMAHA, Neb.) November 29, 2023 – The Holiday Lights Festival and KETV Channel 7 are proud to present Omaha Metro families with an opportunity to experience a day of free festive holiday activities at Omaha’s favorite downtown attractions. The festival will be held on Sunday, December 3 from 11am to 4pm.
Each of the five venues will host various activities such as special holiday crafting experiences and festive entertainment from local Omaha groups. Admission to all venues is free, and Ollie the Trolley will be providing free trolley rides between venues for festivalgoers. This year’s venues and activities include:
Durham Museum:
- View permanent and temporary exhibitions
- Holiday activities with Christmas at the Union Station celebration
- Region’s largest indoor Christmas tree display
- Visit Santa and his elves
Omaha Children’s Museum:
- Holiday activities
- Meet and greet with Santa
Omaha Mounted Patrol Barn:
- Amazing Arthur Entertainment – balloons and face painting
- Candy and other giveaways
- Horse demonstrations
Omaha Public Library:
- Storytime with OPL staff
- Crafts and coloring
- Book giveaway (to each child 12 and under while supplies last)
- Appearance and photo opportunities with Pete the Cat and Scamper the Prairie Dog mascots
The RiverFront:
- “Dashing Through The RiverFront” – scavenger hunt to win a variety of prizes
- Holiday photo opportunities, food trucks, and cozy firepits available
- Ice skating at the Skate Ribbon, skate rentals will be at a cost
The Downtown YMCA will be a special guest at the Mounted Patrol Barn this year – they will be offering an interactive winter-themed game and a craft giveaway for kids to take home. Some locations will also feature festive entertainment; Millard North High School’s male acapella group Northern Lights, the Flatwater Drifters, and the Mater Dei academy chorus will all be showcasing their talents on Sunday along with other local groups.
“Fun holiday traditions like this one are what make Omaha a wonderful city for so many,” said Shawn Oswald, KETV’s President and General Manager. “KETV Channel 7 is proud to continue supporting festive community events like this one, and we are honored to work with the Holiday Lights Festival event partners to provide this opportunity for the community.”
As part of the annual Shine the Light on Hunger Campaign, sponsored by the Conagra Brands Foundation, families are encouraged to bring non-perishable items with them on Sunday. There will be donation barrels and boxes at each venue where festivalgoers can drop their donations. All proceeds benefit Food Bank for the Heartland.
About Holiday Lights Festival
Since 1999, the Festival has become an annual celebration of Omaha’s holiday spirit, complete with free, family-friendly events scheduled throughout the entire holiday season. In 2007, the Holiday Lights Festival added the Shine the Light on Hunger campaign, sponsored by Conagra Brands Foundation and in partnership with Food Bank for the Heartland. For more information on the 2023 Holiday Lights Festival, visit www.HolidayLightsFestival.org and follow the Festival on both Facebook and Instagram.
The Holiday Lights Festival is produced by Mayor Jean Stothert and Downtown Omaha Inc. Foundation, with event partners Conagra Brands and The RiverFront, and media sponsors KETV Channel 7 and STAR 104.5 The Christmas Station.
About KETV Channel 7
KETV NewsWatch 7 is Omaha’s News Leader, the number one station for local news on-air and on digital in the Omaha market, one of the top ABC stations in the country among the top 100 markets (A25-54) and has the largest local media presence on social media. KETV’s commitment to local news has been recognized with multiple Regional Edward R. Murrow Awards and Nebraska Broadcasters Association awards for news coverage. KETV broadcasts from the historic 7 Burlington Station, an Omaha landmark that has been transformed into a state-of-the-art broadcast facility. The Burlington Station opened on July 4, 1898, as a part of the Trans-Mississippi International Exposition. It served as a rail station for the Omaha area until 1974. KETV has been an ABC affiliate since it began broadcasting in 1957. In 2011 KETV added MeTV Omaha on its digital channel 7.2. The station’s web address is http://www.ketv.com/
