Experience this. Even if you hate Jazz…read more Every Tuesday in June, the Sheldon Art Association brings in renowned & local jazz acts to perform on the lawn of the Sheldon Art gallery on the beautiful UNL campus. If you love jazz, you'll enjoy it - but most people are there for the atmosphere. Grab a lawn chair or a blanket & some bug spray & show up early to pick out a good spot. By the time the music starts, the Sheldon Sculpture Garden looks like a giant quilt from all of the people on blankets. This is a relaxing summer evening out in the open air. You'll be surrounded by friendly people, kids playing cards on blankets, people reading or doing crosswords, lots of dogs, & lots of babies. TIPS: If you're a hardcore Jazz fan, you may want to sit close to the front. This is a social event, & people will talk through the whole thing. Likewise, if you're social, you may want to sit towards the back or wander the sidewalks that wind through the garden. Bring a picnic dinner & dine on your blanket while listening to live music on a warm summer evening. Wonderful. Bring cash. You'll want some UNL Dairy Store Ice Cream for dessert, won't you? They're located with many other vendors at 12th & R (another dinner option). Go to the bathroom beforehand, if you can help it. Otherwise, you can find restrooms in Architecture Hall (rumored to have the largest urinals EVER) or in the basement of Ferguson Hall. If you plan on bringing your dog, make sure he/she plays well with others, or you're asking for trouble at this event. Lots of dogs here. UPDATE: As of 2010, dogs are no longer allowed at this event. If you bike there, there's a rack where you can lock it up in front of Ferguson Hall (northwest corner of the crowd).

Nikki B. on Yelp said it best down below, but here's my $.02. Jazz in June is definitely something…read moreyou should experience in Lincoln. They bring some great live jazz bands to perform in beautiful weather, with a plethora of food trucks down the street to provide some delicious food. The best thing about jazz in june, though, is the number and diversity of people that show up to enjoy the event every time. If you grew up in Lincoln you'll see people you'd forgotten that you knew, and even if you didn't, you get a good look at the patchwork of people that make up Lincoln. It's a great way to enjoy a summer day and get to know the city a bit better.

From meadowlarkmusicfestival.com: "For a week each summer,…read moreclassical music fills the air during Nebraska's only summer classical music offering - the Meadowlark Music Festival. Every July, hundreds of people gather at comfortable venues around the state and listen to world class musicians perform beautiful music. Meadowlark Music Festival continues its tradition of offering family friendly, affordable, classical music to Nebraskans. Dress casual, invite friends, and be prepared to have a very good time at the Meadowlark Music Festival!"

Great joe, super nice behind the counter, friendly relaxed atmosphere, quiet enough to get work…read moredone, and tasty treats. Its my favorite place to stop in and visit or work.

A Lincoln holiday tradition…read more This is no Macy's Thanksgiving Day parade, but it's pretty good for a city the size of Lincoln, & it draws people from across the state. This annual parade marches down O Street in downtown Lincoln, NE at 11:00am on the first Saturday of December every year. If you grew up in Lincoln, chances are you remember going to the Star City Parade as a child. There's also a pretty good chance that you marched in it at least once. The parade is usually made up of marching bands, balloons, a few floats/vehicles, and many themed walking entries from local businesses. Kids love it, & they usually will get free balloons or candy, depending on which politicians or businesses are handing them out. Parents will find many of the float entries eerily familiar if they've been to it before. If you need a map of the parade route, or want some more info about the events surrounding the parade, go here: http://www.updowntowners.org/events/index.html?topic=detail&type=l&ei=131 http://www.kolnkgin.com also posts a good information page a few weeks prior to the parade. TIPS: - Show up early to stake out a good seat for your lawnchair There will be cloggers & "morning zoo" radio DJs to entertain you. - Again, show up early. If you're late, you will almost certainly get road rage trying to get around the blocked-off streets to find parking. - Some people like to camp out in the Skywalk or at the edge of a parking garage for a view from the top - Dress in layers & bring blankets - Bring a thermos of hot chocolate - If it's too cold or too early for you, you can always watch the parade live on Ch. 10/11 (http://www.kolnkgin.com) instead. - Walk over to the Cornhusker Hotel after Santa passes you. They serve free Christmas cookies & lava-hot wassail

we missed it because we hear anything about it on radio ,or tv. iwasnt happy about that ,i always…read morelook forward to seeing the parade darn it!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

The Ross is an independent cinema in downtown Lincoln. They have a good mix of popular and eclectic…read morefirst run films, classic re-runs, and also stream The Met. As a parent of young children it can be hard to get away for one of these movies, but during the summer of 2025 they have been showing children's movies at 11 am on Saturday mornings for FREE! It's been a wonderful opportunity to revisit some old favorites and see new ones.

A haven for film nerds & freebies!…read more This is a University of Nebraska-owned theater, which means that in addition to showing movies to the public, they use the theatres for film classes. During the school year when classes are assigned to watch a film there, they often open up the empty seats to the public, for free. They offer some good sneak peeks before movies are released. Recently, I saw Charlie Bartlett, American Gangster, & Forgetting Sarah Marshall there all for FREE before they were released in theaters. This is also the only place in Lincoln (and most of Nebraska, for that matter), that you'll be able to watch documentaries like "Control Room" & "Bowling for Columbine" in theatres. That goes for liberal films too, which won't garner much of an audience in Nebraska. For a couple years, they showed a compilation of all of the Academy Awards short animation nominees. That was cool - I can't even find that on Netflix! They serve the local community by occasionally hosting premieres of locally-produced shows for our statewide Public Television Station (NET Nebraska), or premiering local films & doing Q&A with the filmmakers afterwards. TIPS: 1) Check their site (www.theross.org) often for special deals (free popcorn?) and for the upcoming shows. You can also grab a flyer (to the left of the ticket booth) for that info. 2) If there's no metered parking available on the street, try the University's visitor lot, a block east. 3) Try the Kookaburra licorice. It doesn't even taste like "licorice". It tastes like awesome. 4) If you're going to a free sneak preview, this is how it works: - Go there a day or so early to pick up your ticket voucher. I think you can also do this the day of the show. This is not a ticket, & beware: they overbook it. - Get there an hour early. Again, at least one hour early. 30 minutes before the show, the lobby will be crammed full of mostly college students waiting to see a free movie. - Exchange your voucher for a ticket, & wait in line. - For some of the more popular movies, the distributor will send a "bouncer" to check your purse or backpack before you enter the theatre, to make sure you're not trying to make a bootleg. So...this may not be a good show to sneak food into either :)

Used to skate here in college. Now they are not welcome to adult skaters in their space. pretty…read morelame coming from the only indoor park and board shop in lincoln

LOVE THIS PLACE. The…read moreplace is very aesthetically appealing with minimalism and earthy feels. The coffee is unique. The lead barista learned his shit from NY so you know it's good. The rest of the staff is so kind and amazing. "Shore thing" iced or hot is amazing. I prefer iced. They also host super cool music so check out their events on Facebook! Update 6 months later: the iced shore thing is still my fave.

Large farmers market. Huge variety of vendors…read more Has many friendly vendors eager to share the variety of products that they have. Festive ambiance with live music at a couple of corners We enjoyed our trip there

This was such a fun experience! Everyone was incredibly friendly, and there was a great variety of…read morebooths to explore -- from fresh veggies and beef jerky to handmade crafts, home décor, pet goodies, clothing, plants, and tasty food. You can really feel the community vibe here. Can't wait to come back to Lincoln to visit!

Really impressive. The theatre has the small, intimate feel I associate with a community playhouse…read moreand the production we saw (Be More Chill, in Fall 2019) was wonderfully staged. Super ample parking and very easy location. We bought tickets online and were able to show them on my phone (no need to print/will call). The foyer is a bit small and got super packed upon everyone leaving after the play, hang back until the swarm thins if you don't like being in the press of a crowd. Overall highly recommend.

They do mainstage productions and children's theater as well. People here love what they do and…read moreI've seen many good productions over the years; I've traveled quite some distance to come back and see a play I'm fond of, and been pretty happy when I have.

We were visiting Lincoln and decided to run up to this vineyard because we knew the owner from…read morechildhood years. Unfortunately he wasn't there that day, but we still enjoyed our time at the winery. We had a Groupon that gave us a wine tasting of six choices and a meat/cheese/bread basket. Our tastings could be chosen from a wide variety of beverages that they make right there. Whites, reds, dry, sweet, meads, ciders, etc. It was impressive. We enjoyed talking with the young man taking care of us. He was friendly and knowledgeable. The ambiance was relaxed and comfortable, with seating inside and outside. I believe they have various events at the vineyard for the community to enjoy. They also have a nice little gift shop.

We had a nice dry white wine, and a simple charcuterie basket. They had live music on a nice…read moreSunday afternoon. The service was good and they allow well behaved dogs. It was a busy place, but with plenty of outdoor space. Definitely worth a visit