March/April 2020 Explore Calendar
Mar 03, 2020 11:43AM ● By Tara Spencer
Nebraska
War of the Worlds March 5 at Cox Activities Center, Norfolk. This play is based on the science-fiction novel by H.G. Wells. This story details 12 days in which invaders from Mars attack the planet Earth. 402.371.2020 —northeast.edu
13th Annual Polar Bear Tank Race March 6 and 7 at Middle Loup River near Mullen. This timed event features teams of four to six people who race down the river in metal stock tanks. Prizes are awarded for tank decorations and themes. Teams may also choose to forgo the race and enjoy a relaxing float down the river. 308.546.2206. —sandhillsjourney.com
SUPER DIAMOND, THE NEIL DIAMOND TRIBUTE March 13 at the Lied Center, Lincoln. Paying tribute to a beloved international pop icon, Super Diamond performs the timeless classics such as “Sweet Caroline,” “America,” and “Forever in Blue Jeans.” 420.472.4747. —liedcenter.org
Rodeo Grand Island March 13 and 14 at Heartland Events Center in Fonner Park, Grand Island. This Professional Rodeo Cowboy Association event features team roping, barrel racing, and Xtreme Bulls Tour (Saturday). 308.382.4515. —heartlandeventscenter.com
Shamrock Shuffle 5K Walk/Run/Crawl March 14 at Chuckles Bar in Fairbury. Runners and walkers are encouraged to dress up in leprechaun gear for this event. The post-race celebration includes unique awards, live music, giveaways, green booze, and food. 402.729.3000. —fairburychamber.org
St. Patrick’s Day Celebration March 16 in downtown O’Neill. The home of the “The World's Largest Shamrock” nearly doubles its size to 7,000 people during St. Patrick’s Day weekend. Festivities begin Wednesday with the Irish Walk of Fame and the painting of the town's beloved shamrock. The big day is Saturday, with a fun run, Green Eggs and Ham breakfast, free concert, Irish dancers, a parade, kids activities, and more. 402.336.2355. —oneillchamber.com
Get Your Irish On! March 17 at Ravenna, Kearney. The fourth year of this festive event will include food, wine, music and more. The band is BlueClover, a fun trio who play a variety of traditional Irish tunes with a tinge of bluegrass. 308.452.3181. —cedarhillsvineyard.com
Audubon’s 50th Annual Nebraska Crane Festival March 20-21 at multiple locations in Kearney. Thousands of Sandhill cranes migrate through Nebraska each year, and this festival highlights the cranes. The event includes educational speakers, meals, and, of course, a trip to see the cranes. 308.468.5282. —ne.audubon.org
Smorgasboard March 21 at the high school in Henderson. This event is a German feast as Nebraskans’ foremothers made it. The buffet includes verenika (a cottage cheese pocket with ham gravy over it), apple priescha (apple turnover), ham and noodles, zwiebach (roll), pluma mos (raisins and prunes cooked into a thick soup), schnetya (rolled up fruit- or raisin-filled dessert), worscht (pork sausage), kumpzt borscht (cabbage soup), kluptz (meat patties), and plautz (cherry or peach dessert). The high school band will perform following the dinner. 402.723.5782. —cityofhenderson.org
Aircraft Adventure March 21 at Strategic Air Command & Aerospace Museum in Ashland. Visitors can learn about the the C-119 “Flying Boxcar” and its many faces during this special event. 402.944.3100. —sacmuseum.org
Full Moon Horseback Experience April 6-8 at Dusty Trails in North Platte. This trail ride begins at dawn and allows riders to experience the awakening prairie before enjoying a morning in the viewing blind. 402.530.0048. —dustytrails.biz
Easter Weekend at Arbor Lodge April 10-12 at Arbor Lodge Mansion in Nebraska City. At this event, guests can discover the history of Easter traditions, enjoy fresh blooms, learn about spring planting on the Morton Farm, and view a vintage Easter postcard display. The mansion is open for self-guided tours and an egg hunt. 402.873.8722. —arbordayfarm.org
Star City BaconFest April 19 at Marriott Cornhusker Hotel in Lincoln. This event for meat lovers features bacon-inspired delights from Lincoln’s finest chefs, as well as live entertainment. All proceeds from this event create scholarships for local Culinary students. —starcitybaconfest.com
Spring Fling March 21 at Strategic Air Command & Aerospace Museum in Ashland. Kids of all ages can participate in an egg hunt, make and take a craft, visit with the Easter Bunny, listen to book readings, and learn about making kites at this fun-filled spring celebration. 402.944.3100. —sacmuseum.org
Earth Day April 25 in Lincoln. This year is the 50th annual Earth Day, and this event will be bigger and better than ever. The activities include live music, informational booths, food trucks, and a farmer’s market. —lincolnearthday.org
Iowa
Cedar Rapids Beer Summit 2020 March 7 at the Doubletree Convention Center in Cedar Rapids. This is a beer festival like no other. Drink your way through over 100 craft beer styles from more than 50 different breweries. There will also be live music, local vendors, and specialty food available for purchase. 319.731.444. —americaontap.com
13th Annual Blue Ribbon Bacon Festival March 7 at Horizon Events Center in Des Moines. This annual event will pair the tastes and sounds of the Caribbean with over 10,000 slices of bacon. There will be two stages of entertainment, a silent disco and silent yoga, and lots of lectures and educational events in the Chamber of Bacon Enlightenment. —blueribbonbaconfestival.com
St. Patrick’s Day Festival March 13-15 in Emmetsburg. This sister city of Dublin, Ireland, celebrates the “wearing o’ the green” in a grand way. Events include a beanbag tournament, fun run, kids’ zone, free movie, live music, and a parade. Before the parade, eat a cup of Irish stew or a baked potato with toppings, or sample the entries from the chili cookoff. 712-852-4326. —emmetsburgirishgifts.com
Maple Syrup Festival March 21-22 at Indian Creek Nature Center in Cedar Rapids. The Maple Syrup Festival, held at the end of the syruping season, features syrup-making demonstrations, a look inside the Maple Sugar House, a pancake breakfast with real maple syrup, and live music. 319.362.0664. —indiancreeknaturecenter.org
15th Annual Mission Creek Festival April 1-4 at the Englert in Iowa City. This is an intimate festival experience in downtown Iowa City focusing on music and literature. The program highlights quality, independent-minded sounds, words, and events hosted in venues across downtown Iowa City. 319.688.2653. —missioncreekfestival.com
Take A Bite Festival April 17-19 at Amana Colonies. This is an award-winning, three-day food experience that features sampling, hands-on demonstrations, and special dinners. Each evening features a special dining event—like a historic Amana Colonies communal dinner served in the only intact communal kitchen, or a Vintners Dinner that pairs a specially selected menu with expertly selected wines, or maybe an afternoon tea. 319.622.7622. —amanacolonies.com
Drake Road Races April 19 at The Blue Oval in Des Moines. Before the official start of the competitive Drake Relays, runners of all abilities can participate in the road races. On April 21, people can participate in the Grand Blue Mile, which has hosted more than 35,000 participants from 36 states, six countries, and four continents. —drakeroadraces.org
111th Drake Relays April 23-25 at The Blue Oval in Des Moines. One of the nation’s premier track and field events for over 100 years, the Drake Relays has seen the likes of Jesse Owens and Lillie Leatherwood on their track. On campus, check out the Street Paintings, in which student organization paints a square of concrete along a street that runs in front of Cowles Library. —drakeroadraces.org
Kites Over Hoover Park April 25 at Herbert Hoover Presidential Library and Museum in West Branch. Visitors can watch quad-line stunt kite fliers and fly their own kites at this event, which includes children’s games, races, and a candy drop. Kite and food vendors on site. 319.643.5301. —hoover.archives.gov
Food and Farm Festival April 25 at Living History Farms in Urbandale. Local producers, breweries, food trucks, wineries, and artists will gather on the front lawn of Living History Farms to celebrate everything that makes Iowa unique. Travel back in time to 1876 through a demonstration of the Town of Walnut Hill, horse-drawn wagon rides, as well as an 1876-era photo op. 515.278.5286. —lhf.org
Kansas
Fake Patty’s Day March 21 at Aggieville Historical District in Manhattan. Known as one of the biggest fake holidays in the Midwest, Fake Patty’s Day is a day full of fun, friends, live music, and memories. Aggieville is the place to be to drink green beer and spread Irish cheer. The streets will shut down so revelers can more easily travel from bar to bar during this special event. 785.320.6709. —aggieville.org
Kegs ’N’ Eggs April 18 at Kansas City Renaissance Festival grounds in Bonner Springs. Guests can hunt for golden eggs and win prizes while sipping on craft beers, eating good food, and listening to live music at this adults-only event. Take home a commemorative glass and free T-shirt to remember your time in Bonner Springs. 913.721.2110. —kegsneggskc.com
27th Annual Kansas Storytelling Festival April 24-25 in downtown Downs. Tall tales, anecdotes, and historical re-enactments can all be found at this festival, which offers two evening concerts and many separate sessions of stories, workshops, and music. 785.454.6648. —kansasstorytelling.com
Missouri
Phillips 66 Big 12 Men’s and Women’s Basketball Championships. March 11-15 at Sprint Center and Municipal Auditorium in Kansas City. 2020 marks the first time both the men’s and women’s championships have been held in the same city since 2012. 816.691.3800 —visitkc.com
Snake Saturday Parade and Festival March 14 at Northland Festivals in North Kansas City. This popular St. Patrick’s Day tradition in Kansas City includes a parade followed by a carnival, children’s events, and more. At Snake Saturday, everyone will be Irish for just a little while. 816.548.3113. —snakesaturday.com
St. Patrick’s Day Parade March 17 along Broadway in Kansas City. Those who do not get their full fix of shamrocks and shenanigans in North Kansas City at Snake Saturday can head downtown a couple days later to spend another day celebrating at one of the largest St. Patrick’s Day parades in the region. —kcirishparade.com
Planet Comicon March 20-22 at Bartle Hall Convention Center in Kansas City. Celebrate 20 years of superheroes, pop culture, and more at Kansas City’s largest and longest-running comic book convention and pop culture expo. The three-day event will feature the best in comic books, fantasy, and science fiction television and movies. 816.533.3126 —planetcomicon.com
Greater St. Louis Jazz Festival April 15-18 at Blanche M. Touhill Performing Arts Center in St. Louis. This festival is three days full of jazz and fun, put on by the University of Missouri-St. Louis Department of Music. The event will include performances from John Scofield’s Combo 66, George Golligan, Vicente Archer, Bill Stewart, Sean Jones, as well as several performances from local and regionally touring jazz artists and bands. 314.516.5980. —music.umsl.edu
Unbound Book Festival April 23-25 at various venues around Columbia. The Unbound Book Festival celebrates literature of all kinds. Over 20 nationally-recognized and best-selling authors from a variety of different genres and specialties will come to Columbia to talk about their work and engage with the community through different events and programs. Pulitzer Prize-winning poet Tracy K. Smith is the event’s keynote speaker. [email protected] —unboundbookfestival.com
Saint Louis Storytelling Festival April 23-May 2 at various venues across St. Louis. The power of stories is unparalleled, and storytelling is an evolving and dynamic form of art. Celebrating its 41st anniversary, the St. Louis Storytelling Festival is the largest free festival of its kind in the world. The multi-day celebration of stories will feature storytellers from across the nation, as well as regional storytellers from the St. Louis community. 314.266.4833. —extension.missouri.edu/storytelling
This calendar was printed in the March/April 2020 edition of Omaha Magazine. To receive the magazine, click here to subscribe.
