Grow Omaha
Arts & Culture

The Omaha Symphony will present Star Wars: A New Hope in Concert on May 8 and 9 at the Holland Center at 7:30 p.m. This unique concert features the live orchestra led by Ernest Richardson performing John Williams’ Academy-Award winning score while the film is presented on a large screen. Audiences will be captivated as they relive the thrilling adventure of Luke Skywalker, Princess Leia and Han Solo, accompanied by the powerful live music that has defined the Star Wars saga. Visit their website for tickets and more information.

Junkstock is celebrating 15 years with a theme that continues on May 8 through 10 at Sycamore Farms. Featuring 22 bands and more than 250 vendors and businesses, Junkstock invites guests to experience both creativity and connection. What began as a passion for junking has grown into one of the Midwest’s most beloved festivals, with the celebratory theme that is personal and immersive: The Secret Garden. This theme honors Lisa Stork, Junkstock co-founder Sara Alexander’s mother-in-law, who passed away last November. Her influence helped spark what eventually became Junkstock, and her legacy can be felt throughout the festival. Tickets can be purchased at the gate on all days.

Garden Party Omaha returns to Sonny’s in Aksarben Village on Saturday, May 9 from 2 to 11 p.m. The bar will be transformed into a vibrant, all-day celebration of music, community and inclusion that focuses on uplifting songwriters from Nebraska and the region. Garden Party Omaha has evolved from a ticketed DIY backyard event into a community-centered festival experience.

This year’s lineup showcases a mix of indie rock, roots rock and other talent, headlined by Laney Jones and the Spirits. Other performers include Omaha-based Ex Lover, Katy Guillen & The Drive, LuLa, Nicki Walters and more. For more information, visit www.gardenpartyomaha.com

Omaha Performing Arts will present The Princess Bride: An Inconceivable Evening with Cary Elwes on Friday, May 15 at the Holland Performing Arts Center at 7 p.m. Originally scheduled for December 2025, this event will present a special screening of the classic film, The Princess Bride, with a behind-the-scenes look at the film, secrets and stories afterwards with actor Cary Elwes, who played the iconic role of Westley.

Elwes has been in a multitude of films over the years, recently Mission Impossible: Dead Reckoning and Operation Fortune: Ruse de Gurerre. Now he’s sharing personal and behind-the-scenes stories of this iconic film across the nation. Visit here for tickets.

The Great Plains Theatre Commons announced playwright Dillon Chitto as the recipient of the 2026-27 Four Directions Playwright Residency, a collaborative program supporting Native and Indigenous playwrights through multi-site creative residencies and community engagement. The year-long residency includes stops in Omaha, Minnesota, Oklahoma and Kansas City,

culminating in a public reading at Kansas City Repertory Theatre in summer 2027.

GPTC artistic director Kevin Lawler said the program continues the organization’s long-term support of Native playwrights and storytelling. The playwright is selected by Native playwright, Mary Kathryn Nagle, and alumni of the Four Directions program. This is the fourth year of the residency program.

Dates of the 2026-27 residency are currently scheduled for:

• Great Plains Theatre Commons – May 23 – 31, 2026
• Tofte Lake – June 14-24, 2026
• Tulsa Artist Fellowship – September 2026
• Kansas City Repertory Theatre – June, 2027

The SAC Aerospace Museum will host a Star Wars inspired experience called A Galactic Night Out on May 2 at 28210 West Park Highway from 7 to 11 p.m. The hangers transform into an interstellar experience that transports participants into a galaxy far, far away. Enjoy food, drinks and Star Wars-related activities, such as costume and trivia contests, lightsaber battles, movie screenings and more. The event is +21, and guests are encouraged to dress as their favorite characters. Tickets start at $35 including a raffle ticket and themed snack pack.

The Renaissance Festival of Nebraska returns to the Bellevue Berry Farm in Papillion on three consecutive weekends from May 2 through 17 from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. The festival is known for inviting guests to a larger realm filled with live entertainment, colorful characters, crafted treasures, food, drink and more. There will be live jousting, swordplay, circus performances and many hands-on experiences such as archery, butterfly release, yard games, ax toss and more. Each weekend has a theme:

May 2-3: Jousts & Jesters – Opening weekend brings the thunder of the joust, lively comedy, unique musicians, daring feats and the kind of pageantry that sets the tone for the weeks ahead.

May 9-10: Lochs & Lore – The second weekend beckons guests deeper into the realm with even more fantasy, Celtic folklore, fire-feats, pub music and roaming characters ready to stir the imagination.

May 16-17: Forgotten Forests – The final weekend closes the season in a haze of woodland whimsy, bold spectacle, and enchanted encounters.

Visit their website for tickets and more information.

BLUEBARN Theatre has announced A Chorus Line coming to the venue May 14 through June 17, with Thursday and Saturday shows at 7:30p.m. Winner of nine Tony Awards and the Pulitzer Prize for Drama, A Chorus Line celebrates 50 years of the moving performance. It centers on 17 dancers auditioning for a Broadway show, highlighting their personal, raw stories and struggles.

Conceived and originally directed and choreographed by Michael Bennett, with music by Marvin Hamlisch, and now directed by Susan Clement. An ASL-interpreted performance will be presented June 5, at 7:30 p.m. One shot. One line. One audition. God, I hope I get it! For tickets and more information, visit their website.

Opera Omaha and Josyln Castle invite artists to participate in the Youth Art Show, Art Inspiring Art, at Joslyn Castle’s Carriage House Gallery May 21 through June 9. Artists 18 and younger are encouraged to share a piece inspired by their “inner museum”, the collection of art, poetry, literature or music that made a lasting impression. This exhibit explores how art inspires us. How it can echo, transform and become something new through imagination.

Artists can submit up to two pieces. All mediums are welcome and must be ready to hang and display. There is no entry fee. A selection of pieces will move to the Hoff Family Arts & Culture Center June 5-7 to be displayed during Opera Omaha performances of UnShakeable.

The Largest Unfurling of the American Flag and a drone show will take place at Memorial Park Friday, May 22, as well as at the Sandhills Global Event Center in Lincoln Sunday, May 24 from 6 to 9 p.m. This free event will showcase the world’s largest American flag, which is 250’ x 550’, being unfurled, with hundreds of people working together. Six hundred fifty people are needed for this event, with all ages approved. Sign up HERE.

The Astro Amphitheater in La Vista opens their summer season on Thursday, April 23 with the first show Ethel Cain on the Willoughby Tucker Forever Tour, with opener 9million at the venue at 7 p.m. The Astro has 13 outdoor shows announced so far extending into September, with four ticketed free shows in the Encore Summer Series.

Outdoor shows include:

• George Thorogood and The Destroyers with The Marshall Tucker Band on May 17
• The Black Keys on July 20
• Jefferson Starship with Atlanta Rhythm Section, Pure Prairie League and Firefall on September 24

Several indoor shows at the Astro include:

• Iron & Wine on April 29
• Nitty Gritty Dirt Band on June 6
• Little River Band with Ozark Mountain Daredevils on June 20
• Wolfgang Van Halen and Mammoth on July 18

More shows continue to be announced.

The Millard Makers Market series begins their monthly craft events on Saturday, April 25th from 3 to 8 p.m. at the Oakview Mall parking lot. This free community event will have more than 70 vendors and businesses to shop, live performing music, snacks and baked goods, games, bounce houses as well as a time to revisit some of the Oakview Mall businesses. Future events will take place on the last Saturday of every month until October.

The series is hosted by Local Makers Collective, a locally-rooted business that brings together unique goods and passionate vendors through thoughtfully curated markets, craft fairs and community-centered events.

The 2026 Spring Platte River Art Show will be taking place this weekend at the Peter Kiewit Lodge at Eugene T. Mahoney State Park April 24 through 26. Meet amazing artists and their works ranging from mixed media, photography, paintings, jewelry, glass, wood work, handcrafted artwork and sculptures. There will be a wine and cheese reception on Friday from 6 to 9 p.m. The show runs from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. on Saturday and 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Sunday.

Omaha Performing Arts will present MAMMA MIA! at the Orpheum Theater starting April 28 at 7:30 p.m. and running through May 3. This jukebox Broadway musical about a bride-to-be inviting three men who could be her real father to her wedding has been a reigning classic for more than 25 years. People all around the world have fallen in love with the characters, the story and the timeless hits of ABBA that make this performance the ultimate feel-good show.

Steelhouse Omaha will present An Evening with John Cusack, featuring a special screening of Say Anything on Saturday, May 9 at 8 p.m. at Steelhouse Omaha. John Cusack is a versatile actor, producer and screenwriter known for his roles in the 1980s, especially Say Anything in 1989. There will additionally be a moderated conversation and audience Q&A following the film, as well as behind-the-scenes stories and insights from Cusack.

Omaha Performing Arts just announced My Hero Academia in concert coming to the Orpheum Theater on October 1. Celebrating the 10th year anniversary of the iconic anime series and its thrilling, upbeat music. This is a unique chance to experience the story about a young powerless student attending the biggest hero academy as he pursues his dream to become the number #1 hero. Tickets start at 35$ and go on sale on April 23.