Tom Mangelsen’s Journey from Sandhill Cranes to the Most Famous Grizzly in the World
BEARS, TRAINS, AND PLANES MAY EDITION THRILLS
Tom Mangelsen knew as a college student that he wanted to have something to do with the outdoors, but he just wasn’t sure what. Today, Mangelsen (who graduated from Doane with a degree in zoology in 1970) is world-renown for his skills with a camera, having works in the Smithsonian Institution’s Museum of Natural History among many other prestigious locales. He was one of a few photographers to capture years of images of the bear known as Grizzly 399. Mangelsen’s journey as a photographer is one of many adventures readers will be taken on throughout the pages of this May 2025 edition of Omaha Magazine.
The magazine features adventurers of all ages. Andrea Barnes, DDS, likes to spends her free time traveling. She is considered a “queenager,” a woman who is affluent enough to travel and does so often. How she travels around the world while running her own dental practice is the idea behind one great profile story. On the other end of the spectrum, 6-year-old Grady Strickler took the trip of his young lifetime as a 4-year-old, traveling by train to Colorado.
While these grand adventures are amazing to read, and dream, about, there’s plenty of excitement to be found in Nebraska. This is the 30th anniversary of the Cowboy Trail, encompassing 317 miles across the state of Nebraska. This hiking and biking trail was originally part of Fremont and Elkhorn Valley Railroad.
Taking an adventure could also mean starting a new hobby. Nebraska’s own Johnny Rodgers has taken up a sport that has become a national sensation in recent years pickleball. Teaching him the pastime was his own daughter, the Nebraska state poet Jewel Rodgers.
Dining articles are often some of the most-read in this publication, and we are giving you, our loyal readers, one more option to read about food starting with this edition. This new dining feature will send readers to several places in the area around a theme and we couldn’t think of a better place to start than with ice cream.
There’s plenty of adventure to be found in this city, in this state, in this country, and in this world luckily, our readers can find adventure from their reading chair with this edition.
Some final notes for you all. First, my friend, and our back-page columnist, is not in this May edition due to a surgery. Fear not, Otis Twelve's "Not Funny" column will resume in June. Also, Omaha Publications recently lost one of our own when branding specialist George Idelman (pictured on this column) passed away March 29. He was a loyal Cubs fan and devoted friend, and we at Omaha Publications miss him dearly.
Russ Finch and Allen Bright’s Greenhouse in the Snow Finds Progress in Tradition, Sustainability in
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Nebraska-born photographer Tom Mangelsen expresses his feelings through photographs of the wildlife he has encountered. From Sandhill Cranes to the most famous grizzly bear in the world, Mangelsen has captured it all, even taking a photo regarded by many as one of the best wildlife shots ever. Read more on page. 06
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Omaha Magazine has existed in Omaha since 1890, according to publisher Todd Lemke (center). Lemke himself entered the Omaha publishing scene in March 1983 with the first issue of City Slicker. That newsprint publication was the precursor to his Omaha Magazine, which launched its first issue in 1989.
Today, Omaha Magazine Ltd. is the parent company of Omaha Publications, which produces other community-focused magazines such as FACES of Omaha, B2B Magazine, Family Guide, and many custom publishing products.
The magazines would not be possible without the people behind them whether that's the people in between the covers or those behind the scenes.
Lemke and his Omaha Publications staff take immense pride in presenting Omahans with the best stories in the city and the company is always looking to improve the products. That sometimes means switching some features and departments to give the denizens of Omaha what they crave. In this edition, a new, mini-dining story gives people a taste of a food trend or seasonal flavor.
At its heart, the Omaha Magazine team is one that works hard for its community.
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PHOTOGRAPHY BY BILL SITZMANN // DESIGN BY RENEE LUDWICK
A Wild
Legacy
Tom Mangelsen’s Journey from Sandhill Cranes to the Most Famous Grizzly in the World
While some people express their thoughts about the natural world through their writings, Nebraska-born photographer Tom Mangelsen expresses his feelings through photographs of the wildlife he has encountered.
When Mangelsen fi nished high school and went to college in the 1960s, he was not sure of a major or a career. At fi rst, he chose to study business at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln (UNL). However, he knew from his early days of accompanying his three brothers and father to hunt, fi sh, and trap near their Grand Island home that he wanted to be involved in the outdoors.
At UNL, he had a life-changing meeting with Paul Johnsgard, a professor of ornithology. “He was the biggest
influence in my life,” Mangelsen said of Johnsgard, who died in 2021 at the age of 89. “He taught me a lot about natural history. He had done more than a hundred books on natural history and ornithology and was possibly the most prolific nature history writer in Nebraska.”
Mangelsen shifted his major to zoology, in which he then earned a degree at Doane College (now Doane University) in Crete in 1969. He continued to associate with Johnsgard, who hired him as a grad student to count ducks on the Platte River for a semester. “I was counting all types of ducks,” recalled Mangelsen, who worked for two more years as a field assistant traveling all over North America. Johnsgard was honored later as an professor emeritus for his works. “He took me under his wing,” Mangelsen said, as the professor introduced him to photography and taught him how to photograph birds in fl ight. Every spring from then on, they visited the Platte River to watch sandhill cranes pause there on their northbound migration to Alaska, Canada, and Siberia. He also gave up hunting, fi shing, and trapping to concentrate on photography.
In 1970, Mangelsen shifted his studies to the University of Colorado’s Mountain Research Station near the small town of Nederland. He studied arctic alpine ecology and improved his photography skills while living in a former mining cabin. Not forgetting where he grew up, he returned annually to Nebraska for the spring migration of the sandhill cranes. Wanting to learn more about them, he journeyed to where they wintered in the southern states, as well as to their nesting grounds in Alaska.
In the early 1970s, along with his brother, David, Mangelsen began selling prints of his bird photos. In 1978, he opened a photography gallery in Jackson, Wyoming, where he established a home nearby in the shadows of the Grand Teton Mountains.
A few years later, National Geographic made plans for a documentary fi lm about whooping cranes, and the staffers there decided to lean on Mangelsen for his experience with the sandhill cranes (which sometimes accompany the whoopers). So, they hired him as a cinematographer for the project, called Flight of the Whooping Crane, which aired in 1984 and was nominated for an Emmy Award. Six years later, he worked not only behind the cameras, but produced and directed a PBS-BBC production, Cranes of the Grey Wind , with a narration written by Johnsgard.
Mangelsen’s interest in the world grew, and rather than writing about it, as some do, he showed photographs of its wildlife and their habitats. If the old adage of “a picture is worth a thousand words” can be applied, he began creating beautiful essays to introduce others to the wonders of where we live.
Among his many images are elephants visiting a waterhole in Namibia, a mother cheetah cuddling her cub in the grasses of Kenya, a pair of penguins standing tall in the frozen wasteland of South Georgia Island in the South Atlantic, lions lazing in a tree in Tanzania, and a group of white Camargue horses splashing through sprays of water while galloping in a river in sout hern France.
Mangelsen has also recorded landscapes. Baobab trees stand as silhouettes in front of a low-lying sun in eastern Africa, a tall, pyramid-shaped sand dune rises above the plains in the southwestern part of that continent, an array of wildflowers brighten California’s Carrizo Plain, and the rich autumn colors of New Hampshire woods reflect in a pond.
Over the years, he traveled across all seven continents, roaming from the Arctic to Antarctica. Mangelsen doesn’t pop in and out of a place like a tourist might—he immerses himself in it. For 10 years, he journeyed to the small Canadian community of Churchill (population 890) on the western shore of Hudson Bay to photograph the polar bears that live near there. He came in the spring, summer, and fall, visiting when they were on land rather than living on the ice in the bay during the cold months. From those visits came his book, Polar Dance. Its title image shows two bears tussling while standing on their hind legs, cavorting around each other as if in a dance. Another image that has become famous, “Bad Boys of the Arctic,” shows three polar bears, one lying back against a mound of snow while two younger ones stand nearby. Despite its title, Mangelsen explained the bear lying down is actually a mother bear taking a moment to scratch her back while her male cubs wait. Other pictures show the white bears inspecting ice floes, blending into banks of snow, swimming in waters while unaffected by the cold, and lying in the warm green meadow s of summer.
Mangelsen is always on the go. If there’s light, he’s out there to use it. He will hit the road before sunrise to reach a particular vantage point and linger until after it sets to photograph in the twilight or when the stars shine. He’s dedicated and patient. He told Anderson Cooper of 60 Minutes that he spent up to 14 hours a day for 42 days searching
for a particular cougar, which he fi nally did, producing a picture of her coming out of a den one evening.
His fi rst camera, a Pentax, used fi lm. However, around 2005, he decided digital equipment was good enough to replace fi lm. Now, he packs Nikon bodies and several lenses ranging from a fi sheye to long, heavy telephotos. He also carries an assortment of fi lters and other items, such as a tripod to provide a stable platform when using telephoto lenses and shooting in low light. In the 60 Minutes segment, Mangelsen’s camera can be heard clicking a series of rapid-fi re shots almost like a buzz.
Th roughout his career, Mangelsen has shot more than 4 million pictures. Prices for prints that hang in his galleries (in Jackson; Park City, Utah; and La Jolla, California) and are displayed on his website, mangelsen.com, range from a few hundred dollars to tens of thousands, depending on size and the type of display. A few years ago, he began offering bronzes cast of some of the animals in his images. These cost anywhere from $2,500 to $15,000.
Mangelsen’s works have earned him worldwide recognition. In 2010, Outdoor Photography magazine named him as one of its “40 most influential photographers.” Th at same year, the International League of Conservation Photographers (of which he was a founding member) named “Polar Dance” as one of the “40 most influential photographs of all time.” In 2011, Nature’s Best Photography named him Conservation Photographer of the Year. His works are in the permanent collection of the Smithsonian Institution’s Museum of Natural History. He is involved with the Jane Goodall Institute. Goodall herself has accompanied him to witness the passage of the sandhill cranes on the Platte. He co-founded the Cougar Fund. Mangelsen is a board ambassador for the Jackson Hole Conservation Alliance and holds honorary doctorate degrees from Doane and the University of Nebraska at Omaha.
One of his pictures has been mentioned by many as being one of the best wildlife photos ever. Titled “Catch of the Day,” the 1988 photo shows a sockeye salmon leaping up a segment of a waterfall on the McNeil River in Alaska only to fi nd itself entering the open mouth of an Alaskan brown bear. According to Outside magazine, Mangelsen used a remote trigger, and, when he saw a fi sh leap, he fi red a shot. However, he didn’t realize the “catch” he had until going through the processed pict ures later.
When asked by Anderson Cooper if he uses post-shoot digital programs like Photoshop, he said no, and that what he sees when he shoots a picture is what people see in his prints, nothing more, nothing less.
He has also become known for photographs of one particular bear. About 19 years ago, some began to report that a grizzly bear was frequenting the area around Jackson. “There hadn’t been any resident grizzly bears that lived here year-round for a long time. Some would travel through the park, but there were no resident bears for about 50-plus years,” explained
Mangelsen, who lives on the edge of the park with a postcard view of the sharpedged mountains. “So, when one showed up with three new cubs following it one spring, it caught everyone’s attention, includ ing mine.”
Believed to have been born in 1996, the bear was captured in 2001 by the Wyoming Game and Fish Department, fitted with a radio collar and given a tag, 399, which became her nickname. “So, I went 30 miles up into Teton Park where she was reported and I saw her one late evening on the Oxbow Bend feeding on an old carcass. Th at was my fi rst sighting of her and I thought, ‘that was cool,’ and figured that was a one-off sighting and I probably wouldn’t see her again.”
The next spring, Mangelsen and an assistant saw Grizzly 399 feeding on fresh grasses along a roadside with three cubs. They saw her some more that spring, but in the summer she disappeared, possibly up into the high country. Then, she returned to the lower areas, possibly feeding on berries.
Mangelsen, who realized she was a beautiful rarity and a great mother, wondered if he could fi lm her. He contacted author Todd Wilkinson and worked up a story about her and the cubs for a Teton-area magazine. “Then we did a book on her,” Mangelsen said. “Of course, I started making prints, and pretty soon bear jams (traffic blocks) went from 10 or 20 people to up to almost a thousand in the last days of her life. Her fame became worldwide. She was the most fa mous bear.”
Grizzly 399 was collared at least six times but shrugged off each one. Finally, the authorities thought she was so well-known that sightings of her would suffice. Mangelsen never used telemetry to track Grizzly 399. He just knew her haunts and could identify her by her markings. Once he even saw her in the pond outside his house. “I didn’t go trekking after her, that’s just asking for trouble,” Mangelsen said.
He leaned on cinematographers Sandy Mell and her partner, Greg Balvin, for some help. “He referred to us because we’re probably out in the field more than he is,” she said. “We knew 399 before we met Tom who’s easy to work a longside.”
At one time, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) was being petitioned by the governor, legislators, and the Game and Fish Department in Wyoming to take grizzlies off the endangered species list so they could be hunted for sport. “In other words, killed for fun,” Mangelsen said. “There’s no reason to kill grizzlies and cougars unless they’re an imminent threat, which they rarely are.”
It’s estimated that there was once about 100,000 grizzlies who lived in North America. Now, about 30,000 live in Alaska, 29,000 in Canada, and less than 2,000 in the lower 48 states, with about 725 in the Yellowstone-Teton area.
In 2017, the USFWS decided to allow the hunting of grizzlies, and Wyoming decided to permit 22 to be hunted. “There were hunters who thought she’d be the biggest trophy and they could brag about killing the most popular bear that ever lived,” Mangelsen added. “There was some kind of mental skip in their brains.”
More than 7,000 people applied for permits to hunt the grizzlies. Mangelsen himself applied, and won one of the permits, but planned not to use it, just to deprive a hunter of its use. Before one bear could be shot, the decision to shoot the bears went to court. In July 2018, a federal judge reinstated the ban, and the hunt was off.
Knowing that male grizzlies would kill her cubs, Grizzly 399 would lead them to the lower elevations where they could be somewhat near people along the roadways, which the males did not like. “She felt more safe around people, a habitat that other bears don’t necessarily use. She was remarkable to integrate her lifestyle with a lot of people and vice versa along the roadsides. Sometimes she’d walk right past a car by five feet,” Mangelsen said. However, just because she and her cubs became somewhat accustomed to people, that didn’t mean anyone could approach them. With the increasing popularity of the grizzlies, a group of area volunteers formed the Grand Teton Wildlife Brigade to maintain a safe distance between the bears and visitors.
Grizzly 399 bore eight litters, including a set of quadruplets, three sets of triplets, several twins, and some singles, 28 cubs in all. Officials estimate that because of her, more than three dozen other bears came to call the Tetons t heir home.
Unfortunately, poachers and traffic take their toll. From 2009 to 2023, 49 grizzlies in the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem died when hit by vehicles. And so it was in the dark of one night in October 2024 that a car traveling on a highway about 50 miles south of Jackson hit and killed Grizzly 399 while she fed on a carcass with a cub. “She had been going there about four, fi ve years,” Mangelsen said. “Also, archers would kill deer and elk and leave gut piles along the roads. They had been feeding on a carcass for a day.”
Mangelsen said authorities did nothing to protect her. “They knew she had this particular carcass because people took pictures and videos and called them to say she’s there with this cub,” he said. “They didn’t put up any fl ashing signs, didn’t put any people on the road. I’m talking about all the agencies. They knew she had been there since the night before. Why on earth didn’t they remove the carcass and haze her off the road? It’s unconscionable to me and negligent.”
“I’m really upset about that because she would most likely be alive today if they had done that,” Mangelsen added. He said no one knows the whereabouts of the cub, which was possibly too young yet to fend for itself.
Todd Wilkinson, an environmental journalist who has worked with Mangelsen for years, said the photographer has been at the forefront of using photography to elevate awareness, sympathy, and empathy for wildlife in their natural habitat. “Th is really is a passion project for this humble boy from Nebraska.”
For more information, visit ma ngelsen.com.
A+C VISUAL
STORY BY Holly McAtee | PHOTOGRAPHY BY Sarah Lemke | DESIGN BY Nickie Robinson
A nick/drick
COLLABORATING TO ELEVATE THE OMAHA STRE ET ART SCENE
s the cars buzz past the intersection of 24th and Grant, there rests a larger-than-life mural of local icon and community advocate Preston Love, Jr. You get the feeling as you look at the mural that Love is keeping a protective eye on the community. It gives you hope. The mural represents the struggles, resilience, and joys of the people of North Omaha. The words “Nebraska Now - Leading by Example” encompass the goal of inspiring communities by showcasing leaders who embody the spirit and values of Nebraska.
The work is by local collaborative art team nick/drick, made up of painter Nick Flatt and photographer Scott Drickey. Flatt and Drickey met in 2023 at a gallery opening in Benson. “When I met Nick and saw his painting, I was floored by it. It got me inspired,” Drickey said.
Drickey is a photographer and director who studied fi lm in Santa Barbara, California, and brought his passion and expertise back to his hometown, Omaha.
Looking at Flatt’s paintings, one does a double take. There’s so much detail in them that they look like large-scale photographs. Love’s mural image depicts his every pore, the hairs on his beard, and the texture of his suit jacket.
“Nick does hyperrealism painting. He’s constantly pushing himself to more intricate textures,” Drickey said.
Drickey captures the photographs that Flatt paints. The two work in a symbiotic relationship, both building on the other’s skills. When you talk to them, Flatt is more reserved and Drickey is fast-talking and full of excitement about their current and future projects. It’s easy for one to see the duo’s friendship and passion for their nick/drick mura l projects.
Flatt witnessed the street art scene in Los Angeles and Berlin. “When I moved here and saw the murals, I noticed they were bland and I wanted to elevate them to the types of murals you would see in other cities,” Flatt said.
According to Flatt, it takes about six to eight weeks for him to paint a portrait on canvas, whereas a mural is done in about two weeks. The mural of Preston Love, Jr. was created over a two-week period where visitors came to watch the progress of the artists in action.
“Preston said, ‘this image isn’t about me.’ Th is mural is about the hard things the community has experienced,” Flatt said.
The pair’s next mural was a street scene of the Steinhauer Main Street in its e arly years.
The objective for all the murals is to elevate art in the state they live in with Nebraska people. Or, as Drickey explains, “to remember these people for their extraordinary efforts and to better our community while walking through it.”
“It tempting to find someone just like you to work with, but it be er to find someone with differences.”
— Nick Fla
nick/drick is hoping to do three or more murals this year. The pair is working on fi nding locations for a Gale Sayers mural and a Jun K aneko mural.
nick/drick’s collaboration works well because the two have contrast ing skills.
“It’s tempting to fi nd someone just like you to work with, but it’s better to fi nd someone with differences,” Flatt said.
“If you’re the same, you won’t move anything forward. You either dance or you don’t. It’s important to give each other space. He’s learning from me and I’m learning from
him. Don’t let your egos combat the need to collaborate. Work as fluidly as you can. Work ethic is important—we don’t wait for the phone to ring,” Drickey said.
As he pitches the mural projects, Drickey puts together short fi lms that feature what a mural would look like on the building. “My job is to get a hold of developers. If you make them feel something, they will remember you,” Drickey said.
As the murals are going up, Drickey helps Flatt with putting down some of the base paint. He also records the process. “The process of the mural going up is fantastic because it embraces the community. People stop by to see what we are doing,” Drickey said.
The essence of mural art is that you don’t have to go to a gallery. There’s no admission to pay to see the work. It’s for everyone. After the mural is completed, nick/drick has an unveiling for the community with food and media.
nick/drick’s long-term goal is to make Omaha a globally known street art hub like Denver’s River North Art District (RiNo) or Florida’s Wynwood Art District. Drickey is busy working on that goal.
“It’s kind of been the same since day one. Scott goes out and tries to drum up collaborations, and I just paint,” Flatt said.
“I’ve been told by other artists that I’m a great connector. I like to fi nd a way to make something happen. In the bigger markets, there is a big taste for art. We want to see that here,” Drickey said.
For more information, visit scottdrickey.com.
From L to R Nick Flatt, Scott Drickey
L to R Connor Brandt, Jordan Gaul
STORY BY KYLE EUSTICE | PHOTOGRAPHY BY SARAH LEMKE | DESIGN BY NICKIE ROBINSON
A Lit tle Bit Pop,
A Little More Rock ’N’ Roll
THE REAL ZEBOS’ MISSION TO BE “WORLD FAMOUS”
A+C Music
It started in 2014 with a cheeky Craigslist ad that read, “Looking to start a band, become world famous.” University of Nebraska at Omaha student Connor Brandt was, as he freely admits, “bored,” and thought he’d found the cure to his dorm room blues—but it turns out fi nding like-minded musicians wasn’t as painless as he thought it would be.
“I got a lot of responses that were not what I was looking for,” Brandt said. “I had mentioned I was 18 and looking to play indie rock or pop with people my age, but I was getting responses from people who clearly didn’t fit the mold.”
“I think now we're at the point where we're pretty good at it. We’re good at it to where we have higher expectations for the songs.”
—C onnor Brandt
From a 45-year-old man who claimed he could “play circles” around Brandt to people wanting to make sad country songs, the pickings seemed slim—until Jordan Gaul answered the proverbial call. A fellow UNO student, Gaul happened to live on campus, just 250 feet f rom Brandt.
“I spent so much time after graduating high school teaching myself guitar, and I became obsessed with trying to write songs.” Gaul explained. “I was very bad at it, but I tried my hardest and eventually had a bunch of songs I liked, but didn't know what to do with.”
So Gaul, too, resorted to Craigslist to try to fi nd a bandmate and, like Brandt, had several conversations with people that led nowhere.
“We had nothing in common,” he said. “I hated the music that they liked, stuff like that. But everything down to the artists Connor named to his inspirations aligned with mine.”
Brandt and Gaul’s friendship developed over texts and soon, they were having recording sessions and feeling out each other’s musical styles. It wasn’t until 2018 that they were comfortable enough as The Real Zebos to play their fi rst official show at the Down Under Lounge. It would be another year before they’d release their debut album, Strictly Platonic. Recorded at Make Believe Studios in midtown Omaha, the project birthed the singles “Rock Star Skinny” and “Your Ex Said You Can’t Dance,” which both have millions of Spotify streams. Th at may or may not be attributed to their innovative marketin g strategy.
“It’s hard to explain how poorly recorded the demos on our Bandcamp are, but we still spent a lot of time trying to come up with schemes to promote them,” Gaul said. “I remember we had a group Tinder account where it was promotional, but we were being friendly with people and matched with both guys and girls. The girls didn’t care, but the boys loved us. Th at got us banned from Tinder. It was linked to my number, so I’m perma-banned. I’m lucky I have a wife now.”
Beginning with that first show at the Down Under Lounge, Brandt and Gaul quickly realized people were listening to their music, even if a large portion of the sold-out crowd included friends and family members eager to support their musical endeavors. Even though Gaul says he “couldn’t eat two days beforehand” due to his nerves, The Real Zebos stepped on stage with confidence and proceeded to impress even the most skeptical of their supporters.
“We heard a lot of ‘you guys are actually good’ and ‘oh my god, I can’t believe how many people showed up,” Gaul remembered.
Over the last eight years, The Real Zebos have graduated to larger venues like The Waiting Room, Slowdown, and Reverb Lounge. They’ve released multiple projects, including no style (2022), the cleverly titled follow-up EP, even less style (2023), and the best yet, an absolutely punishing lack of st yle (2024).
But their focus has also shifted a bit. Writing and recording a collection of songs isn’t enough—they have to be great.
“We’ve spent a lot of time over the past several years in our respective basement studios figuring out how to make a song,” Brandt said. “I think now we're at the point where we're pretty good at it. We’re good at it to where we have higher expectations for the songs.”
The Real Zebos have had other members before, but Brandt and Gaul are the nucleus of the group.
“We have a few members that will play shows with us, but they aren't too involved in the writing and recording process,” Brandt added. “We had a pretty consistent lineup up until last year. We had our guitarist and drummer both leave in the span of a few months. But as far as the songwriting, it's always just been the two of us doing 99% of it.”
Looking back, Brandt realizes he might have set the bar a bit too high when he initially started the band and has since lowered it—just a little.
“I had no idea about being in a band when I said I wanted to become ‘world famous,’” he admitted. “Now that we've been doing it for real, the more realistic goal is just to have a fanbase that can support us enough to go on a tou r someday.”
As for The Real Zebos’ music, that’s evolving, too.
“We have a lot of stuff written and in the pipeline more in the vein of a more traditional rock-band style like the Strokes, Vampire Weekend, (The) Killers, Franz Ferdinand—a lot of the new stuff is kind of more in that ballpark of early aughts, rock revival stuff,” Brandt concluded. “We’re gonna be a little more rock ’n’ roll going forward.”
REACHING NEW IN NATURE FILMS
Local Company Pioneers Aerial Cinematography
he entrepreneurial spirit struck Mike Knockenhauer, CEO of V/SPEED, at a young age. When he was 11, he started his fi rst lawn care business. The Creighton Prep alumni continued this business until he sold it when he went to college at the University of Nebraska at Lincoln.
In 2016, Knockenhauer started a charter plane company with his cousin, Greg Wilson, with the goal of creating a large network of small turboprops for charter missions. They soon realized that they needed to make fi lm for mission statements and fundraising. So, they built a system with a Russian Fighter Trainer Aircraft, and noticed the high caliber of creative work they could fi lm from that aircraft. In 2018, Knockenhauer and Wilson quit their jobs to focus full time on V/SPEED.
“Mike had the aviation and technical background. I had the photography background. We spent about two years researching and building our fi rst camera jet. We’re a tight crew and trust each other, and care about each other,” said Wilson, director of photography at V/SPEED.
Knockenhauer concurred, saying, “Th rough our network in fi lmmaking, the folks who created the original ‘Planet Earth’ heard about our camera jet project. ‘Planet Earth’ was groundbreaking for bringing Hollywoodlevel helicopter aerials to a nature documentary. They hoped our jet could bring another revolution to the genre, and we did. We fly smooth and cover vast distances relative to a helicopter. Th is enables us to speed up the playback several fold, which is where the magic happens. It’s a genuinely new form of hyperlapse.”
He continued, “We strive to entertain, educate, and inspire. It’s been inspiring to see people react to our fi lms. The reality that people are part of history is tough to understand, because we think that one person can’t make a change. So, we’re trying to include the anthropological part of our role in nature, and that we are all animals, too.”
Building that camera, crew, and business led to great opportunities, including the chance to work on some notable documentaries.
“(National Geographic’s) ‘America the Beautiful’ fi lm was commissioned, and we were added to that project before COVID. With the closure of the national parks, we had a neat opportunity to fi lm without people in them. It was a once in forever opportunity. We were the only aircraft that was allowed to fly below the rim of the Grand Canyon. We flew to 10 national parks in seven days. The whole project fi lmed 1.5 years and came out July 4, 2023,” Knockenhauer said.“So much of what’s important in our industry is to have a fresh look. Delivering exciting new perspectives that can inspire has been rewarding,” Knockenhauer said.
The V/SPEED pilots are all highly decorated. The COO is a Top Gun graduate. Their weather forecaster is the best in the world at what they do.
“We’ve gotten to fi lm NASA launches. The places that we have gone and seen are pretty wild,” Knockenhauer said.
Knockenhauer credits his wife, Shelby, for much of the success of V/SPEED. She is a founding partner, overseeing back-office operations and production management.
“Shelby has been there for every step of the way, including going on some fl ights. Doing a lot of the un-fun stuff. She is the unsung hero,” Knocken hauer added.
“What we do is special because of the people and the way that we integrate everything. I
enjoy being able to show people the way the world looks. I’ve been amazed by the reactions that we get when people take in the fi lm,” Knockenhauer said.
“We work to capture the most profound imagery that we can. The end goal is to put the camera in the right spot,” Wilson said.
“If we can leave someone transfi xed with the shot, from a fi lmmaking standpoint, that’s my biggest goal. We want them to be so overwhelmed by what they are seeing that the camera work isn’t even thought of,” Knocken hauer added.
V/SPEED was nominated for an Emmy Award for best nature documentary and best cinematography in nature at the Jackson Wild Fil m Festival.
According to Knockenhauer, Wilson has been indispensable. “We created this vision together. Greg lives by the rule that if your photos aren’t good enough, you aren’t close enough,” Knockenhauer said.
“The company has evolved from needing to show what we can do to getting to make new programs based on that. We’re making our own work. No one has ever done this. The first phase is showing what’s possible. The next phase is creating whole shows built around our capabilities,” Knockenhauer said.
Knockenhauer encourages aspiring fi lmmakers to lean into what makes them unique and to tell a story no one else can.
“It’s fun to tell people that we are from Omaha, Nebraska. We brought a midwestern work ethic to an industry that doesn’t get a lot of it. It’s fun to see fi lm executives and people like Disney’s CEO, Bob Iger, react to the work of a fi lm company from Omaha,” Knockenh auer said.
Visit wearevspeed.com for more information.
Story by Holly McAtee
Photography by Bill Sitzmann
Design by Joey Winton
‘Escape from
A/C LITERATURE
PHOTOGRAPHY
DESIGN & ILLUSTRATION BY RENEE LUDWICK
STORY BY NATALIE VELOSO
BY SARAH LEMKE
from Terikiak’
Picture a lost island; a mysterious box; a trio of brothers battling pirate walruses and wild creatures to fi nd their way home. Ben Lueders didn’t plan on writing a children’s adventure book—he was just trying to keep up with his own kids’ imaginations.
One moment, his sons were coming up with bizarre creatures and funny ideas; the next, he was sketching them out, piecing together a story that kept growing bigger. A family brainstorming session in 2017 became Escape from Terikiak, Lueders’ fi rst novel and the fi rst book in The Ficus Family Advent ures series.
“We were just messing around,” Lueders laughed. “I never thought it would turn into anything, but I had the forethought to record my sons talking for an hour. When I listened back later, I started sketching. The more we talked about it, the more it started ta king shape.”
As an illustrator, designer, and branding expert, Lueders spent years bringing other people’s ideas to life through his Omahabased creative branding agency, Fruitful, but this project was personal. It started in his own living room, built from the imaginations of the people closest to him. The process brought him back to the kind of storytelling that fi rst ignited h is passion.
Growing up in Hawaii, Lueders’ mother encouraged him to keep a journal even before he could write, letting him dictate his thoughts while he fi lled the pages with sketches. “When I fi nally discovered graphic design, I realized I could take this drawing skill and do something bigger with it,” he said.
Th at realization led to success in branding and illustration. As the founder of Fruitful, Lueders built a career helping companies tell their stories visually. E scape from Terikiak rekindled his passion of creating just for fun— this time, with his children along for the ride.
“My kids are super creative and love coming up with ideas,” Lueders said. The book’s main characters—Arthur, Alexander, and Augustine—are directly based on Lueders' children, mirroring their personalities and sibling dynamics. Some of the novel’s most memorable figures, like Winifred the pirate captain walrus, emerged from spontaneous fami ly moments.
“My second-born son had this idea that, while one of the kids is captured by pirates, there should be a walrus drinking coffee somewhere,” Lueders recalled. “He was laughing his head off. I even drew a picture in my sketchbook. I thought it was a funny throwaway thing, but now the character is one of readers’ favorite parts of the book.”
Th at unfi ltered imagination drove each of the book’s 47 chapters. Lueders was accustomed to refi ning his design work, but 24 full-page illustrations that kept evolving were a unique challenge. It took many hours to ensure the fi nal images captured the whimsy of the story.
As Lueders worked on expanding the world of Escape from Terikiak , his creative pursuits also flourished through Fruitful, which he founded in 2010. Fruitful allows him to remain completely hands-on with design alongside his business partner, Raj Lulla.
“What makes Ben such a rarity as a collaborator is that his immense talent is combined with humility,” Lulla said. “When you collaborate with Ben, you almost feel like you designed the fi nal result yourself, even though you never could have without his decades of experience.”
Lulla plays a key role at Fruitful as a strategist, and together, they tackle projects for both local and national clients. An author himself, Lulla understands the care storytelling requires. The cover of his own novel, Th e Caring House, is graced with Lueders’ thoughtful design work.
“Ben brings a reverence to the craft. (His) writing combines his first-class visual imagination
with an almost spiritual respect for storytelling," Lulla said. "His rigorous discipline and dedication result in a work that seems almost effortless."
Fruitful’s flexibility allows Lueders to stay connected to his roots, which continues to inspire projects like Escape from Terikiak. With the book reaching a wider audience, he has been amazed at its universal appeal.
“As a mother, I appreciate that this story uplifts family, loyalty, friendship, curiosity, and bravery,” Jenn Newman, a local “bookstagrammer,” said. “I look forward to the continuation of the series, and I’ll give them to my children to read with confidence, knowing the subject matter and themes are characteristic s we value.”
Newman continued, “I think older readers will fi nd a home in its pages and feel nostalgic for the fi rst time they read the classic adventure stories of their youth. For younger readers, this will be an insta nt classic.”
With the second book underway and two more children in the picture, Lueders plans to weave their personalities into the series next. Continuing to balance his family, passions, and business is a challenge Lueders is committed to navigate. “It’s easy to get swept up in numbers and stats,” he said, “but it’s their support that keeps me going.”
Lueders said he’s excited to see where the next adventure leads him and his family, believing that ideas don’t need to be perfect right away. They just need to be shared, nurtured, and allowed to evolve.
“The process isn’t about making everything perfect,” he said. “It’s about trying something new and letting creativity take over. If we’re lucky, we get to share that journey wit h others.”
For more information, visit benlueders.com/book.
“Ben brings a reverence to the craft. (His) writing combines his first-class visual imagination with an almost spiritual respect for storytelling. His rigorous discipline and dedication result in a work that seems almost effortless.” — Raj Lulla
FOUR STATE TITLES, ONE TORN ACL,
ZERO EXCUSES
Omaha North’s Tyson Terry
here are champions, and then there are those who rewrite history. Omaha North’s Tyson Terry belongs to the latter group. In February, the heavyweight wrestler won his fourth consecutive state title, becoming Nebraska’s fi rst-ever fourtime heavyweight champion. The title capped off a perfect high school career for Terry, who went 169-0 to cement his place among the state’s all-time greats.
“I was raised to not stay complacent. You know, there’s always another level to reach… you’ve always got room to improve. I wanted to go out there and dominate these guys, and not just win by a few points and let them think that they can wrestle with me. I wanted to take their soul,” Terry said w ith a laugh.
Th at killer instinct propelled him to three straight state titles, but his senior year presented a different kind of challenge. In the middle of his fi nal football season, the star defensive lineman suffered a torn ACL. Most athletes would have called it a career, especially with a Nebraska football scholarship in hand. But Terry couldn’t bring himself to walk away from wrestling without fi nishing what he started. He chose to wrestle on a torn ACL just two months after suffering the injury.
“At the beginning, I was like, ‘I don’t know if I’m going to be able to do this.’ But I said, ‘I’m not ever going to get this back again for the rest of my life.’ It was something I’ve always worked for growing up, being a four-time state champ,” he said.
Terry, a four-star defensive lineman who expects to take a redshirt season before playing for the Huskers the following year, had plenty of determination on his side. But his decision to wrestle on a torn ACL was met with concern from the Nebraska football coaching staff, who encouraged surgery. Head coach Matt Rhule supported Terry’s determination, but made it clear: if the knee worsened, the plan would change.
His North High coach, Dan Carlson, had his own moment of doubt.
“When I fi rst heard about his injury, I did my grieving. I just assumed it was over. He’s going to go on and
play football, no harm, no embarrassment about being a three-timer,” Carlson admitted. “When they made the decision, I was really like, ‘one step and it’s over’... It was a stressful year for all of us, because as the head coach, if something goes wrong, you can’t help but take the bu rden of it.”
I think what I want people to remember most is that anything’s possible. With hard work, you can achieve anything.
– Tyson Terry
Terry wasn’t deterred.
“I remember telling my dad that if I have to limp off that mat, I’m going to do that, and I’m going to fi nd a way to win the match,” he said.
Terry said he never wrestled without a brace or a compression sleeve. But those tools did little to help his confidence in his knee, both on the mat and off it. While Terry adapted his style, looking to fi nish his opponents right away, a lack of stability kept hi m guessing.
“It was constantly on my mind, [even] in the classroom, it was, ‘Will this knee go out?’... It was like a weight off my shoulders once I won the fi nals match. It was kind of a relief,” he said.
His fi nal victory earned him a spot in the record books, but Terry was out to prove that nothing could stop him.
“I think what I want people to remember most is that anything’s possible. With hard work, you can achieve anything,” Terry said.
His mindset of resilience is what sets Terry apart, according to his coach.
“I’ve been a head coach 20 years, and have been a part of wrestling my whole life, and the way he faces adversity, I’ve never seen in any athlete that I’ve been around. Th at’s what separated him,” Carlson said. “Other coaches assumed the four-peat was ‘meant to happen,’ but they don’t understand the adversity he’s had to overcome from day one.”
Terry’s dominance in wrestling extends beyond his own accolades. His name already carries weight among young wrestlers in the region who one day hope to follow in his footsteps.
“When I go to middle school tournaments to try to get some kids interested in our program, his is the fi rst name that comes up. They idolize him. I’ve had some friends from other places and their kids ask for his autograph, and he’s had a huge influence on this program,” C arlson said.
For Terry, this reality might seem like destiny because wrestling is in his blood. His father, cousin, and uncle were all state fi nalists, with his father and cousin winning two titles each. He’s embraced his identity as a fourth-generation wrestler, even tattooing the school’s Viking logo on his back.
Now, Terry’s focus shifts to football, where he figures to eventually anchor Nebraska’s defensive line after his knee is fu lly healed.
“My goal overall is to be in the NFL, but you know, it’s a marathon and it’s not a sprint, so it’s going to take time, and I’m ready for that process.”
While his path to stardom will undoubtedly feature roadblocks along the way, Terry is more than equipped to handle those challenges. He didn’t let up before, and his coach doesn’t envision that changing a nytime soon.
“I can’t imagine this guy letting off the gas right now,” Carlson said. “I don’t ever see that happening.”
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Exhibitions
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ALL ABOARD: THE RAILROAD IN AMERICAN ART, 1840-1955
Th rough May 4 at Th e Joslyn, 2200 Dodge St. In the city of the Golden Spike, the railroad and its relationships with industrialization are explored through paintings by American artists. 402.342.3300 joslyn.org
CARMEN WINANT: THE LAST SAFE ABORTION
Th rough May 4 at the Bemis Center, 724 S 12th St. Originally organized by the Minneapolis Institute of Art, this exhibit will feature collections of photographs showing the regular day’s work for abortion clinics and other healthcare staff. 402.341.7130 bemiscenter.org
MISSION: ASTRONAUT EXHIBIT
Th rough May 18 at SAC Aerospace Museum, 28210 West Park Hwy. Go through the motions of exploring and learning about space just like an astronaut would. 402.944.3100 sacmuseum.org
SEAN KENNEY’S NATURE CONNECTS: MADE WITH LEGO BRICKS
Th rough May 18 at Lauritzen Gardens, 100 Bancroft St. Childhood toys and nature collide in this exhibit of Kenney’s 18 LEGO sculptures featuring plants, animals, and bugs. 402.346.4002 lauritzengardens.org
BLACK CITIZENSHIP IN THE AGE OF JIM CROW
Th rough May 31 at Great Plains Black History Museum, 2221 N 24th St. Th is exhibit will emphasize the struggle of the Jim Crow era and the “separate but equal” laws and mindsets still in place after legal equality for all races was established. 402.932.7077 gpblackhistorymuseum.org
JOHN DENNISON: MASKED
May 5 - 31 at Ming Toy Gallery, 6066 Maple St. Dennison employs the material and structure of pottery in his work, designed as a metaphor for facing the problems that come up in everyday life. 402.681.1901 mingtoygallery.com
SPRING OPEN HOUSE
May 9 - 10 at Hot Shops Art Center, 1301 Nicholas St. The eclectic collection of artists at the Hot Shops is showing off their skills and fi nal products during this special event, where all are invited. 402.342.6452 hotshopsartcenter.org
Concerts
LSZEE
May 1 & 2 at Steelhouse, 1100 Dodge St. Bringing EDM to center stage, LSDREAM & CloZee are also using this as an opportunity to raise money for charities providing hurricane relief and food security. 402.345.0606 steelhouseomaha.com
CITIZEN SOLDIER
May 4 at the Admiral Th eater, 2234 S 13th St. Mental health is incredibly important to this group, showcased through the lyrics and messages of their Semicolon Tour. admiralomaha.com
KENNY WAYNE SHEPHERD & BOBBY RUSH
May 7 at Th e Astro, 8302 City Centre Dr. Join Shepherd and Rush for a night of blues-rock fusion and fun. 531.283.5212 theastrotheater.com
ARM’S LENGTH
May 8 at Waiting Room Lounge, 6212 Maple St. Th e Canadian emo group is coming to America, performing their 2022 album “Never Before Seen, Never Before Found,” along with their newest single, “Funny Face.” 402.884.5353 waitingroomlounge.com
BEN FOLDS
May 9-10 at Holland Performing Arts Center, 1200 Douglas St. Th e singer-songwriter’s U.S. tour has begun, also showcasing his piano capabilities. 402.345.0202 omahasymphony.org
GEORGE CLANTON
May 13 at Waiting Room Lounge, 6212 Maple St. Record label co-owner of 100% Electronica, Clanton is bringing the fuzz-pop sound with him on stage with special guest Slater. 402.884.5353 waitingroomlounge.com
SPELLLING
May 15 at Waiting Room Lounge, 6212 Maple St. The alt-indie sound weaves its way on stage as Spellling’s March 28th album release “Portrait of My Heart” is fresh in audience ears. 402.884.5353 waitingroomlounge.com
MEGAN MORONEY
May 16 at Th e Astro, 8302 City Centre Dr. The Am I Okay? tour showcases Moroney’s country upbringing and emotional lyrics. 531.283.5212 theastrotheater.com
AUSTRALIAN PINK FLOYD
May 17 at Steelhouse, 1100 Dodge St. The rock tribute band began in 1988 and is now celebrating 50 years since the original release of “Wish You Were Here” by touring this new show. 402.345.0606 steelhouseomaha.com
BRANDENBURG 5
May 18 at Th e Joslyn, 2200 Dodge St. The Symphony Joslyn series in coming to an end with this fi nal performance of Brandenburg 5 and Scottish melodies. 402.342.3300 joslyn.org
THE STRING CHEESE INCIDENT
May 21 at Steelhouse, 1100 Dodge St. Th is Colorado jam band with their own record label has been releasing music since 1997, coming to Omaha to showcase their psychedelic sound. 402.345.0606 steelhouseomaha.com
LEVELLE
May 22 at Holland Performing Arts Center, 1200 Douglas St. Witness the blends of R&B and NeoSoul music brought to stage by LeVelle Browning. 402.345.0202
o-pa.org
LIVERPOOL LEGENDS: BEATLES EXPERIENCE!
May 24 at Admiral Th eater, 2234 S 13th St. Attend an overview of The Beatles' legendary career as performed by this tribute band curated by George Harrison's sister. admiralomaha.com
NAPALM DEATH + MELVINS
May 25 at Waiting Room Lounge, 6212 Maple St. Heavy metal and anarchist political views expressed through song are smashing onto stage with the combination of these groups. 402.884.5353 waitingroomlounge.com
SOUTHERN CULTURE ON THE SKIDS
May 27 at Waiting Room Lounge, 6212 Maple St. For over 30 years, this band has been creating a true and unique rock-and-roll sound and is now touring their album created during Covid. 402.884.5353 waitingroomlounge.com
NEGRÓN, GRIEG & SHOSTAKOVICH 5
May 30-31 at Holland Performing Arts Center, 1200 Douglas St. Composer Angélica Negrón’s Moriviví is performed by pianist Joyce Yang, followed by Shostakovich’s Symphony No. 5. 402.345.0202 o-pa.org
Stage performances
PETE THE CAT: THE MUSICAL
Th rough May 4 at Rose Th eater 2011 Farnam St. Pete helps Jimmy overcome his creative block in second grade art class by traveling to Paris because “it's all good.” 402.345.4849 rosetheater.org
AMERICAN MARIACHI
May 2 - Jun 1 at Omaha Community Playhouse, 6915 Cass St. Set in the 1970s, this live mariachi band musical follows Lucha and her family as they break the boundaries of embodying mariachi. 402.553.0800 omahaplayhouse.com
OPERA OMAHA: GIULIO CESARE
May 1 at Orpheum Th eater, 409 S 16th St. Th e thrilling story of Cesare, Cleopatra, and the political and personal situations they fall into. 402.661.8501 orpheumtheateromaha.com
BORED TEACHERS
May 10 at Steelhouse, 1100 Dodge St. Omaha is the very last, but certainly not the least, stop on “the Struggle is Real!” tour. Bored Teachers dedicate their time not only to comedy, but also the serious parts of educator’s lives. 402.345.0606 steelhouseomaha.com
THE WILD PARTY
May 22 - Jun. 22 at Bluebarn Th eater, 1106 S 10th St. Prohibition, romance, and raging jealousy combine in this production, based on a poem by the same name. 402.345.1576 bluebarn.org
JOSH JOHNSON
May 30 at Steelhouse, 1100 Dodge St. Th is performance by the Emmy nominee follows the release of his Peacock comedy special “Up Here Killing Myself”. 402.345.0606 steelhouseomaha.com
SHANE GILLIS LIVE
May 30 at CHI Health Center, 455 N 10th St. Comedian and actor skill sets combine for Shane Gillis, whose Netfl ix comedy special “Beautiful Dogs” has been airing successfully since 2023. 402.341.1500 chihealthcenteromaha.com
Family, Festivals, and More
JUNKSTOCK
Apr. 25-27 & May 2-4 at Sycamore Farms, 1150 River Road Dr. Get all the music, food, and vintage items your heart desires at the spring edition of this festival. 402.765.8651 junkstock.com
HOT IN HERRE
May 3 at Slowdown, 729 N 14th St. Th is dance party is set to draw a crowd of 2000s music lovers and lots of low-rise jeans. 402.345.7569 theslowdown.com
NIGHT SKIES
May 3 at Lauritzen Gardens, 100 Bancroft St. View the night sky and all it holds through telescopes set up in the Rose Garden. Ages 16+. 402.346.4002 lauritzengardens.org
TOAST NEBRASKA WINE FESTIVAL
May 9-10 at Stinson Park, 2285 S 67th St. With fi fteen wineries and lots of food vendors, there is no shortage of a good time while festival-goers become sommeliers. 402.405.1291 toastwinefest.org
CINCO DE MAYO OMAHA FESTIVAL
May 9 - 11 in South Omaha. Celebrate 105 years of Mexican festivals happening in Omaha with parades, music, business opportunities, and good food. cdmomaha.com
BRIDAL & WEDDING EXPO 2025
May 18 at CHI Health Center, 455 N 10th St. Meet the professionals ready to start the wedding journey with you. Gowns, honeymoons, photographers, and more await. 402.341.1500 chihealthcenteromaha.com
INTERWOVEN: WHERE FASHION & TECHNOLOGY COLLIDE
May 22 at Holland Performing Arts Center, 1200 Douglas St. In collaboration with the Fashion Arts Collective, these fashions are infused with technology to give deaf audiences a musical experience. 402.345.0202 o-pa.org
BINGO LOCO
May 23 at Admiral Th eater, 2234 S 13th St. Th ree bingo rounds, confetti, rave music, and dance off s are all in store at this 21+ bingo extravaganza. admiralomaha.com
2025 OSCAS
May 29 at Th e Relevant Center, 21220 Elkhorn Dr. Walk the red carpet alongside the best of Omaha’s sporting community and watch the see the winners of the Omaha Sports Commission Awards. omahasports.org
AMERICAN PICKLEBALL TOUR
May 30 - Jun. 1 at CHI Health Center, 455 N 10th St. The sport that has taken the country by storm hosts a fabulous pickle ball experience that has competition, prizes, and evening events. 402.341.1500 chihealthcenteromaha.com
TASTE OF OMAHA FESTIVAL
May 31 - Jun. 2 at Heartland of America Park, 800 Douglas St. Join the restaurants of Omaha in celebrating the city’s diversity of delicacies and watching performances all day long. 402.346.8003 showoffi ceonline.com
NEBRASKA GAME & PARKS PATH CELEBRATES 30 YEARS
Cowboy Trail
eginning just a two-hour drive north from Omaha, the Cowboy Trail stretches 317 miles across the state of Nebraska. Cared for by the Nebraska Game and Parks Commission, this trail is celebrating 30 years of helping people experience the history and natural geography of the Cornhusker State.
The Cowboy Trail originally began as a Rails-ToTrails project. Currently, the Cowboy Trail is part of over 41,400 miles of trails from the Rails to Trails Conservancy, whose goal is to turn unused railroad track into usable outdoor recreation space for al l to enjoy.
The rail line that has been repurposed into the Cowboy Trail, known as the “Cowboy Line,” was abandoned in the 1990s after having been in use for 120 years. The rail line was originally part of Fremont and Elkhorn Valley Railroad and later became part of Chicago & Northwestern Railroad, and was involved in the movement of both goods and people. In an effort to allow people the opportunity to explore this path safely on their own, the Cowboy Trail was established in 1995 and has been serving Nebraska residents and more since then.
The 27 cities and everything in between on the trail spanning from Norfolk to Chadron offer plenty for trail travelers to do. The Nebraska State Historical Society highlights 23 stops along the way that showcase Nebraska’s rich history.
The oldest site on the trail is Meadow Grove, which was a stop along the way for Pierre Antoine and Paul Mallet. The two were brothers from French Canada and are known as the fi rst Europeans to cross the Great Plains stretch. It is said that the team passed through the area in 1739, and the city of Meadow Grove was officially plat ted in 1866.
The newest site on the trail jumps forward into 1944. During an instrument test fl ight, Lieutenants Fanslau and Beatty were involved in a plane crash. Th is site commemorates this unfortunate event and the people affected.
The trail also features original telegraph poles, an old grist mill, and a restored brick depot. These and many other markers showcase multiple facets of Nebraska life and history that demonstrate the grief, resilience, and perseverance of people who have lived on the Great Plains.
While the self-guided historical marker tour that includes these sites can be done year-round, Nebraska Game & Parks is putting on several special events throughout the year to celebrate this milestone anniversary.
The fi rst individual event is happening on April 26: “Meet Ya in Clinton—Celebrate the Cowboy Trail” is taking place on the most recently developed part of the trail on the western end, from Rushville to Gordon-Clinton.
A more athletically geared event will be Bubba’s Pampered Pedalers, a five-day, six-night bicycle tour that will cover close to 200 miles as bikers pedal east from Valentine to Norfolk from June 8-14. The crushed limestone path will ensure a smooth experience for trailriders. Th is is set to be a rigorous bike ride, so it will be best to leave a leisurely attit ude at home.
The official Cowboy Trail 30th Celebration Party will take place on September 5 in Valentine. With a bike ride to explore the area, the evening will also feature a dinner and social time on the historic Valentine bridge.
The fi nal event set to commemorate 30 years of trail history is the Cowboy 200. Th is is not one, but two footraces, stretching 100 and 200 miles to Valentine starting in Ainsworth and Norfolk, respectively. Highlighted as an inexpensive, nonrepetitive 200-miler, this trail run will cross many bridges as miles along the way and offer all the aid and sleep stations necessary.
These are not the only events taking place over the course of the summer, so be sure to check out the complete list for some activities that may be less rigorous and more fami ly-oriented.
Pairing with all of these events are the year-round dwellers of the surrounding habitat. Nebraska Game and Parks makes sure to let visitors know that the animals and nature that call the surrounding area their home need proper respect and care, no matter how exciting the events of the celebrations will be. The department is also working tirelessly to improve the habitat, including planting milkweed in 2015 as a migration aid to monarch butterflies.
The many bridges, historical markers, and towns to explore along the trail truly make up a beautiful part of “The Good Life” right here in Nebraska.
For more information, visit outdoornebraska.gov.
Story by Jacie Leibfried Design/Illustration by Joey Winton
MAKE
NO MISTAKE, JOHNNY “THE JET” RODGERS STILL HAS SOME ROCKET FUEL LEFT IN HIS TANK.
When the 73-year-old Nebraska football legend chooses to hit the afterburners the ones that famously left defenders grabbing handfuls of nothing but fall, prairie air during his playing days Rodgers can still get where he wants to go, when he wants to go there.
But if you’re looking to the sky to track the current flightpath of “The Jet,” well, you might need to adjust your radar a bit. These days, Rodgers has found a new passion one that blends his ferocious competitive spirit with his love of family and one that allows him to keep right on winning.
Rodgers might need to make room in his stretch-limousine-length trophy case, because he might be adding a few pickleball trophies to his collection.
“My daughter (Jewel) introduced me to it. I had never even heard of it, and so she took me out, and we had hit it a couple of times, and went down to the park, Kountze Park,” Rodgers said.
In the very park where Rodgers had played football as a child all those years before, he was suddenly back to being a student of a new kind of game, learning from his own daughter, who had picked up the sport from a coworker.
“I was sort of telling my dad about (playing pickleball) and he’s like, ‘Well I want to come,’” said Rodgers’ daughter, Jewel, who is also Nebraska Poet Laureate. “So there we are, we started out at a community center, and by the end of that first sort of league, we ended up doing really well. We might have won straight out the gate, which was honestly kind of hilarious, because we started off not very good and improved.”
And, for the Rodgers family, “improved” typically means “excelling.”
“I played, and I kind of got the hang of it, and I told her that I thought that we probably could win the whole league. And she thought we were just joking around, but it ended up, I think we must have won about three or four times the whole thing,” Rodgers said.
While his exploits on the turf at Memorial Stadium are well-documented, Rodgers’ acumen in virtually all sports is something of a local legend as well. He may not have grown up with a pickleball paddle in his hands, but if there is a competition with a winner and a loser, Rodgers is certainly willing to attempt to become the former.
“I was the first four-sport letterman in the Omaha Public Schools,” Rodgers said, detailing how he got his start as an allaround sportsman. “During track season, I would usually take a couple of jumps in the long jump and in the triple jump while I was wearing my baseball uniform, and then they would drive me straight to the baseball game, and I played baseball. Then I'd read the paper next day to see who I'd beat (in the track meet). I also played basketball and I played football.”
In his post-football career, Rodgers has always been looking for ways to stay active in any way that he can.
“I just believe in trying to be in condition. To be in condition, it's basically for your health. I mean, if people ask you, ‘what are you dying from?’ then you can say ‘nothing,’” Rodgers said, laughing. “I try to stay in fairly good condition...for my age. But I kind of do that to overkill.”
Rodgers uses a variety of activities to stay in condition and move around. An avid racquetball player at his local YMCA, pickleball seemed like a natural progression for someone who had both his desire for
excellence and a competitive flame still crackling in the four chambers of his competitor’s heart.
When asked if a college football hall-offamer like himself can go incognito into any kind of sporting challenge, it becomes very clear Jewel and “The Jet” are immediately recognizable by their opponents. Even a man as shifty as Nebraska’s greatest-ever wingback can’t dodge the target that has landed on his back.
“I can’t sneak in anywhere,” he said, laughing. “I can’t sneak in anywhere where people don’t know me. Yes, people know who they’re playing, they want to play with you and they want to play against you. It's been fun. Yes, everybody kind of pretty much recognizes who I am, and now that my daughter has became the new state poet, they're recognizing her, too.”
This level of fame and the inherent challenge that comes from every man, woman, and child wanting a piece of Rodgers getting the opportunity to say that they paddled a legend on the pickleball court does little to worry such a competitive duo.
“They're playing hard. They're not giving us any breaks. We don't give them any breaks. It's just quite competitive, and we have fun,” Rodgers said. “I think a lot of the younger people enjoy playing with us and against us. Everything has been just very respectful and a lot of fun because they're not giving us no break because I'm Johnny Rodgers.”
While Jewel is quickly becoming known for her own off-the-court legacy as a writer and poet, she was an excellent athlete in her own right at Omaha North High School, and it is abundantly clear that the apple doesn’t fall far from the rocket engine with this father-daughter duo.
“I think what I can say about doing sports as a young person, and as Johnny’s daughter, you very clearly understand what it takes to be excellent at something,” Jewel said. “He instills in you what it means to really work harder and be dedicated.
Jewel and The Jet
Pickleball, Poetry, and how Johnny Rodgers’ Competitive Spirit Stays Burning
Living // Story Chris Hatch // Photography Bill Sitzmann // Design Joey Winton
One of the phrases I always remember from growing up is literally, ‘Never give up.’ Eventually, I was less and less interested in rising in the ranks in sports, but the benefit of him being my father was, no matter what I was doing, I understood very clearly the kind of dedication and time that I would need to put into something to be rising to the top, because he showed that by example.”
"The Jet" may have had two knee replacements, and has dealt with as many finger injuries as he has fingers he wasn’t quite sure whether it was more than four broken fingers on one hand but he brings more than just an old-school toughness to the pickleball courts. He sees some of the skills that made him a cyanide-lethal punt returner giving him a leg up on some of the much younger competition he faces in his leagues.
“One thing that’s really helped me out, being a wide receiver and punt returner, is that you got to keep your eye on the ball. This ball’s coming so quick that you don't really have time to think and you just react. And I think my football skills and receiving skills and things of that aspect helped me keep track of the ball,” he said, finding unexpected but clear parallels between past and present.
“I really wasn't what I would call really super-fast,” Rodgers said, humbly asserting what 3,224 yards of offense and 37 touchdowns in three years of college ball would likely refute. “I was always super quick, and so it kind of matches the skills that I do have because of my eye-hand coordination and keeping my eye on the ball. I seem to be able to do it to get a lot of balls as we normally get back and we get them back, and to be able to put the ball in places that I just got a natural feel.”
When asked if there is any of the standard familial, parental tension that so many people have when competing on the same team with someone who shares nearly identical DNA, Jewel Rodgers made the answer clear. “I think the only tension we have is if I start thinking I need to take it easy on someone,” she said, laughing. “He’s like, ‘what are you doing?’. He does not like that. He’s very much like, ‘no matter who it is, what we’re doing, we need to be giving it our all.’”
So, with two high-level, competitive people Rodgers on one pickleball court, the question naturally becomes: who would win in a closed door, one-on-one battle?
“On the record?” asked Jewel,. “I would say you should always put your money on Johnny Rodgers.”
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MAGIC BY D E SIGN
Russ Finch and Allen Bright’s Greenhouse in the Snow Finds Progress in Tradition, Sustainability in Simplicity
here’s magic in the Nebraska panhandle. For the urbanites of the east, those hailing from Lincoln, Omaha, or even Grand Island, the region unfurls a blank canvas. For some, it’s a lacuna, like sinking into a dreamless sleep heavy eyelids and vague, milepost memories. For others, a time-worn photo of the ‘Good Life,’ bucolic and bewitching ardent skies, coarse with possibility.
Prairie hamlets and small-town facades crest the shifting dunes, sand or snow. Ancient creatures like Nebraska’s newly christened state reptile, the ornate box turtle, endure. Near the crenellated chassis of ‘Carhenge’ a to-scale replica of Wiltshire’s Stonehenge wrought from classic cars the city of Alliance, Nebraska, idles at just over 8,000 residents.
Individualism permeates the city, yet there are those still deemed “eccentric” by the libertine standards of the land. A compulsive tinkerer who privileges invention over convention, Greenhouse in the Snow proprietor Russ Finch gladly accepted this descriptor over decades of “off-the-grid" living, heating his hand-built home through a series of eight-foot-deep geothermal tubes.
His ideas were often met with placid skepticism until a fateful project convinced many, most notably Greenhouse in the Snow co-owner Allen Bright, that there was “method” to Russ’ so-called “madness.”
Thirteen years later, the magic of their geothermal greenhouse concept a made-to-order kit that taps into the Earth's natural heat has rendered the country, and the world, a more vibrant place.
“Russ is the originator,” Bright explained, recalling the earliest months of their business relationship some 14 years prior. “His old, original greenhouse was made of wood, and it had rotted out. He wanted to rebuild it. He came into the shop looking for steel.”
As owner of Alliance-based Antioch Machine, Bright was happy to oblige despite harboring doubts.
STORY BY JULIUS FREDRICK
PHOTOGRAPHY BY SARAH LEMKE DESIGN BY JOEY WINTON
“The thing was, when he came in here, he was actually debating with himself whether to rebuild it or just take it down. He came in with the (then) head of the local chamber of commerce, Dixie Nelson, and she was trying to convince him to rebuild the greenhouse and that he needed to start selling the greenhouse. He was 78 at the time, he’s 92 now,” Bright added.
Finch, eventually swayed by Nelson’s enthusiasm, returned to Antioch Machine a few months later with a home-wrought support arch in tow. He asked Bright if he could replicate it, the latter assuring he’d do a “professional job.” An initial order of nine arches was followed by an invoice for 48. As Finch’s reconstruction efforts took shape, so too did the excitement of Bright’s team.
“We started shipping them out of there (directly)…so the guys would pick them up and they’d say, ‘Russ who’s going to take this over when you’re done? This is such a good idea and someone needs to carry it on.’ And (Russ would) say, ‘Well, Allen…’ And I’d say ‘No…I don’t think so.’ Because I didn’t believe the greenhouse worked,” Bright recalled.
In time, Bright agreed to raise a greenhouse on his own property. Under Finch’s direction, the structure was complete by Thanksgiving of that year. Though absent vegetation, winter’s encroaching frost and swelling snowdrifts heralded revelation.
“I’d go out there and it’d be 20 or 25 degrees below in the morning, and I had water bottles that were partially full sitting around the greenhouse,” Bright said. “There wasn’t anything growing in there, but I’d look at these bottles and they were never frozen, even when it was bitter cold outside. And I said, ‘Oh, this actually does work!’”
Ryan Lorenzen of Wakefield, Nebraska, received his family’s Greenhouse in the Snow kit five years ago.
“I was a land surveyor for the Bureau of Land Management, the federal government, for 34 years (…) a few years before I retired, I was starting to look for things to do,” Lorenzen said. “And I just happened to see a little three-minute episode on Russ Finch’s ‘Greenhouse in the Snow’ on Nebraska Public TV, and kind of thought, ‘Jeez, that looks kind of interesting.’ We’ve always been gardeners, and so the following summer we went out and visited Russ, and by that next year, 2019, we decided to build one.”
Since then, the Lorenzen clan has enjoyed a 120-foot-long slice of equatorial Eden, growing pineapples, bananas, and daughter Sarah’s favorite, mandarin oranges, year-round, among other colorful flora. The unit’s relatively low startup cost, ease of setup, and energy efficiency means the household isn’t just flush in tropical and subtropical yields, but long-term savings.
It was Russ’ idea. He put the effort in when everybody was saying, ‘No, no, no, that won’t work,’ (and) he said, ‘Yeah, I think I can do this.’ And he was right.
– Allen Bright
Finch describes the greenhouse kit as a “modified Walipini,” an earth-sheltered design originating from the Central Andes that translates to “place of warmth” in its native Aymaran. Through decades of experimentation, Finch discovered a way to make the fundamentals of the Walipini semi-subterranean, glazed A-frame exteriors productive in northern latitudes.
“It’s kind of a compilation of ideas over time. There was an old greenhouse style they call the Walipini, which was basically a hole in the ground that had some kind of glazing laid over it and then it would use the ground temperature to keep from freezing most of the time. And then, of course, conventional greenhouses have been around for hundreds of years,” Bright explained. “This is kind of a marriage between a conventional greenhouse and the original Walipini.”
Bright entered a partnership with Finch that has since shipped more than 700 geothermal greenhouse kits and cultivated thousands of fruits, vegetables, and flowering plants throughout the continental United States, and even internationally via licensing agreements in France and Canada.
“The amount of electricity that we use is so little, we actually have a dedicated meter on our grid coming in,” Lorenzen said. “We’ve been down to 38 cents a day in October, and then our heaviest used month is always January; the worst we’ve ever had is $1.78 (in a day).”
Such efficiency, along with selling surplus fruits and vegetables under the ‘Lorenzen Family Produce’ stamp, means their Greenhouse in the Snow isn’t just sustainable, it’s profitable. However, it’s the man behind the greenhouse, Russ Finch, who turned satisfied customers into fervent advocates.
“Especially my daughter and myself, we’re almost like disciples of Russ because we absolutely agree with his philosophy of, ‘Why are we importing all of our food from overseas when we should just be growing it right here?’” Lorenzen said. “So, we (give demos of the greenhouse) out of the love of our heart for what his design and everything is.”
At time of writing, Greenhouse in the Snow kits come ordered in long (54’-150’) and short (36’-48’) geothermal, lean-to, and most recently, free-standing models designed for residential grows. And while the company has garnered numerous accolades including the 2014 Nebraska Business Development Center’s ‘Sustainability Business of the Year’ award and a finalist position in the Nebraska Chamber’s ‘Coolest Thing Made in Nebraska’ contest in 2023 it’s Finch himself, his preternatural vision and resolve, who melted skepticism around, and nurtured belief in, a greener, brighter tomorrow.
“It was Russ’ idea,” Bright reiterated. “He put the effort in when everybody was saying, ‘No, no, no, that won’t work,’ (and) he said, ‘Yeah, I think I can do this.’”
“And he was right.”
For more information, visit greenhouseinthesnow.com and the Lorenzen Family Produce page on Facebook. Editor's Note: Russ Finch passed away in November 2024.
STORY
SARA LOCKE
PHOTOGRAPHY
BILL SITZMANN
DESIGN
RENEE LUDWICK
Strings of Success
A Guitarist Ashton Demers Plays His Way to the Top
t an age where many of his peers were discovering Minecraft and fi nding it impossible to put down, Ashton Demers was discovering a fi xation of a different kind.
“When I was 6, my parents gave my younger brother this fake plastic guitar,” the now-15-year-old recalled. “Our dad was trying to teach him ‘Twinkle Twinkle Little Star’ on it, but he wanted to play ‘real songs,’ so he gave up. Then I picked it up and had a lot of fun, so my dad taught me a few chords and then just left me on my own with it.”
Ashton learned a few songs by ear, then utilized YouTube for tutorials and chord progressions for the next few years, relying only on his own determination for the discipline to practice a nd improve.
“The first guitar he ever had belonged to my dad,” Ashton’s mother, Danielle Demers, said. “He used to just casually play around with the guitar with my husband, Justin, and my dad. Justin plays, but was never as serious as Ashton became. Right away, Ashton was very much an ‘I’m going to go play my guitar,’ instead of an ‘I’m going to go play my video games,’ kind of kid. After a few years, his interest had grown so much deeper that it was time to get him some professional training. We hired one of the worship pastors at our church to come to our house and give h im lessons.”
Unless I’m playing acoustic, I’m not a big ‘chords’ guy. I like riffing. And if I’ve listened to a song a few times, I can generally play it by ear. If it’s something new, I’ll have to look up the chords and learn to play it, but I mostly like just playing along.
— Ashton Demers
Ashton’s musical education was fi nally catching up to his natural talent, and doors began opening for the then-middle schooler. He began playing guitar for the congregation at his church’s worship services, and his equipment was upgraded to reflec t his skill.
“We got him his fi rst really good guitar after his eighth-grade year,” Danielle said. “Now he has six or seven down in the basement where he practices. He has an electric drum set down there, his sister’s piano that he taught himself to play, and he’s always loved singing, too. He just has a really natural connection with music. His playing abilities are all (from) God, so we give that up to Him. His playing is his way of giving it over and letting go of anxieties a nd worries.”
While he enjoys the process of learning and has a disciplined practice schedule, Ashton admits he isn’t entirely a by-thebook player.
“Unless I’m playing acoustic, I’m not a big ‘chords’ guy,” he said. “I like riffi ng. And if I’ve listened to a song a few times, I can generally play it by ear. If it’s something new, I’ll have to look up the chords and learn to play it, but I mostly like just playing along.”
continued on pg.79
Theanada. Missouri. South Dakota. Iowa. Steve Petersen has fished them all. But the best fishing he's ever found is in his backyard in Papillion. Literally.
Petersen's house backs up to the lake at Prairie Queen Recreation Area, and the nearby trails in the area allow him to be at any one of several local lakes fishing pole in hand in 10 to 15 minutes.
The convenience of his location is matched only by his passion for the sport. Growing up, Petersen remembers fishing as a fundamental part of his life, where he and friends would gather to fish whenever they had the time. Those early experiences planted the seeds for what would become a lifelong love of angling.
"All you have to do is go in your own backyard and fish it consistently. Find your pattern and find the spot to catch your fish," Petersen said. "You don't have to go to western Nebraska or Lake McConaughy."
When he's not fishing, Petersen is a CPA, and his company, Petersen & Associates, has been in business since 1986.
Around town, you're likely to see the 66-year-old zipping down the trails of Papillion lakes with fishing gear in tow while he moves from one spot to another. While he owns a boat, he doesn't use it in town, preferring to fish from the banks at his favorite lakes and travel from spot to spot on his e-bike. After trying for a while, he'll move to another spot.
It's become his fishing routine these days, and it's working for him.
Petersen has received six Master Angler Awards from the Nebraska Game and Parks Commission. One of the most popular recognition programs in the
Local Angler Finds Best Fishing Spots Right at Home
life
Story by Kevin Coffey
Photography by Bill Sitzmann
Design by Joey Winton
country, Master Angler Awards are given for making trophy-sized catches, and Petersen has them for largemouth bass, smallmouth bass, yellow perch, channel catfish, redear sunfish and bluegill.
The variety of his catches speaks to both his skill and the remarkable diversity of available fish in Nebraska’s lakes, rivers and streams. Each award represents not just a big fish, but hours of patient observation, understanding of local water conditions and a deep respect for the natural environment.
Those big catches have all come from local lakes, and Petersen credits programs from Nebraska Game and Parks for his success.
"Game and Parks…has created, in my opinion, world-class fishing," Petersen said. "They need the support of the public to keep these things up. These guys are leaving behind a great legacy."
Petersen uses the state commission's reports to scout Walnut Creek, Big Elk Portal Prairie Queen, Shadow Lake, and Wehrspann Lake. He's found trophy-sized fish including walleye, largemouth bass and smallmouth bass across the lakes.
For anglers across the state of Nebraska, outdoornebraska.gov offers an interactive map showing all public fishing areas in the state as well as downloadable lake contour maps for each spot. Nebraska Game and Parks also identifies the top fishing spots and best family-friendly fishing holes. It details the Angler Access program, which includes Americans with Disabilities Act-approved fishing piers, trails, boat launch facilities and parking accommodations.
The accessibility of these resources represents a significant
advancement in making outdoor recreation inclusive and approachable for anglers of all abilities and backgrounds.
(Of course, before you go fishing area waters, be sure to get a fishing license and review the state's fishing rules and regulations.)
Perhaps the most important things offered to local anglers are a collection of fishing reports. The annual Fishing Guide covers all rules and regulations regarding fishing in Nebraska, and fish stocking and sampling databases and reports will tell you which fish are in which waters.
"Six months out of the year, you'll have a catch of six-to-seven fish an hour. They're not all going to be Master Anglers, but you're going to catch your fair share," Petersen said. "Nebraska Game and Parks has done a wonderful job of managing these fisheries.
"They're very helpful if people have questions about where to go fish and what people are catching and what they're catching them on. They can give a lot of helpful tips."
Petersen's enthusiasm for local fishing is infectious. He sees it not just as a personal hobby, but as a way to connect people with nature, to provide recreation that is enriching for families and individuals.
Petersen's own advice for local anglers starts with equipment. Most importantly: "You don't need a boat." Petersen uses his trusty e-bike, and, with trails surrounding most lakes, you can move quickly from spot to spot on a bike and fish from the shoreline.
All you have to do is go in our own backyard and fish it consistently. Find your pattern and find the spot to catch your fish. – Steve Petersen
Beyond that, simply a fishing pole and lures will get you going.
"The lighter the equipment, the more fish they're going to catch," he said. "Other than that, maybe a can of bug spray to spray yourself down when you get in the weeds."
Once you’ve chosen your lake, Petersen offers the following tips:
Look for key areas in the lake where water flows into or out of the lake. “Those areas provide the food and types of things these fish bite,” he said.
Search for areas where fish have their spawning beds, such as along shallow areas or in coves.
Fish and cast for a while. You’ll get bites. But you don’t have to stay there. “Once the bite stops, you move on,” he said.
Keep coming back. The more you fish a lake, the more you’ll know where to go. “You’ll start finding out where you have good luck,” he said.
Anyone can enjoy the availability of excellent fishing in local areas, and Petersen especially enjoys seeing children and families fish. Parents get to spend time with their children while teaching them knots, how to tie on a jig, and how to cast.
His own love of fishing came from spending summer days on the bank of a nearby lake with his friends, a tradition he hopes will continue for future generations of Nebraska anglers.
"The biggest legacy we can leave behind is how much fun it is to be in Nebraska," he said. "They get all this vitamin D from the sunshine. They get fresh air. It can be just as fun as the other programs parents sign their kids up for."
Bob and Joanne Hicks went on their first Metropolitan Community College Traveling Classroom tour in 2015, and they have been on nearly 40 trips since. The immersive, educational excursions sometimes lasting a few hours, a complete day or a full weekend explore the marvels and hidden treasures of the Midwest.
Each quarter, MCC Traveling Classrooms take guests on leisurely learning adventures. These trips cover a wide range of interests, from arts and culture to local history and festivals. No tour is the same.
The best part for many is that MCC handles all the planning, including transportation via deluxe motorcoach, meals (depending on the length of trip) and reservations. For frequent MCC travelers like Joanne Hicks, it’s the best kind of lifelon g learning.
“My husband and I are both over the age of 70. There’s nothing that says, ‘Oh, well, education stops now,’” she said. “It’s fun learning that gives you the local experience, seeing things you probably wouldn’t have gone to on your own because you wouldn’t have know n about it.”
LEGENDARY MISSOURI ADVENTURE
Join us for an unforgettable three-day tour exploring the footsteps of true legends: Mark Twain, the Budweiser Clydesdales and Walt Disney. During this epic adventure across Missouri, you will indulge in a
sightseeing dinner cruise on a Mississippi River riverboat and visit the Budweiser Clydesdales at Warm Springs Ranch. Mark Twain himself, sometimes called the “wild humorist of the West,” will come to life during a performance of “Mark Twain Live” at Cave Hollow Theatre.
Your journey includes excursions to the towns of Boonville, Hannibal and Marceline as we visit the Mark Twain Museum and Childhood Home, take a tour of the Rockcliffe Mansion, relax at the Cave Hollow West Winery and explore the Walt Disney Hometown Museum. The tour price includes transportation via deluxe motorcoach, two nights at a three-star hotel, entry to all destinations and some meals.
No refunds are available within 14 days of the trip. Moderate walking is required for all trips. Traveling Classroom experiences listed here are for ages 21 and older.
Visit mccneb.edu/CE for a complete listing of MCC Traveling Classroom offerings, descriptions and import ant details.
NO-EXCUSES NO-EXCUSES Girls Trip The Profile
“Queenagers” Living Their Best Life
Girlfriend getaways have become a significant trend in the travel industry. Increasing in popularity over the last few years, especially since the Covid-19 pandemic, women of all ages are traveling more. They are looking to escape their daily routines, bond with girlfriends, or experience new destinations together. A growing focus on self-care, empowerment, and wellness has also contributed to the rise in girlfriend trips. A segment of this group has been dubbed “Queenagers,” a term used to describe women who are in their 50s and 60s, are independent, active, and adventurous, and who are embracing their stage of life with a focus on travel and experiences. They typically have more disposable income and greater freedom because their children are grown or nearly grown. The term blends “queen,” which suggests maturity and authority with “teenager,” which shows energy, youth, and a sense of curiosity.
Story by Dawn Gonzales | Photography by Sarah Lemke | Design by Renee Ludwick
“Queenager” is a term that came from the phenomenon of older women taking trips with their girlfriends, said Jennifer Jirak-Brungardt. “I see women doing long weekends to Sedona for a spa four-day weekend and then the following year, they may do a big trip that is 10 to 14 days to Europe,” she said. Jirak-Brungardt is the owner of Cruise Planners in Council Bluffs, Iowa.
While the “Queenager” may be older, it does not necessarily mean that she is affluent — she has just
prioritized travel over other purchases with discretionary income. People place different values on different things. “When you talk about the money, it is a splurge for them,” Jirak-Brungardt said. “I’ve gone to Arbor Day Lodge, staying together in a nice hotel, having a meal, that is a splurge. It’s not reflective of income, it’s a reflection of women making a choice to spend time with other women and setting aside the time. Prioritizing ourselves can be a hurdle and a luxury. Women can really struggle to put themselves first."
Dr. Andrea Barnes can relate to what her friend Jirak-Brungardt is talking about. Co-owning a small, well-established local dentistry practice brings fulfillment and challenges of managing the business, the staff and caring for patients.
“Sometimes it is good to just get away and take a break. It is mentally encompassing. We are taking care of people. Multiple people every day and every hour with multiple issues. It is nice to take a week off! We also own the business so it is not just dentistry, we have a great staff and they take care of it, but we still have to manage the business,” Barnes said. “The emotional and mental strain of the business is the cause for getting away.”
Barnes, who has co-owned the practice for 29 years, has enjoyed traveling since her college days, when she spent time in London and Florence, Italy. She and her spouse raised three children and made it a point to take family trips once or twice a year throughout the United States. Many of their family trips were to at least 20 national parks, and another 40 state parks. Her favorite park is Yellowstone National Park. She said the trips often included bike rides and hiking in the parks and continue to this day, when it may just be she and her spouse on a trip. When their kids were younger, they drove to many destinations because there were five in the family. Traveling by car was often easier and more economical.
Barnes said that she and her husband also enjoy traveling to professional conferences about once a year for his work and he is the one to find the places to visit during their business travel. While her kids were growing up, she and her husband often asked their children to put together a family travel presentation that included where they wanted to go, where they should stay and what activities should be planned. They encouraged experiences that would create a lifetime of unique memories and discovering new places together.
Taking a trip by car or plane and traveling a short or long distance typically requires some planning. Planning can take time and the choices for some people can be overwhelming. The desire to travel, the money to pay for it, and the time to take the trip all have to be in sync. Enter the “no-excuses girls trip.”
In October of 2024, Jirak-Brungardt invited Barnes on such a trip. Nineteen women made up of friends and connections that Jirak-Brungardt assembled met in France and cruised the Seine River, traveling from Normandy to Paris over the course of a week.
“It sounded like a good adventure,” Barnes said when asked why she would go on a trip where she knew only a handful of the 19 participating. “All the details that go into taking a trip (were) taken care of. We were picked up at the airport, they took us to the port. It didn’t take a whole lot of thought from me, all the excursions were planned out. We just deserve to be taken care of, and Jennifer made sure that all of those things happened.”
Barnes added that her sister went with her. “It was a chance for us to be together. We are about the same age and there were women on the trip who had kids younger than ours, grown children, grandchildren, women who were retired. All in a place where there is no competition, it was relaxed and so friendly! There were people who were really relatable, we could sit and talk or read a book or watch the scenery go by,” she said. Barnes kept a Google photo drive of her AMA Waterways trip and loaded photos daily from her phone so that her family and friends could keep track of where she had been each day. They saw the beaches of Normandy and the surrounding areas, visited Monet’s garden, shopped in Rulon, saw the Eiffel Tower lit at night, and spent a day in Paris. “Sometimes we would be traveling during the morning or afternoon. We went to a cider tasting at a farm and then got back on the ship and continued to cruise the river,” Barnes said.
Jirak-Brungardt said that the group trips start with what she wants to experience. “I invite people I know and say, ‘hey, come with me!’ I invited some of my friends, clients, and they invited their friends, and that’s how we had 19 women in France together. A lot of them did not know each other at all. I love that because I’ve made some of my best friends through this type of travel!” she said. “For women, we spend a lot of the years of life that we give to our spouses, our kids, our work, and if you are a Gen-X’er, you’re taking care of your parents. Traveling with girlfriends fills that bucket back up so you can continue to give. It can feel selfish, but in the long run, it is not.”
Barnes and Jirak-Brungardt are looking forward to more travel soon. Barnes is planning a trip to Kauai, Hawaii, which is nicknamed the “Garden Isle” and famous for its mountain ridge hiking destinations. Jirak-Brungardt is always in research mode for her clients and herself. She plans to get back to her favorite place, Italy. “The food, the wine, the light. There is something about the light in Italy. It’s a different color!” she said, adding that the Amalfi Coast and Cinque Terre have the most beautiful beaches in the world.
GIVING CALENDAR
MAY 2025
COMPILED BY JACIE LEIBFRIED
May 1
PIECE BY PIECE INVESTORS SUMMIT
Benefits: UNeTech Institute
Location: The Catalyst - unetech.org
May 1
SPRING EXECUTIVES ETHICS BREAKFAST
Benefits: Business Ethics Alliance
Location: Charles Schwab Field - businessethicsalliance.org
May 1
41ST ANNUAL LINCOLN MAYOR’S INTERFAITH BREAKFAST
Benefits: Faith communities
Location: The Lincoln Marriott Cornhusker Hotel - eventbrite.com
May 2
REBARCAMP NEBRASKA 2025
Benefits: Nebraska Association of Realtors
Location: Alamo Drafthouse Cinema La Vista - eventbrite.com
May 2
CASINO FOR A CAUSE
Benefits: 12 different local nonprofits including Cake4Kids & Project Pink’d
Location: The Relevant Center - shareomaha.org
May 2
BACH ARIA SOLOISTS
Benefits: Vesper Concerts
Location: Presbyterian Church of the Cross - vesperconcerts.org
May 2 & 3
BLUE ROSE PRCA CHARITY RODEO & DANCE
Benefits: Douglas-Sarpy 4-H program & Munroe-Meyer
Institute’s RiteCare Clinics
Location: Sarpy County Fairgrounds - blueroseprca.com
May 3
FOR THE KIDS BENEFIT: SADDLE UP
Benefits: Omaha Children’s Museum
Location: Omaha Children’s Museum - ocm.org
May 3
FEATURED EVENT
May 3
STEP OVER THE EDGE TO END HOMELESSNESS
Benefits: Siena Francis House
Location: The Highline Apartments - sienafrancis.org
The Siena Francis House is celebrating their 50th anniversary working to end homelessness in the Omaha community by offering people passionate about fundraising and thrill seeking an opportunity they won’t want to pass up: rappelling down twenty stories of The Highline Apartment buildings. Live out a Mission Impossible-like scene (safely, of course) while supporting a cause greatly needed in Omaha. In lieu of a participation fee, each participant is asked to raise funds towards this cause by reaching out to friends, family, workplaces, and more. Training for rappelling will be provided on the day of the event.
STEP OVER THE EDGE TO END HOMELESSNESS
Benefits: Siena Francis House
Location: The Highline Apartments - p2p.onecause.com/sfhote
Location: Eagle Elementary School -district145.org/o/eagle
May 10
3RD ANNUAL CHARITY POKER RUN
Benefits: Pink Ladies of Lincoln Location: Frontier Harley-Davidson - all events.in/lincoln
May 12
MADONNA GOLF CLASSIC
Benefits: Madonna Ability Alliance Location: Champions Run in Omaha - madonnaschool.org
May 16
REBUILDING THE VILLAGE CONFERENCE
Benefits: Black business owners Location: CHI Health Center - empoweromaha.com
May 17
OMAHA HEART & STROKE WALK
Benefits: American Heart Association Location: Gene Leahy Mall - heart.org
May 17
INDIE AUTHORS UNITED 2025
Benefits: Local authors and publishers Location: DoubleTree by Hilton - indieauthorsomaha.eventbrite.com
May 17
27TH ANNUAL REMEMBRANCE WALK
Benefits: The Collective for Hope programs
Location: Miller’s Landing Park - thecollectiveforhope.org
May 17
4TH ANNUAL STRIKES & STACHES BOWLING FUNDRAISER
Benefits: Mustaches for Kids Charity
Location: Papio Bowl - papiobowl.com
May 17
LINCOLN GREAT STRIDES
Benefits: Cystic Fibrosis Foundation
Location: Holmes Open Shelter - cff.org/chapter/nebraskachapter
May 21
PROTECTING KIDS THIS SUMMER
Benefits: Guardians of young children
Location: Child Advocacy Center - brave.org
May 21
SAC 8TH ANNUAL GOLF EVENT
Benefits: SAC Foundation
Location: Tiburon Golf Club - sacfoundation.net
May 23
HEROES ON THE GREEN
Benefits: Military mental health programs
Location: Tregaron Golf Course - ateaseusa.org
May 24
STEPS FOR STEM 5K
Benefits: Greater Omaha Chapter AFCEA
Location: Walnut Creek Lake - omaha.afceachapters.org
May 24
IRREVERENT WARRIORS SILKIES SAND VOLLEYBALL
Benefits: Irreverent Warriors Bringing Veterans Together
Location: Spikes Beach Bar and Grille - irreverentwarriors.com
May 25
COMMUNITY PANCAKE FEED
Benefits: Papillion Downtown Business Association
Location: City Park - papilliondba.com
May 25
MEMORIAL DAY TRIBUTE CONCERT
Benefits: Veteran organizations
Location: Vietnam Veterans Memorial & SumTur Theater - jsberrylaw.com
May 25
PAT CLINCH PEACE PROJECT 10-YEAR MEMORIAL FUNDRAISER
Benefits: Lincoln Statepark Association
Location: Lincoln Children’s Zoo - allevents.in/lincoln
May 28
OHB GOLF CLASSIC
Benefits: Omaha Home for Boys
Location: Tiburon Golf Club - ohb.org/events
May 29
THE HIGHEST AWARD CEREMONY
Benefits: Girl Scouts of Nebraska
Location: Ralston High School Theater - girlscoutsnebraska.org
May 29
CHEF’S TABLE
Benefits: Project Pink’d
Location: April Sampson Cancer Center - projectpinkd.org
May 30
WINGS & WHEELS LINCOLN
Benefits: Ronald McDonald House
Location: Silverhawk Aviation, Lincoln - rmhcomaha.org
U.S. Olympians Lolo Jones – a track and field and bobsledding superstar –and Jackie Joyner-Kersee, a six-time Summer Games medalist, will talk about their journeys to overcome adversity and become championship-caliber athletes who represented America on the world stage.
Grady ’s Wish
For expanded content, open the camera on ywour smart device and hover over the QR code above.
Make-A-Wish Gives Family Hope, Memories & New Dinosaur Obsession
hen the Strickler family learned their son, then-2-year-old Grady, had leukemia, they had no idea what would come next. In the midst of the pandemic that stretched across the world, hospital visits and treatment days were in no short order. Over the next two years, Grady fought hard and had his final maintenance treatment in the spring of 2022. During that time, the Stricklers got in contact with the hospital’s social worker, who assisted them every step of the way with the Make-A-Wish application process.
Finally, it was time for what Grady had been waiting for: his Make-A-Wish trip out to Colorado. “We met with Make-AWish and brainstormed some ideas. He wanted to stay in a cabin and go on a train ride. Those were the big ones,” said Grady’s mother, Marissa Strickler. The Make-AWish representatives took these ideas and turned them into a trip perfectly curated to Grady’s wishes and interests.
The journey started with a sendoff dinner from anywhere Grady wanted. The Papillion Police force, colleagues of Grady’s father, joined the Stricklers at none other than Nebraska’s very own Runza. “That was my favorite one,” Grady said. Because of the personalized touches like Grady’s favorite treats and the support of friends on PPD, along with a pair of super cool Runza socks, Marissa considers this dinner to be an extra-special part of the whole trip.
As Grady flipped through the scrapbook made of the family’s trip by Make-A-Wish volunteers, he explained several of the images, showing all the knowledge he’d gained on the trip. “It maybe should look like a chicken, with feathers all over. But nobody really knows, since humans weren’t alive with dinosaurs,” Grady explained in reference to a picture of him standing next to a model T-rex. The dinosaurs were definitely his favorite part of the trip, he said, and this previous knowledge is coming in handy during his classroom’s current dinosaur unit. He also fondly remembers the slushee he drank while he was there, specifically the blue raspberry flavor and souvenir cup that it came in.
The photos follow the family hike around the park, and Grady made sure to emphasize the caution he took to avoid being bit by a rattlesnake. Thankfully, that was the biggest concern on the vacation. “It was so nice not to have to worry about taking medicine or anything like that during the trip,” Marissa said.
Grady’s paternal grandparents were able to join in on the fun about halfway through the trip as well. Marissa explained, “It was nice to have them there and be a part of it, because they were a big part of treatment and supporting him and us.”
The family also journeyed along train tracks on The Royal Gorge, using the open-air train car to take in all the landscape surrounding the area. The zoo was also a highlight of the trip for Grady. The stuffed giraffe souvenir from the gift shop has a permanent spot on Grady’s bed to remind him of “the giraffes that had purple and blue tongues.”
When asked if the giraffes drank a slushee, Grady said, “probably a million!”
Grady has come a long way since his diagnosis in 2020. Now 6 years old, Grady’s love for trains and dinosaurs are combined with a love for simulating farming on Mars and digging in his designated spot for gold and fossils in the backyard. “His brain’s always thinking of ideas. Never stops,” said Marissa.
Grady’s Wish came true without a hitch, and Make-A-Wish has continued to have an impact in his and his family’s lives. “Within a year after his trip, he was part of the radio telethon, so I got to talk and he said a few words,” Marissa said, “and the Blue Jean Ball, we got to go to that as well.” During these fundraising events, families and volunteers with Make-A-Wish recount the ways their wishes have impacted their lives in so many different ways.
“(Grady’s trip) was the first time we were ever in Colorado. So the summer after that, we went back to Colorado Springs, and then last summer we went to Winter Park. So it’s been something our family has really enjoyed going and doing, and then it brings back memories of the trip again,” Marissa said.
Make-A-Wish’s granting of Grady’s Wish gave the Strickler family relief, hope, and joy, creating a new tradition they can carry with them into the future.
“(Grady’s trip) was the first time we were ever in Colorado. So the summer after that, we went back to Colorado Springs, and then last summer we went to Winter Park. So it’s been something our family has really enjoyed going and doing, and then it brings back memories of the trip again.” —
Marissa Strickler
Story by Jacie Leibfried // Photography by Sarah Lemke // Design by Renee Ludwick
My
Great Aunt was “Queen of the Bootleggers.”
What Louise Vinciquerra Taught Me About the Power of Perception
er coronation as “Queen Louise” did not come by divine right, but via the power of the pen. Enraptured local reporters crowned her queen with their ginned-up headlines for more than fifteen years. My aunt’s face graced the front pages of every newspaper within 200 miles of Omaha throughout Prohibition and beyond. As the yellow journalists’ anointed one, her near-constant criminal exploits sold many a copy of the Lincoln Evening Star, Daily Nonpareil, and Omaha World-Herald Louise reveled in the attention of the press, her customers, and even the feds. She reigned over them all; a bootlegging, gun-toting, judicial escape artist—a vainglorious delinquent.
And I want to be just like her.
As a kid, I often hid under the kitchen table, listening to my parents and grandparents chit-chat after Sunday dinner. That was my favorite place to eavesdrop on the world of adults — a world I loved to pretend to be in. Their post-meal conversations were equal measure mind-numbing business talk and tantalizing family gossip. These under-the-table spy missions were my earliest attempts at adult cosplay. (In fact, I loved playing pretend so much, I made it my job. I’m a professional actress.) I first heard Louise’s name during a grisly retelling of Grandpa’s trip to Arizona to identify a body. Something about dental records that were “burned beyond recognition,” a phrase my ten-year-old brain couldn’t quite decipher. Regardless, my imagination was piqued. Piecing together the family lore with historical research from periodicals, court records, and family interviews, the details of Louise’s life began to emerge.
My grandpa’s sister, Louise Vinciquerra (nee Pirruccello), lived a life that played out in courtrooms and headlines. And while her illegal comings and goings fed the public gossip mill, our family did not so much as mention her name once she died. On the rarest of occasions, if Louise’s name did come up, it was in hushed tones. Like any respectable family, my grandparents buried the dark chapters of her life along with her. Louise was over a decade older than my grandfather, and I suspect his silence on the subject of the queen was born of protectiveness. As he built his life and business, who could blame him for wanting to distance himself and his family from the chaos and notoriety of his big sister? But despite his silence, the whispers of Louise’s extraordinary life reverberated through the years. And once I heard about her, I needed to know more. As her story crystallized, I felt a question begin to tug at my brain:
"Could the story of Louise’s past hold the key to my future?"
Over the past decade, I’ve asserted more control over my career by delving into the world of writing and producing. It has paid dividends as I’ve leveled up within my industry. Yet, even having expanded my skill set, I find I am feeling smaller each year. I imagine my place and sway in the world have diminished. And boy, oh boy, do I hate that feeling of not being tall enough, pretty enough, famous enough,*fill in the blank* enough for a role/director/casting agent. It’s getting old—much like I am getting older. Perhaps it’s a function of middle age, but lately, when I see memes declaring how women over 40 “have zero F*CKS left to give,” I feel envious. That liberation eludes me.
One of the professional hazards of being an actress is the constant need to understand motivation; the "why" of what a character does and feels. So, being who I am, I cannot let these feelings of diminishment lie unexplored. As I’ve drilled down on these pesky emotions, I’ve uncovered a truth about my life that I need to face:
Being good isn’t good enough.
I’ve always been a rule-following, midwestern pragmatist who believed that if I did good work and didn’t toot my own horn, people would reward me. But over time, it’s become clear: “That ain’t showbiz, kid.” So, why am I still running this outmoded “Good Girl” playbook? Well, the truth is simple. I’ve never tried any other way. But I’m ready for a different approach, so I’m looking to Aunt Louise for inspiration. Her life offers lessons that I need to learn. Although we could not be more different, she and I are connected. Despite a century of years between us, I stand here today as a beneficiary of her bad-girl legacy.
And it’s time to make good on the inheritance.
Born in 1900, Louise immigrated with my paternal great-grandparents from Carlentini, Sicily and went on to build the most successful booze-running enterprise in Nebraska. Despite her future windfalls, her early life of poverty held no clue as to what she would go on to become. Like many young, poor immigrant women, Louise was married off as soon as possible. Her abusive husband brutalized her, and she became a mother to two boys by her fifteenth birthday. Although her early life was an exercise in
powerlessness, Louise refused to be confined by gender, class, or era. Eventually rising to Omaha’s zenith of wealth and power, Louise replotted a trajectory on her terms.
After a disenfranchised childhood in North Omaha, Louise made up for lost time once she got a foothold in bootlegging. Money and notoriety became the building blocks of her new reality. By 1921, she dominated Omaha’s illegal liquor game but was constantly arrested and fined. Fed up with it all, she called a press conference at her home in Little Italy, declaring to a crowd of rapt reporters that she was done with her criminal career. Now that she was twenty-two, it was time to “retire” and raise her young sons peacefully. Spurred on by her enchanted audience, Louise crowed about the tens of thousands of dollars she had earned from her crimes. And while her bragging exposed Louise’s abundant ego, it also underscored a severe lack of legal counsel. Once the articles from the presser hit newsstands, she was immediately arrested on suspicion of income tax evasion. But once in court, she pled poverty. All the money was gone, she said. Giving it her best Meryl Streep, Louise tearfully recounted how she’d spent all the money trying to build a new, respectable life for her darling sons. Now, the family mythology of this melodrama climaxes with the tearfully sympathetic judge dismissing all charges. But whether this family version of the saga has been embellished or not, the newspapers don't lie. Reports published in The Omaha Bee the following day described Louise’s exit from the courtroom as "a free woman bedecked in a mink coat and multiple strands of pearls.”
Upon learning this story, I realized where I’d inherited my penchant for drama. And while I feel comfortable saying that I am proud to have given some convincing performances in my time, none were as career-defining as this Oscar-worthy turn from Louise. I admit that I am awed. How did she pull it off? She shed a few crocodile tears and transformed from a tax evader to a bastion of motherhood. Turning public perception on a dime, from criminal to saint in a single day, was Louise’s modus operandi. With this feat of prestidigitation, Louise bent fate to her will through sheer audacity.
I struggle to feel in control of my own fate every time I wait to hear if I’ve gotten a role or if a studio wants to take a meeting. But Louise created her destiny rather than waiting for it to be revealed. And that is a useful skill to possess. Delving deeper into Aunt Louise’s life and exploits, I began to see her as an anti-hero. I came to think of her as possessing a toxic superpower: a mix
of unrelenting ambition, quick wit, brashness, and an elastic relationship with the truth. This was this alchemy that helped her redefine her reality. Louise didn’t care about being good, and that was “good enough.”
And it was her unique definition of being good that once saved her life. Later in Louise’s “reign,” her ex-husband snuck into her house and fired five bullets into her pillow as she lay there sleeping. Not much of a marks man, he missed all five shots, and Louise survived. Grabbing her gun from her nightstand, she chased him down the street in her marabou slippers, feathers and bullets flying. Besides the obvious takeaway — that marabou slippers need to make a comeback — Louise, once again, came out a winner. Defying vilification, the press feted her as a hero rather than brand her a vigilante. And once more, Louise’s ghost compelled me to confront an uncomfortable truth, not about stand-your-ground law, but rather about the power of fighting back. She didn't care what the world would say about her, she simply refused to take it lying down. Literally.
The most impactful case of her defiant nature is when she broke a cycle of sexual abuse within our family. Louise knew that her close cousin had been molested as a young girl. She held her secret throughout their childhood. Years later, Louise overheard her cousin’s rapist, an uncle to her through marriage, drunkenly brag to a room full of people about the assault. Louise approached him, only to be met with death threats. Undeterred, Louise went directly to her cousin. Together, they checked in on the cousin’s younger sisters still living in the rapist’s home. Sadly, they found out that he had since begun to abuse them. Determined to end it, Louise and her cousin confronted the man. Knowing his violent nature, Louise had brought along a gun. When things escalated quickly, Louise’s cousin shot and killed him. Fully aware that she was the sole witness to murder, Louise took control once again. This time, by disappearing. When she was nowhere to be found and unavailable to testify, the jury had no choice but to acquit Louise’s cousin of all charges. Several weeks after the acquittal, lo and behold, Louise reappeared in Omaha, just as quickly as she had gone.
I have chewed on these stories for over a decade, trying to extract the larger wisdom. In my understanding of the world, you play by the rules to get ahead. But ostensibly, Louise’s “bad girl” exploits gave her more control over her life with every sordid event. So, where does that inconvenient truth leave a “good girl” like me?
Honestly? It leaves me uncomfortable.
Louise’s legacy is one of practical, albeit unpalatable, truths. And while I reject the aspects of her legacy that would point me to lying or cheating to achieve that level of control over my life, I do embrace the larger lesson she’s taught me. I see now that her greatest gift was not her bootlegging prowess, peacocking ego, or brash fearlessness. Her truest talent was in understanding that perception is inextricable from reality. Things are as we perceive them because truth is subjective. And that truth correlates directly to our experience of reality.
Criminal empire notwithstanding, I’ve embraced Louise’s legacy. Despite her moral ambiguity, she was a force of fearless self-determination, and I deeply admire her for that. I have followed all the rules of an industry that dictates who to be, what to do, and how to behave if you want to succeed, and I have felt myself shrink with every acquiescence. But Louise’s extraordinary life illuminates a truth of my own that I had not seen clearly. Those walls I feel closing in are of my own making. I am not obligated to perceive the business and my place within it by someone else’s rules.
My truth is by my definition. Just as Louise’s was by hers.
And should I doubt my fortitude to live boldly within this new philosophy, I’ll remind myself that I can do it, too. Because, after all, the same blood runs through our veins.
passport? No problem. Omaha has everything you need for a staycation, packed with hidden gems and adventures—if you know where to find them. This six-stop itinerary will take you off the beaten path and show you a side of the city you’ve never seen, no plane ticket required.
Stay – Sleep with Sharks at Henry Doorly Zoo
3701 S. 10th St., Omaha, NE 68107 | omahazoo.com
Drift off to sleep with sharks, stingrays, and sea turtles gliding overhead at Henry Doorly Zoo’s Sleeping Bag Safari. After the zoo closes, guests get exclusive nighttime tours, behind-the-scenes animal encounters, and a private sleepover inside the aquarium. In the morning, enjoy breakfast and a full day of zoo exploration. Want something extra wild? The zoo also offers a 21+ Safari Campout, complete with dinner, drinks, and glamping under the stars.
Eat – Lalibela Ethiopian Restaurant
4422 Cass St., Omaha, NE 68131 | lalibela-ethiopian-restaurant.restaurants-world.com
Food is one of the best ways to experience another culture, and Lalibela Ethiopian Restaurant takes you on a trip to East Africa. Named after the rock-hewn churches of Ethiopia, this family-run spot is Omaha’s only Ethiopian eatery. Meals arrive on an injeralined platter, a spongy sourdough flatbread made from teff flour. No forks here—tear off pieces of injera and scoop up spice-packed stews like doro wot (spicy chicken with berbere) or key wot (slow-cooked beef in a rich red sauce). The experience is hands-on, communal, and something most locals have never tried before.
Play – TreeRush Adventures at Fontenelle Forest
1111 Bellevue Blvd. North, Bellevue, NE 68005 | treerush.com
Soar through the trees, conquer the course, and walk away with bragging rights. TreeRush Adventures at Fontenelle Forest is the ultimate treetop playground, featuring rope bridges, swinging logs, and zip-lines soaring up to 55 feet in the air. The course is set among 1,400 acres of old-growth forest, giving you a bird’s-eye view of Omaha’s natural beauty. Six color-coded trails range from easy to expert. Kids as young as 4 can join the fun in the KidRush Adventure Park, making it a great outing for the whole family.
Explore – The Old Market Passageway 417 S. 11th St., Omaha, NE 68102 | oldmarket.com
Hidden in plain sight, The Old Market Passageway is a charming brick alley lined with string lights, archways, and greenery. Once part of a historic warehouse, it’s now home to quirky boutiques, galleries, and Trini’s Mexican restaurant. Called “one of the most photographed spots in Omaha,” it’s a popular location for engagement photos and Instagram-worthy moments. As the perfect place to wander or grab a drink, the Passageway feels more like something out of a European city than a Midwestern metro.
Experience – Hot Shops Art Center (Glassblowing Class)
1301 Nicholas St., Omaha, NE 68102 | hotshopsartcenter.com
Forget store-bought souvenirs—why not make your own? Hot Shops Art Center is a creativity center, home to glassblowers, blacksmiths, ceramic artists, and sculptors. You can even try glassblowing yourself or craft a one-of-a-kind ornament or paperweight. Under expert guidance, you’ll shape molten glass with fire and tools, no experience needed. The warehouse-turned-art-hub’s 50-plus artist studios also offer workshops in pottery, painting, and metalworking.
Unwind – True REST Float Spa
2522 S. 171st Court, Omaha, NE 68130 | truerest.com/locations/omaha
After all that action, it’s time to unwind in the most unique way possible: floating in total silence. At True REST Float Spa, you’ll step into a futuristic pod filled with 10 inches of water saturated with 1,000 pounds of Epsom salt, making you effortlessly float like you’re in the Dead Sea. If the idea of total silence sounds intimidating, you can opt for soft music or colored light therapy. Float therapy is used by everyone from pro athletes to mindfulness enthusiasts, but even first-timers will find it’s an incredible way to reset—just an hour in the pod feels like a full night’s sleep.
Story by Sara Locke | Photography by Sarah Lemke Design by Rachel Birdsall & Renee Ludwick
Coneflower Creamery
@ConeflowerCreamery
3921 Farnam St.
1241 Millwork Ave.
Owners Brian Langbehn and Katie Arant Chapman have never been discreet about their passion for partnering with local businesses to source the freshest, most sustainable, most delicious ingredients available. Combining their wealth of culinary knowledge with unique, hyper-local ingredients, the duo keeps Omaha enthralled with flavors that change seasonally, and always support area growers and entrepreneurs like Burbach Dairy, Archetype Coffee, Farmer John, Scriptown Brewery, and Swallows Nest Farm.
eCreamery
@eCreamery and @eCreameryDundee
5001 Underwood Ave. Headquarters located at 13630 Industrial Road in Omaha
eCreamery is your average ice cream shop in that they do, in fact, make and sell ice cream. But that’s about where the comparison stops. In fact, many of their customers never even walk through the door. eCreamery has made a national name for themselves not only by serving a delicious scoop, but by offering a unique, bespoke gift you can pick up today or have shipped anywhere in the country.
Simply choose from any of eCreamery’s gourmet flavors, then select an image and wording for your unique label. You can get creative, send a pint to every member of your child’s soccer team, create a custom name or mashup and send a subscription to your favorite newlyweds, or create a get-well soon package that will have an under-theweather friend feeling seen and cared for. After that, eCreamery sends your gift packing, delivered frozen, guaranteed.
Mixins Ice Cream
@Mixinsicecream 1405 Jackson St.
If you’re looking for the scoop on rolled ice cream, Mixins downtown is the place to be. The Omaha addition to the franchise brings the established brand’s signature work ethic to each dish, with a complimentary side of Nebraska Nice to make the treat even more sweet.
Ted and Wally’s
@TedAndWallys
1120 Jackson St.
6023 Maple St.
The family-owned establishment has been an Omaha icon for more than 40 years, and it’s not just for the nostalgia. Ted and Wally’s has a signature base made of 20% butterfat, which produces a rich, creamy foundation for all of their locally sourced add-ins. Partnering with area farmers and artisans ensures that not only is this delicious dish an ethical option, but it’s also the freshest thing you can stick a spoon into. The antique 100-year-old White Mountain freezers pack a little of Omaha’s history into each bite.
Zesto Ice Cream and Grill
@Zesto_Omaha
7130 N. 102nd Circle
8608 N. 30th St.
For more than 70 years, the name Zesto has been an Omaha tradition beloved by locals and visitors alike. During events like the College World Series and Berkshire Hathaway Shareholder weekend, Zesto welcomes hundreds of thousands of pilgrims looking for a piece of nostalgia.
Even after the CWS left Rosenblatt Stadium in 2011, moving those crowds downtown to Charles Schwab Field and far from the small shop that then housed the ubiquitous Omaha eatery, people still found themselves flocking in droves to the old stomping grounds for one more sweet treat. Eventually, a window was designated within the stadium, anchored by Blatt Beer and Table, which is open year round.
While Zesto serves a full sweet and savory menu that covers all the bases from Philly Cheesesteaks to Strawberry Slushies, it’s still the simple soft serve that keep fans patiently patronizing the often long but efficiently tended-to lines.
Helados Locos
@HeladosLocosOmaha
17330 West Center Road
Javier Trujillo Villa may be locally famous for his birria at Javi’s Tacos, but Helados Locos is nobody’s afterthought. The ice cream may be crazy, but it’s crazy delicious, with sides and toppings your inner child has only dreamed of.
Shakes are served with flavors that range from bright and fresh, like strawberries and pineapple, to rich and wild, like Twinkies with condensed milk. Light options, like a fresh fruit parfait served on house yogurt, contrast against much more decadent treats like the churro flight, served warm with your choice of three ice creams.
Graley’s Creamery and Confections
@Graleys.creamery
147 N. Washington St. in Papillion
The perfect way to punctuate a hot summer day at Papio Bay, or a balmy evening walk through Halleck Park, Graley’s is downtown Papillion’s sweetest spot. The retro vibes of this old-fashioned soda fountain take you back to the days of high ponytails and sock hops.
Carry out a pint of all-natural homemade ice cream or sit and savor the moment with an ice cream soda or flight. The menu subtly shifts by season and includes fresh favorites like black raspberry, cinnamon, and pistachio crunch, as well as non-dairy options like the blood orange sorbet.
Tasty
Bites
Freezing Thai Rolled Ice Cream
1918 S. 67th St.
While “made fresh daily” is a compelling selling point for ice cream, that just isn’t fresh enough for Freezing Thai. Rather, the jovial staff gingerly hand-mixes your order on an ice tray right in front of your very eyes.
Build your own dish from ingredients like matcha, cotton candy, and taro, or select a premade dish like the Monster Ink (chocolate chip cookie dough) or the Sweet Heart (Oreo and Chocolate). You can make a meal of it by ordering a poke bowl or fried chicken and boba tea, or grab your ice cream and enjoy the sights and sounds of Aksarben Village.
No matter how you beat the heat this summer, Omaha has the ice cream that will have your inner child screaming for more.
DINING FEATURE | STORY BY
BY
Foxy Sushi Revolutionizes Fast Food with Drive-Thru Sushi Experience
JACIE LEIBFRIED PHOTOGRAPHY
SARAH LEMKE | DESIGN BY RENEE LUDWICK
Sushi in a
Poised within the shops and attractions of Village Pointe sits Foxy Sushi. While this restaurant is serving up sushi rolls within its main dining room, it also offers a unique alternative: a drive-thru.
Th is facet is virtually unheard of in relation to sushi because of the association that drivethru foods are not healthy or high-quality. In addition, the expectation surrounding sushi is that it is slow-service and high-cost. Foxy Sushi is attempting to change those narratives.
In the middle of the COVID-19 pandemic, chef Tom Buder got together with businessmen and friends Shawn Kolterman and Kevin Young. Kolterman, vice president at Kehm Contractors, and Young, president at K & K Masonry, are now co-owners of the restaurant, while Buder is the head chef. The three men saw that restaurants that were able to survive and even thrive during the pandemic were ones that could adapt to carry-out and drivethru-only dining models.
Tom Buder began his sushi career in Omaha in 1998 at Sushi Ichiban, which has since closed its doors, and was a founder of popular Old Market restaurant Blue Sushi. He exited Blue Sushi just over four years ago to pursue the idea of Foxy Sushi.
“I’ve always tried to come up with an idea to make sushi more easy-access to people. If they really, truly love sushi, they should be able to eat it more often, instead of just birthdays or special gatherings,” Buder said.
Kolterman also explained his roots for the idea. While visiting his brother, who moved to Japan, the two witnessed a man hop out of his van at the beach and pull three trays of sushi out of what they thought were pizza
delivery bags. “I turned to Derek and said, ‘we need to do something like that, where we can make sushi more affordable, more part of everyday dining,’ and it just dovetailed right into what Tom was talking about,” Kolterman said.
How is it possible to make sushi to order in a timely enough manner for a drive-thru without sacrificing the quality of the meal? There are three main factors at play.
The fi rst is the size of Foxy Sushi’s menu. The menu features just three appetizers, five sides, and twelve sushi rolls. It is much faster for diners to decide what they would like to eat and for the kitchen to process that order. “If you couldn’t do it fast, it isn’t on the menu,” Buder explained.
The second factor is that their rolls are not intensely complicated. Th is simplicity ensures that the kitchen staff have the recipes down to a T and can swiftly assemble each dish. Their cocktails and other beverages are also not overly complicated so that they, too, can be easily distributed through the drive-thru and enjoyed at home.
The third factor is that Foxy is not trying to “do it all” in the same way other restaurants are. The presentation of the food and restaurant are in no way sloppy or unprofessional, but preserve the fast-casual vibe that the three men originally sought to bring to the sushi world.
Buder explained that all of these factors mean Foxy Sushi can purchase the same quality of rice, fish, and other ingredients from the same suppliers as sushi restaurants that come with a much higher price tag.
“A fox is faster than a rabbit, for example, so speed is what the fox represents. And traditionally, the fox is the guardian of all the Zen temples.” — Tom Buder
Another way Foxy Sushi has been able to keep its prices low has been to incorporate elements seen in other sushi restaurants in a cost-effective way. “A rule of thumb in the construction industry is that one-third of the cost of a project is your materials, and twothirds is your labor. Imagine the amount of time and training that goes into Tom learning the art of sushi, and the fancy sushi knives and such. We’ve been able to purchase some appliances that help us control that time cost by doing things faster,” Kolterman explained. Additionally, instead of large statues and fi sh tanks that take a lot of money to purchase and maintain, which then falls onto customers’ bills, photography taken on a snorkeling adventure by Young is on display. Th is acts as a pseudo-aquarium so guests can still enjoy an oceanic ambience they are familiar with at other places.
Guests are welcome to Foxy’s dining room or patio space in addition to the drive-thru. The patio is actually larger than the main dining area inside, featuring eight tables in addition to the six indoors. “I think a lot of restaurants will try to cram you in like sardines, because at the end of the day, it’s a numbers game for them,” Kolterman said. He estimates, though, that about seventy percent of the traffic is in the drive-thru, giving them the flexibility to space out their interior elements and making it more comfortable for diners.
The entirely glass storefront gives the restaurant plenty of natural lighting in combination with the paper lamps hanging above each table. A smiling cat figurine greets customers who come into the dining room, often said to bring good luck within Japanese culture. The shiny black tiling on the wall behind the counter highlights the menu overhead, so customers can get the same speed of service as their drive-thru counterparts while enjoying the dining area.
With help from artist Christine Steele of Christine Jean Studios, the team set out to create a mural that stretches across the entirety of the dining room. Spanning from a large wave reminiscent of Katsishika Hokusai’s “Under the Wave off Kanugawa” to their mascot serving up a plate of sushi with Japanese characters spelling out “Foxy Sushi” down the side, the mural features aspects of Japan’s geography that are meant to evoke an authentic dining experience while keeping the feeling of a casual, relaxed meal. “If you do a Japanese restaurant, you have a very traditional Japan, like with temples. You also have cities like Tokyo, very modern, and you have manga, which is the comic book cuteness of Japan. We wanted to play off that,” Buder said.
The group wanted its logo to be family-friendly, something that especially drew in people trying sushi for the fi rst time. The choice of the fox as the logo was an important and involved one for the founding trio. Beyond the mascot being cute, Buder further explained that “a fox is faster than a rabbit,
for example, so speed is what the fox represents. And traditionally, the fox is the guardian of all the Z en temples.”
The adorable fox mascot is featured in many spots throughout the restaurant, and the perfect photo opportunity comes in the form of a fox tail, painted by Buder himself, that guests can stand next to and pretend is their own. “A lot of places do angel wings or butterfly wings, so we thought we’d put a fox tail up there. Th at space worked really well and we’ve had a lot of people post that,” he said.
Kolterman expressed his hope for more Foxy Sushi locations and has lots of ideas for how to make the drive-thru an even more prominent physical presence of the restaurant. As it stands, the drive-thru is placed in a prime spot on the visible side of the building, but does not carry as many of the culturally tied features that the interior does. “We’ve talked about incorporating the shrine structure into the drivethru in the future, like having a shrine-shaped awning over the window as protection if it is raining or snowing. We have a lot of different ideas about how we would incorporate more elements of that or maybe the fox’s ears into a future design,” Kolterman said.
Foxy Sushi ties speed and health together with its innovative drive-thru, giving health-conscious diners a muchneeded option for a fast a nd frequent dining e xperience.
TOM BUDER, HEAD CHEF OF FOXY SUSHI
From L to R Scott Strain, Bobby Kros
ince its doors opened in 2017, Kros Strain Brewing Company has emerged as a star in Omaha’s growing craft beer landscape. Owners Bobby Kros and Scott Strain have steadily fermented Kros Strain’s brand by consistently producing a wide range of award-winning brews. Their relentless dedication to innovation has solidified Kros Strain’s position as a local Oma ha favorite.
Kros Strain has racked up a massive catalogue of awards since their launch; their website lists 29 awards garnered by their various brews, as well as a nearly perfect rating (98/100) from Craft Beer and Brewing Magazine for their Fairy Nectar DDH. One honor they are particularly proud of is their medal in the Juicy/Hazy IPA category awarded at the prestigious Great American Beer Festival in a category that had 391 entries that year. And, while they have a stable of champion brews, they are far more concerned with the process than the competition. Strain explained, “Of course we like winning, but we never brew beers for competition. We kind of just pull from whatever we are working on that fits the competitions at the time.”
Then, there’s their flagship beer: Fairy Nectar. Th is IPA has become an Omaha modern classic, described by the editors at Craft Beer and Brewing Magazine as, “zippy and light, with a dialed-back intensity…(and) the sip is easy—moderately sweet, to pull out fruit character without weighing it down.” The way the notes of grapefruit and mango dance on top of the hops has enchanted patrons of the Omaha bar scene.
“Seeing Fairy Nectar at every bar you go to is pretty cool,” Strain explained. “We never knew that an IPA would be our flagship beer, so it’s pretty cool to have an IPA be our fl agship beer and have it pretty much everywhere. Th at’s pretty c ool to see.”
One of the most interesting things about their biggest seller is how it hasn’t stopped evolving. “Over the past seven years, that beer has changed significantly from where it started,” Strain said. “But we’ve done it very slowly, and it’s kind of just evolved with our own taste preferences, which have happened to work out with everybody else’s. I would say we are not married to anything. We have recipes, but there’s new hops, new equipment comes out, and we kind of play around with it all and see what works.”
The bravery to keep experimenting even with their successes has resulted in range as well as depth. Their repertoire is immense: currently, there are around 30 diff erent types of beer on tap at each of their two locations, off ering something for every palate. From Cornhead Lager to Swing Low—a Flandersstyle sour—a patron would be hard-pressed to not fi nd something interesting to try. Where do all these successful ales, saisons, barleywines, and pilsners come from? Kros attributes this spirit of creativity to their humble beginnings.
“I think it’s our background,” Kros explained, who has a background in mechanical engineering. He and Strain have had similar brewing temperaments from the start. “He (Strain)
was a Belgian brewer, and when I started, I never brewed the same thing twice. We just get excited about something and want to try it out. We go to styles that we love, and we learn as much as we can, and we go from there.”
As for their home base, the duo loves operating in Omaha and has two taprooms, one in LaVista and one in the historic Ashton building in the Millwork Commons.
“I think (Omaha) is great, especially with our two taprooms open,” Strain said. “It’s also nice that Omaha is not so dense with breweries. We have good brewery representation here, but because of how big Omaha is, we have a little more freedom to experiment and differentiate. In larger markets, in order to stand out, you kind of have to focus on one style and master that. You’re the lager brewery or the Belgian Ale brewery. Here,we have the ability to do a wide style of beers, and put them all on tap, and play with them. So we do.”
Still, after all this success, under every glass is the heart of a humble American local business. For example, employee Nancy Smith has worked for Kros Strain for a year-and a-half, but was laid off from her full-time job last year. Strain and Kros didn’t hesitate. “They pretty much immediately made room for me to go full-time here,” Smith said. “It’s like a big family here. Everybody’s fabulous.”
For more information, visit krosstrainbrewing.com.
Lacey
INSIDE KROS STRAIN BREWERY’S SUCCESS
CHEF PROFILE || Story by Je
|| Photography by Sarah Lemke || Design by Joey Winton
Honolulu Plate
ometimes you just need a change up—something to get you out of a rut. Th at’s true in sports when a pitcher throws an off-speed pitch when a fastball is expected, or when running a draw play on third and long.
It’s also true when it comes to picking a place to grab a bite to eat. If you have been searching for that change up to your dining out, I suggest Hawaiian Bros Island Grill in Gretna.
The “plate lunch”-inspired restaurant has locations in nine states, opening in Nebraska in the spring of 2024. The concept is based on a culinary tradition born on the plantations of Hawaii. It’s simply a plate with white, sushi-style rice, macaroni salad and a protein of your choice in large, small, or classic size. Mostly chicken rules the menu roost at Hawaiian Bros except when it comes to the Luau Pig featuring roasted Kalua Pork seasoned with Hawaiian sea salt. Justin Coogan, the director of operations for the Hodges Franchise Group, says the pork is smoked overnight for 15 hours with the seasoned salt rub, and this effort does not go unnoticed.
The Luau plate is served with a pineapple-infused BBQ sauce packet of which I asked for a second because the taste worked so well with the pork. Roasted pork can sometimes be a little dry or even bland for me, but Hawaiian Bros does it right. It was juicy, with a nice smoky fl avor, and the BBQ sauce topped it off perfectly. We ordered the classic size and when mixing the meat with the rice, it was a good-sized meal. Th is was my favorite of the four dishes we ordered.
None of us were particularly fond of the macaroni salad. It’s fi ne for a couple of bites, but it doesn’t have much fl avor, and unlike what it says on the menu, it did not keep us coming back for more.
It was a different story with the Huli Huli chicken, the restaurant’s signature dish. The chunks of sliced grilled chicken are served with a sort of sweet teriyaki sauce that everyone at the table enjoyed. Again, I suggest a second packet of teriyaki sauce to go over the chicken and the rice, too. Th is dish goes back to the origins of the restaurant, when two brothers, Cameron and Tyler McNie, helped operate a family eatery in Eugene, Oregon that had a native Hawaiian as its chef. Eventually, they teamed up to open the fi rst Hawaiian Bros location in Belton, Missou ri, in 2017.
One of the most unique things about the concept is everything is made fresh. Except for the ice cream, of course, nothing is frozen.
If you are looking for a little more spice in your plate lunch, the Molokai and the Kilauea are your best bets. Those two grilled dishes come with a little more heat that hits you after the second bite. The only difference is that the Kilauea has more of a sweet fl avor with the e xtra spice.
Everything else is the same with those two plates, but it’s the Honolulu that off ers the biggest change up among the chicken dishes. Unlike the others, the Honolulu comes with garlic, green onions and sesame. Th is is the one that reminded me the most of the plate lunches you get from the food trucks when visiting Hawaii. Justin says the Honolulu option has been the most popular at the Gretna location when it comes to the chicken dishes.
As for sides, we tried the Spam Musubi, which is grilled spam over rice held together with seaweed. You can get slightly better versions of this at other places in the metro but for the price of $3.50 each, it was worth it. I would suggest saving the stomach space for the side of pineapple and/or the Dole soft serve ice cream.
The soft serve comes in pineapple, raspberry or a swirl of the two flavors. It’s a huge serving big enough for two and the two fl avors complement each other. It’s elevated by putting some of the fresh pineapple into the dish.
Justin says they will replace the raspberry with lime in the near future.
Speaking of the near future, the next Omaha location will be at 114th and Dodge in the old Boston Market spot. In total, the Hodges Franchise Group plans to have five locations in Omaha and Lincoln.
The original location is in Gretna, just off 1-80 and Hwy 370, and is open Sunday through Thursday from 11 a.m. to 11 p.m. and Friday and Saturday from 11 a.m. to midnight.
Despite not having a large menu, Hawaiian Bros has a good enough variety to please the whole family and provide you with a nice change up.
HAWAIIAN BROS ISLAND GRILL 16171 STEVENS POINTE CIR. GRETNA, NE 68028
FOOD SERVICE
AMBIANCE
OVERALL
5 STARS POSSIBLE
Luau Pig
Huli Huli Chicken with Rice
Pineapple Soft Serve IceCream
Spam Musu b i
DINING GUIDE Omaha
CHARLESTON’S - $$$
144th and Dodge streets - 402.651.0689
76th and Dodge streets - 402.991.0055
Charleston’s is a casual, upbeat restaurant with a menu filled with dishes prepared from scratch daily. We focus on providing our guests with excellent prices and selecting the highest quality ingredients. Whether you are new to Charleston’s or a long-standing guest, we look forward to seei ng you soon!
charlestons.c om/locations
D J’S DUGOUT SP ORTS BAR - $
Seven Metro Are a Locations:
Bellevue - 10308 S. 23rd St. - 402.292.9096
Miracle Hills - 777 N. 114th St. - 402.498.8855
Downtown - 1003 Capitol Ave. - 402.763.9974
Aksarben - 2102 S. 67th St. - 402.933.3533
Millard - 17666 Welch Plaza - 402.933.8844
Elkhorn - 19020 Evans St. - 402.315.1985
Plattsmouth - 2405 Oak Hill Rd. - 402.298.4166
Voted Omaha’s #1 Sports Bar, DJ’s Dugout is locally and Vietnam Veteran owned. DJ’s Dugout features delicious burgers, wings, wraps, salads, sandwiches and an impressive drink menu. Plus, DJ’s has huge media walls full of HD TVs and projector screens. Catch all the action at DJ’s seven Omaha-area locations. Dig In... At The Dugout! —djsdugout.com
JAMS MODERN AMERICAN- $$
7814 Dodge St. - 402.399.8300 1101 Harney St. in the OldMarket - 402.614.9333
An Omaha staple, our restaurant blends modern American cuisine, craft cocktails, and local beers with elevated service and creates seamless dining, event, and catering experiences. Celebrate life’s moments while embracing the traditions that make us special—where unforgettable meals and memories come together. —jamseats.com
LE PEEP - $
69th & Pacific - 402.933.2776
177th and Center St. - 402.934.9914
156th St. & W. Dodge Rd. - 402.408.1728 120th and Blondo St. - 402.991.8222
Le Peep puts a wholesome perspective on your favorite neighborhood breakfast and lunch spot. Fresh. Simple. Elegant. Inviting. We put the emphasis on people, both patrons and staff. We focus on providing each of our guests the fresh food and friendly service that they have come to expect. Open daily 6:30 a.m.-2 p.m. —lepeepomaha.co m
“Serving
World Famous Hamburgers Since 1936”
106 GALVIN RD., BELLEVUE, NE 402-291-6088
OPEN MONDAY - SATURDAY 11 AM - 9 PM
rotellasbakery.com
LISA’S RADIAL CAFE - $ 817 N. 40th St. - 402-551-2176
American. Cafe. Diner. Vegetarian-friendly. Gluten-free options. This old-school diner serves hearty portions of American comfort classics for breakfast and lunch. Family-owned and operated. This business is a must if you’re in the area. People rave about our chicken-fried steak, stuffed French toast, coffee, and friendly staff. Monday-Friday 6 a.m.-2 p.m., Saturday and Sunday 7 a.m.-2 p.m
PACIFIC EATING HOUSE - $$ 1130 Sterling Ridge Dr. - 531.999.3777
We have developed our menu inspired by all that touches the Pacific Ocean. Starting with fresh fish flown from Honolulu, locally sourced steaks and natural chicken with an Asian flare and pairing our dishes with tiki libations and Pacific coast wines. —pacificeatinghouse.com
PINE & BLACK BISTRO - $$ 248 Olson Dr., Papillion - 531.999.3777
We opened in March of 2023 to bring a family owned bistro to the community, serving local steaks and fresh seafood. We offer a wide variety of Pacific Northwest wines, local beers, and craft cocktails. Pinot Noir translates to Pine & Black, our name originates from our love of wine.
—pineandblackbistro.com
SAND POINT - $$$
655 North 114th Street, Omaha - 531-466-1008
Sand Point ‘New England Fare’ brings their favorite and unique dishes from New England to the Omaha food community. Freshest seafood, from seared crab cakes, lobster arancini, whole belly clams, New England clam chowder, lobster bisque to charcuterie boards and Angus beef tips and steak burgers, to be topped off with Boston cream pie, blueberry pie or Lemon canna cotta. Full bar to include, specialty cocktails, extensive wine lists, as well as beer and non-alcoholic drinks.
–sandpointomaha.com
SMITTY'S GARAGE - $
7610 Dodge St. - 402-614-4949
Tasty burgers, ice-cold beer, fresh-cut fries, scrumptious tacos, mouthwatering appetizers and more. What else could you want? Besides the delicious food, each location also offers a full bar with an extensive craft beer list and a one-of-a-kind environment with arcade games and plenty of TV’s. Download our new rewards app, Smitty’s Garage, in the app store to start earnin g free grub! eatatt hegarage.com
Since 1936, we’ve been making our world-famous Stella’s hamburgers the same way. The family secrets have been handed down to each owner, ensuring that your burger is the same as the one you fell in love with the first time you tried Stella’s. And if it’s your first time, we know you’ll be back! Monday-Saturday 11 a.m.-9 p.m., closed Sunday. —stellasbarandgrill.com
T ED AND WALLY’S - $ 1120 Jackson St. - 402.341.5827
Come experience the true taste of homemade ice cream in the Old Market. Since 1986, we’ve created gourmet ice cream flavors in small batches using rock salt and ice. We offer your favorites, plus unique flavors like margarita, green tea, Guinness, and French toast. Special orders available. Mon.-Thurs. 11 a.m.-10 p.m., Fri.- Sat. 11 a.m.-11 p.m., Sunday. Noon-10 p.m. —tedandwallys.com
VARSITY SPORTS CAFE - $$
Ralston - 9735 Q St. - 402.339.1944
Bellevue - 3504 Samson Way - 402.932.1944
Millard - 14529 F St. - 402.505.6660
Ralston, Bellevue and Millard. We are truly grateful to have been welcomed into each of these communities and welcome you in for good food, a cold drink and a comfy seat to enjoy the sport of your choosing! Determined to bring only the freshest ingredients, homemade dough and our specialty sauces to the table, we have worked hard to perfect our craft for you. Our goal is to bring the best food service to the area and show the best sports events that you want to see. Pick up and Delivery availalble. Please check website for hours of operation. —varsityromancoinpizza.com
ITALIAN
LA CASA PIZZARIA - $$ 45th and Leavenworth St. - 402.556.6464
La Casa Pizzaria has been serving Omaha its legendary Neapolitan-style pizza and pasta for 60 years. We offer dine-in, carry-out, party facilities, catering, and now pizza shipments to the 48 contiguous states. Open Tuesday-Saturday at 11 a.m. and Sunday at 4:30 p.m. —lacasapizzaria.ne
PASTA AMORE - $$
11027 Prairie Brook Rd. - 402.391.2585
Pastas are made fresh daily, including tortellini, fettuccine, and capellini. Daily specials and menu items include a variety of fresh seafood and regional Italian dishes, such as linguini amore and calamari steak, penne Florentine, gnocchi, spaghetti puttanesca, and osso buco. Filet mignon is also offered for those who appreciate nationally renowned Nebraska beef. To complement your dining experience, the restaurant offers a full bar and extensive wine list. Be sure to leave room for homemade desserts, like the tiramisu and cannoli. Monday-Thursday 9 p.m. and Friday-Saturday 10 p.m. Reservations recommended.
pa staamore.com
PITCH - $$
5021 Underwood Ave. - 402.590.2625
West: 17808 Burke Street. - 402.289.4096
An OpenTable’s Diners’ Choice for 2014 HotSpot Restaurant in America. Keeping up with the traditional way the first pizzas in Italy were made, our pizzas are cooked in a coal-fired oven. The menu also features seafood, hand-cut steak, housemade pastas, and burgers full of flavor. Our goal is to provide you with local, housemade, and imported ingredients. We offer a happy hour menu through the week. Our bar provides an array of in-house concoctions as well as your traditional libations. Our wine selection is wellthought-out and most impressive. You will enjoy Pitch. Monday & Tuesday 11 a.m.-9 p.m., Wednesday-Friday 11 a.m.-10 p.m., Saturday 10 a.m.-11 p.m., Sunday 10 a.m.-9 p.m. pitch pizzeria.com
S PEZIA - $$$
3125 S. 72nd St. - 402.391.2950
Choose Spezia for lunch or dinner, where you’ll find a casual elegance that’s perfect for business guests, get-togethers, or any special occasion. Exceptional food, wine, and service, with a delectable menu: fresh seafood, certified Angus steaks, innovative pasta, risotto, gnocchi, cioppino, lamb, entrée salads, Mediterranean chicken, flatbreads, and fresh salmon daily. Enjoy a full bar, Italian and California wines, Anniversary/Lovers’ Booth (call to reserve), private dining rooms, and wood-fired grill. Open Monday-Sunday. Cocktail hour 4-6 p.m., when all cocktails, glasses of wine, and beers are half price. Evening reservations recommended. —speziarestaurant.com
over four generations, a family-friendly atmosphere, and plates to satisfy cravings at every hour—with breakfast, lunch, and dinner menus offering a variety of Mexican staples—Primo’s Mexican Restaurant is proud to serve the people of Omaha and Council Bluffs no matter the occasion. —primosmodernmexican.com
CRESCENT MOON A LE HOUSE - $ 3578 Farnam St. - 402.345.1708
Founded in 1996, we’ve grown into Beer Corner USA with the additions of The Huber Haus German Beer Hall, Max and Joe’s Belgian Beer Tavern, and Beertopia Omaha’s Ultimate Beer Store. With more than 60 beers on tap and Omaha’s best Reuben sandwich, we are a Midtown beer-lover’s destination. Hours: Monday-Saturday 11 a.m.-2 a.m. Kitchen hours: Monday-Wednesday 11 a.m.-1 p.m., Thursday-Saturday 11 a.m.-midnight. Cl osed Sunday. —beercornerusa.com
GREEK ISLANDS - $ 3821 Center St. - 402.346.1528
Greek cuisine with specials every day at reasonable prices. We are wellknown for our gyro sandwiches and salads. We cater and can accommodate a party for 65 guests. Carry-out and delivery available. Monday-Thursday 11 a.m.-9 p.m., Friday-Saturday 11 a.m.-10 p.m., Sunday 11 a.m.-7 p.m. —greekislandsomaha.com
SAGE STUDENT BISTRO INSTITUTE FOR THE CULINARY ARTS - $
5730 N. 30th St.
Fort Omaha Campus, Building 22
At the Metropolitan Community College Sage Student Bistro, culinary and hospitality students learn hustle, fundamentals, community service and stewardship — all from scratch. Explore dishes from around the world during lunch, or celebrate the contributions of American culinary sages at dinner. For reservations, visit: —mccneb.edu/Bistro
ZEN COFFEE COMPANY - $
West - 132nd and Center
Downtown - 25th and Farnam
One Pacific Place - Drive Thru Kiosk next to Trader Joes
Zen features over 50 popular drink options including Butter Beer, Honey Bee, Lavender Lady and Sunshine Daydream. Choose from hot or iced lattes, blenders, fruit smoothies and teas! Grab a flight or double cup to try the seasonal features! Delicious pastries and toasts made in house daily. —zencoffeecompany.com
STEAKHOUSES
CASCIO’S - $$
1620 S. 10th St. - 402-345-8313
Cascio’s is Omaha’s No. 1 steakhouse. We have been serving Omaha for 69 years. We feature steaks, chops, seafood, and Italian specialties. We have seven private party rooms, seating for up to 400 people, and plenty of parking.
—casciossteakhouse.com
THE DROVE R RESTAURANT & LOUNGE - $$$
2121 S. 73rd St. - 402-391-7440
Famous for the original Whiskey Steak. Truly a one-of-a-kind Midwestern experience. Excellent food, wine, service, and value. Rare...and very well done.
LOUNGE: Monday-Friday Cocktails only 2 p.m.-5 p.m. —droverrestaurant.com
TWISTED CORK BISTRO - $$
10370 Pacific St. - 531.999.3777
We arrived in Nebraska from Washington intent on purchasing from farmers, ranchers & fishmongers who share our commitment for wholesome, sustainable fare. Our recipes use the Earth’s bounty the way it is intended ~ Wild and Natural ~ We compliment our dishes, pairing them with exquisite Pacific Northwest wines. –twistedcorkbistro.com
MAHOGANY PRIME
STEAKHOUSE - $$$$
225 N. 145th St. - 402.445.4380
In a town known for its great steaks, Mahogany stands above the rest. Conveniently located in the new Heartwood Preserve Center at 145th and Dodge, our Omaha location provides an intimate and classic fine dining atmosphere. Voted Best in Omaha.
The country music fan enjoys listening as much as he loves to play, and stays on a steady diet of Morgan Wallen and James Arthur.
“I love music,” Ashton said. “It’s one of the biggest parts of my life. Even before I played guitar, music has always made me feel better, no matter what else is going on. I play soccer and I want to go far with that. I have a good chance at going to college for it, but I would love for music and soccer to both be ‘it’ for me. But, before any game, you’ll find me with my headphones on listening to music, getting focused. Music makes everything so much better.”
His love of combining music and sports collided in fortuitous fashion after he played the national anthem for Union Omaha.
“Once he was comfortable playing in front of them, I was like, ‘OK. Let’s grow into even bigger things,’” Danielle said. “First, he played the national anthem for a Creighton soccer game, then volleyball, then the University of Nebraska’s volleyball game, then (a) basketball game. He’s on everyone’s list. They know to call Ashton to open their events.”
“I would love to play the national anthem at a Husker football game, that’s my goal right now.” Ashton said. “I just need to find the right person to email and ask about that one!” Danielle added, laughing. But there is little reason to believe the teen won’t have to remove that one from his bucket list. With his determination and talent, the limit doesn’t exist.
Story by Mike Whye // Photography by Sarah Lemke // Design by Joey Winton
GLENN POLLOCK
A Man Always in Motion, Yet Rooted in the Prairie
lenn Pollock, a man who’s not out standing in any field.
In the realm of understanding the prairie, few know as much as he does. As for Pollock, standing in a field just doesn’t happen often because he’s always in motion. He leads lecture hikes through prairies, organizes prescribed burns, shakes seeds from seed heads to repopulate the prairie wildflowers, uproots invasive brome grass, helps track songbirds from northern Canada to South America, and catalogs plants in 125 prairie cemeteries from Nebraska to Ohio. No, Pollock doesn’t stand still in a field.
Born 81 years ago, he grew up on a farm near Denison, Iowa. “We had chicken, pigs, cattle, and corn,” Pollock said. “I played in a river as a kid, trapped muskrats, mink, fox, skunk, and all sorts of things, and fished.”
After a stint in the army and running a television repair shop for a short time, he wound up living in Omaha near Immanuel Hospital and working as a biomedical engineering technician. Despite his turn to electronics as an adult, he never lost his love for the prairie.
Upon retiring, he volunteered for a while at Fontenelle Forest and began associating with organizations including the Audubon Society of Omaha, Sierra Club, and the Iowa Prairie Network, which he helped found in 1990. To put it mildly, his fi ngers are in the prairie in one way or another. “I’ve been doing this for 50 to 60 years, and I can’t keep track of all the stuff I’ve done,” Pollock said.
For 25 years, he tended a 9-acre native prairie owned by the Audubon Society on the north side of Omaha and convinced the society’s
Omaha chapter to buy an adjacent 10 acres of brome grass. He then cleared and restored that, partially with seeds of prairie plants he’d raised in his yard. “You can get only one-quarter of the plants of a native prairie to grow in a restored one,” he said. “It’s tough.”
One plant Pollock has mentioned when accompanied by visitors there is a downy gentian, a rare blue-violet perennial. “It’s found here only on the native portion of this land,” he expla ined.
“He’s nurtured that prairie all these years. We’re so fortunate that he’s there to take care of it,” said Anne Maguire, president of the society’s board. “Last year, the board decided to call it the Glenn Pollock Prairie while he’s still here. It was important to us that he know how much we appreciate him.”
In 2001, Pollock helped acquire 42 acres of remnant prairie on the south edge of Council Bluff s. Now named Vincent Prairie, the land has parking, a picnic shelter, and a foot trail that rambles across the Loess Hills and overlooks the Missouri River floodplain and Omaha. Part of the trail is paved for people with disabilities.
A few years ago, Pollock pitched in with teen volunteers to remove trees there. He also helped to arrange for goats to visit and nibble away plants not found in rea l prairies.
In 2022, Jerry Toll, who’s been banding birds since 2007 at Hitchcock Nature Center north of Council Bluff s, asked Pollock to help build a radio receiving station there as part of a program designed to note the routes flown by migrating songbirds and shore birds. Begun by Birds Canada in 2014, MOTUS, which
means “movement” in Latin, now has 2,074 tracking stations in 34 countries which follow more than 5,000 birds representing at least 400 species. “We’re the United Nations of bird nerds,” Pollock joked.
The birds monitored by MOTUS can’t be harnessed with anything weighing more than one-third of a gram. Each transmitter costs $225 and has a range of 6 to 9 miles. When a bird’s signal is detected, that station relays its information so its route can be displayed on MOTUS.org. A Franklin’s gull picked up by Hitchcock was found to have flown 2,516 miles to Colombia.
Since Pollock devised the six antennas on a tower on the north end of Hitchcock, he’s been involved with others at Niobrara State Park, Off utt Air Force Base and Henry Doorly Zoo, as well as near Onawa and Waubonsie State Park in Iowa. “I’ve gone from human telemetry to bird telemetry,” Pollock said with a laugh.
Hitchcock’s operations supervisor, Chad Graeve, said Pollock has been a mentor to him and others. “He’s an inspiration because he cares at his core about the natural world and he wants to help engage visitors with this place and the natural world beyond,” Graeve said.
Last year, the Iowa Natural Heritage Foundation presented Pollock with its Lawrence and Eula Hagie Heritage Award to honor the work he has done on behalf of the state’s natural resources. In short, it’s for a person who is outstanding in his field, although Glenn Pollock is always in motion.
explore.
LET’S PLAN A ROAD TRIP!
COMPILED BY
Jacie Leibfried
DAYTRIPS IN NEBRASKA, IOWA, KANSAS, MISSOURI, AND SOUTH DAKOTA
NEBRASKA
HUMANITY AT THE BRINK OF ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE May 2 at St. Benedict Center in Schuyler In the age of exponential technological growth, everyone has questions about what artificial intelligence is and how to use it, or whether to use it at all. Steven Fernandes, Ph.D. and George McHendry, Jr., Ph.D., will address the possibilities of AI and what the ethical implications are for the use of AI through a Christian lens. 402.352.2177 —christthekingpriory.com
CINDERELLA May 2-4, 9-11 at Lincoln Community Playhouse Originally starring Brandy, Whitney Houston, Whoopi Goldberg, and more, Rodgers and Hammerstein’s Cinderella brought a new dimension to the classic princess story. The movie musical is coming live to the Lincoln stage with just as much gusto as the original film cast. Come for a night of fairytale magic and entertainment. 402.489.7529 —lincolnplayhouse.com
LINCOLN AAPI HERITAGE CELEBRATION May 3 Heritage Celebration at Sandhills Global Event Center The month of May is AAPI Heritage Month. Join the Asian Community and Culture Center for a full day of family activities oriented towards learning and experiencing traditional food, games, and more from across the continent and the sea. 402.441.6545 —sandhillsglobaleventcenter.org
MUSEUM OF NEBRASKA ART GRAND REOPENING CELEBRATION May 3 at MONA in Kearney Similarly to the Joslyn here in Omaha, the MONA has undergone a large expansion and renovation process to better display the art that represents the Nebraskan spirit. This event will not only mark being able to see the art on display once again, but will be a fun day for the whole family with art-making activities and live entertainment. 308.865.8559 —mona.unk.edu/mona/
JIM WITTER “SING US A SONG” May 9 at Merryman Performing Arts Center in Kearney Billy Joel became a household name for good reason; hit after hit have continued to flow through radios and speakers since the 1972 Piano Man album. Jim Witter and his band will bring a classic live rendition of Joel’s music to entertain and inspire audiences. 308.698.8297 —merrymancenter.org
PSYCHOFEST May 9 at The Royal Grove Ten bands are coming together to perform all night on two stages. Featuring a special performance by Jiblets, Psychofest is also bringing local artists into the spotlight throughout the night. With lots of food, music, and art, don’t miss this night at the self-proclaimed ‘Las Vegas of Nebraska.’ 402.588.5688 —theroyalgrove.com
CHILDREN’S GROUNDWATER FESTIVAL May 13 at Central Community College in Grand Island Meant for teachers and their classrooms from 5th grade and above, this presentation will go above and beyond to explain water systems. These include aquifers, wildlife and water, wastewater, soil health, and more. The importance of water everywhere cannot be understated, so this is a great opportunity for kids to understand its uses and their impact on the water cycle. 308.395.8586 —cpnrd.org/education
A TASTE OF IRELAND May 15 at North Platte Community Playhouse Storytelling, singing, and dancing are all in store for this Irish experience. This off-Broadway production features not only the entertaining aspects of Irish culture such as dance, but also the history of Ireland. The production blends tradition and modernity to draw in audiences wherever they are. 308.532.8559 —northplattecommunityplayhouse.com
ARRIVAL FROM SWEDEN: THE MUSIC OF ABBAMay 22 at Lied Center for Performing Arts in Lincoln This tribute to ABBA has been performing since 1995, giving fans a taste of ABBA’s biggest hits and the songs true fans will know and love. Take a chance on this tour, which has received the green light before from members of ABBA to perform songs that had gone previously unreleased. 402.472.4747 —liedcenter.org
170 YEARS OF GAGE COUNTY THROUGH PHOTOGRAPHY EXHIBITION May 24-Sep. 27 at Gage County Historical Society and Museum in Beatrice Nebraskan history is richer than many suspect, and the Gage County Historical Society is committed to keeping the history and memories alive. This exhibit will feature their collection of old and new photography that has captured moments in time across the county. There will also be a photo raffle throughout opening day. 402.228.1679 —gagecountyhistory.org
IOWA
TULIP TIME May 1-3 at Historical Village in Pella Originally settled by the Dutch, Pella’s recall of their heritage comes in the beautiful form of tulip bulbs blooming. There will also be tours of one of the tallest working grain windmills in the country and displays of traditional craftsmanship. 641.628.4311 —pellahistorical.org
MAY FLEA MARKET May 3 and 4 at Iowa State Fairgrounds Join hundreds of others who love a good piece of decor and a good deal. From antiques to display in your home to statement jewelry for every occasion, this market will have everything you need and more. 515.250.5916 —iowastatefairgrounds.org
MAIFEST May 3 and 4 at Amana Colonies Celebrate spring in a traditional German fashion. Enjoy live music and food trucks throughout the weekend around the community. Complete with a Maipole, a parade, and the traditional dress of Lederhosen and Dirndl, this event promises the May flowers after the April showers. 319.622.7622 —amanacolonies.com
TOGETHER WE CAN CONFERENCE May 3 at William C. Knapp Varied Industries Conference Center This all-day event is focused on bringing education, support, and connection to children and young adults with disabilities, alongside their families and professional caregivers. There will be several large keynote speeches, as well as smaller breakout sessions and an exhibit on display. 515.243.1713 —iowastatefairgrounds.org
FLAMY GRANT: CAPITAL CITY PRIDE SPEAKER May 8 at Temple Theater Concluding their Pride Speaker Series with a bang, Temple Theater presents Flamy Grant. Grant is not only a drag queen, but also a singer. Much of her music centers around learning how to be oneself and about the journey of growing up both queer and Christian. Get ready for her to bring the house down! 515.246.2300 —desmoinesperformingarts.org
HOUBY DAYS FESTIVAL May 17 and 18 in Cedar Rapids Czech Heritage Foundation has committed itself to putting on the 47th annual festival celebrating Czech history and culture. The word for ‘mushroom’, ‘houby’ foraging is important to Czech background and a big part of the festival. Enjoy foraging and learning about the significant of ‘houby’ with the whole family. —czechvillagecedarrapids.com
BRICK FEST LIVE May 24 and 25 at Iowa Events Center With builds for all ages, this LEGO-themed event is meant to build the imagination brick by brick. Attendees will be able to not only see creativity take form, but also meet competitors from LEGO Measters TV show. 515.564.8000 —iowaeventscenter.com
MISSOURI
ANIMALS AGLOW Through May 11 at St. Louis Zoo Lanterns are coming to life in a new way in this exhibit, a partnership between St. Louis Zoo and Tianyu Arts and Culture, Inc. 60 lanterns in the shape of animals and plants soar high above guests, illuminated using LED lights. Zoo staff will be available to talk about the animals displayed and the animals that live right in our own backyards. Promote cultural and environmental awareness while wandering through the glowing display. 314.781.0900 —stlzoo.org
GHOST ARMY Through May 26 at Soldiers Memorial Military Museum The phrase “fake it ’til you make it” never meant life or death like this. This exhibit explores war tactics used by the Army’s 23rd Headquarters Special Troops. This unit was incredibly secretive, because their secret was that everything they did was fake. Radio calls, military personnel, and artillery were fabricated by this division in order to save lives during World War II. 314.818.6780 —mohistory.org
NATURE AT NIGHT THROUGH May 26 at Lost Canyon Cave and Nature Trail A private drive using a golf cart through the natural beauty of the Ozarks is being enhanced by light displays in an effort to raise environmental conservation awareness. Explore the trail that includes many waterfalls and a cave that have these LED animals on display as if they were part of the natural landscape already. 800.225.6345 —bigcedar.com
THE SCIENCE OF GUINNESS WORLD RECORDS Through May 31 at Union Station Kansas City
Explore how Guinness World Records are made around the world as people have pushed their bodies and minds to the limits to achieve great things. With all that learning, you might just be able to set a world record of your own someday. 816.460.2000 —unionstation.org
STEVE AOKI May 9 at KC Live! Never been caked in the face? Aoki’s show is the perfect spot to try it out, and the singer has been perfecting his cake aim for years. The EDM musician has won two Grammys, and began his own record label in 1996. His beats have only gotten better over the course of his 30+ year career, so the music and crowds are sure to be hyped up for this performance. 816.842.1045 —powerandlightdistrict.com
WWE BACKLASH May 10 at Enterprise Center
For his farewell tour, John Cena joins other wrestlers Rhea Ripley, Cody Rhodes, Bianca Belair, and more for a night that will have you on the ropes. Cena signed with WWE in 2001, so this tour is closing out 24 years of WWE history for him. With 28 winning titles under his belt(s), don’t miss his final wrestling showcase. 314.622.5400 —enterprisecenter.com
KANSAS CITY SYMPHONY CELEBRATION May 25 at Union State Kansas City This annual event in the largest Memorial Day celebration in the Midwest. Presented this year by Kansas City PBS and Bank of America, tents of vendors line the sidewalks while celebration-goers can spread out on the grass and listen to live music all day long. Drawing crowds of around 50,000 strong each year, this event will keep the celebration vibes high all day long. 816.460.2000 —unionstation.org
KANSAS
NIGHTTIME FOOD TRUCK FESTIVAL May 17 Evergy Plaza in Topeka From 5-10 p.m., join tons of local vendors as they gather in Evergy Plaza. All you have to do is bring an empty stomach to try as many kinds of food as you can while the sun goes down. —evergyplaza.com
NASHVILLE NIGHTS May 10 at Topeka Performing Arts Center If you’ve ever wondered what it takes to write a hit country song, this is the evening for you. Three writers from the Nashville country music scene are performing their top songs live, as well as talking through their creative processes. Tim McGraw, Miranda Lambert, Luke Bryan, and more have made these songs famous within their albums, but you can get the inside scoop on what it took for those songs to get the acclaim they have today. 785.234.2787 —topekaperformingarts.org
GET THE LED OUT May 8 at The Stiefel Theater in Salina This tribute to Led Zeppelin aims to recreate the magic and energy of Led Zeppelin’s sounds, performances, and personalities. They emphasize their attention to detail as what allows them to perform so authentically, while still bringing a flair of their own. They include the most poplar of Led Zeppelin’s music, of course, but also ensure that their lesser-performed songs have a chance in the spotlight. 785.827.1998 —stiefeltheater.org
ONCE UPON A BALLET May 20 and 21 at Topeka Performing Arts Center The Kansas Ballet Academy is proudly presenting their senior showcase, Once Upon a Ballet. Three senior students will showcase the expertise they have gained from their attendance at the Academy through elegant and moving pieces, bringing the audience into the final performance of their hard work. 785.234.2787 —topekaperformingarts.org
SOUTH DAKOTA
SPRING ART AND WINE WALK May 2 in Downtown Sioux Falls This annual event is all about supporting local artistry. Many mediums of art will be on display throughout the evening including painting and sculpture, and live demonstrations of the creative process will be taking place during the course of the night. Unique wine is a promise from the participating vendors so attendees can enjoy the drinks and the evening. 605.338.4009 —dtsf.com
75TH ANNIVERSARY NANA SHRINE CIRCUS May 2-4 at The Monument in Rapid City Join the Naja Shrine for a day of carnival events, rides, and circus tricks! The acrobats will be performing their tricks high in the air, from tightroping to swinging, while the clowns perform their tricks and jokes below. There will also be animals to perform their own impressive feats, so there is lots for all ages to enjoy. 605.394.4115 —themonument.live/connect
IN THE NEXT ROOM OR THE VIBRATOR PLAY May 8-10 at Washington Pavilion This drama-comedy was originally written in 2009 by Sarah Ruhl and nominated for three Tony Awards the following year. Set in the Victorian era at the advent of electricity, the play focuses on the misunderstanding of women’s health and desires that were held at the time. “Hysteria” and infertility are discussed, as well as marital relationships. May not be appropriate for all ages. 605.367.6000 —washingtonpavillion.org
GARDEN DISCOVERY FESTIVAL May 18 at McCrory Gardens in Brookings This botanical garden is opening its petals to the public for a day of free admission for the whole family. There will be activities throughout the arboretum for all to enjoy. Lat year, this included a seed swap, a presentation on small-scale water conservation, and a plant sale. This year will surely offer similarly enticing events. 605.688.6707 —sdstate.edu
Adventure Awaits in
LEVITT AT THE FALLS CONCERT SERIES May 23-Aug. 30 at Levitt Shell Sioux Falls This venue is committed to bringing music appreciation into Sioux Falls. Each year, the venue hosts 50 free concerts throughout the summer. This year, they are kicking things off on May 23 with a yet-unnamed opener and headliner. With a range of music genres, this event is always a popular family activity. 605.271.1560 —levittsiouxfalls.org
78TH MISS SOUTH DAKOTA COMPETITION May 29-31 at Oscar Larson Performing Arts Center in Brookings This pageantry competition and the Miss South Dakota Teen competition are both scholarship competitions. The young women in these pageants work hard year-round to ensure that their community service, skills, and academic accomplishments can be displayed in a way that truly represents themselves and the state of South Dakota.605.688.5188 —sdstate.edu
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