Omaha Christmas guide
By the Frosty Nights team at Falconwood Park. Updated November 2026.
Every Christmas event in Omaha, Bellevue, Papillion, and the rest of the metro for 2026, in date order. Tree lightings, holiday markets, Santa visits, The Nutcracker, drive-thru lights, and the one walk-through Christmas village in the metro. Save this page and plan your December.
Dates come from each venue’s own listings as of early November 2026. A few events announce later in the month, so check the venue before you go.
The season opener: a walk-through Christmas village
Falconwood Frosty Nights, Falconwood Park
Most Omaha Christmas events are one night or one weekend. Frosty Nights runs 27 nights, and one ticket covers all of it: 80 acres of lights, Santa in Hanke Hall, a Christmas market with 20 heated cabins and food trucks, iceless ice skating, snowless sledding, a Christmas maze, the Holly Jolly Trolley, and live reindeer Dec 16 to 20. See the full attractions list.
Early bird season passes are $30 adult and $15 kid for every night. Any-day tickets are $10 and $5. Kids under 3 are free. Groups of 10 or more can book a night together.
November Christmas events in Omaha
Indoor farmers market with 144 vendors, 11 AM to 3 PM at Fowling Warehouse, 5585 N 90th St. Free.
40+ local makers inside the castle, 3902 Davenport St.
The big one: 200+ vendors at CHI Health Center, 455 N 10th St.
Opening night of the walk-through Christmas village in Bellevue. Tickets.
Turner Park and Farnam Street light up for the season. Free.
Lights through the zoo, 6 to 9:30 PM. Ticketed.
6 PM at Village Pointe, 17305 Davenport St.
Council Bluffs’ lighting ceremony with food trucks, 6 to 8 PM, 100 Pearl St.
50+ small businesses and Santa visits at the Relevant Center, 21220 Elkhorn Dr, Elkhorn.
The 51st year of Omaha’s longest-running holiday show, 6915 Cass St.
Drive-thru lights synced to 90.3 FM in Papillion. Tickets per carload, online only.
5K run and walk, 9 AM at Charles Schwab Field.
Christmas at Union Station kicks off 4 to 8 PM, 801 S 10th St. The indoor Sock Skating Pond runs Nov 27 to Jan 10.
Walk the decorated botanical garden, 100 Bancroft St. Ticketed.
Music at 5 PM, ceremony at 6 PM at Gene Leahy Mall. Downtown lights stay on through Jan 1. Free.
Downtown Papillion, 4 to 8 PM. 800,000+ lights, carriage rides, hayrack rides, and Santa.
Carriage rides, Santa, free cookies and cocoa, noon to 3 PM at 108th and Center.
Omaha Symphony at the Holland Center, 1200 Douglas St.
20+ small businesses at Cafe Postale, 950 S 10th St, 10 AM to 3 PM.
December Christmas events in Omaha
Santa visits inside Union Station, 801 S 10th St.
Wednesday, Thursday, and Sunday nights open in December, 5 to 9 PM. Shortest lines of the season. Hours.
4 to 9 PM, 801 S 10th St.
Orpheum Theater, 409 S 16th St.
Family stage show, 6915 Cass St.
203 W Mission Ave, Bellevue. Pair it with a night at Frosty Nights ten minutes away.
Makers, food, ice skating, and Santa photos at Heartwood Barn, 11 AM to 5 PM on Dec 5 to 6, 12 to 13, and 19 to 20.
Free family activities at venues across downtown, 11 AM to 4 PM.
The Physicians Mutual holiday concert at the Holland Center.
A grown-ups party with Santa after 10 PM. Families are welcome in the park until 10 PM. Details.
Orpheum Theater, 409 S 16th St.
Five nights only. The reindeer visit the village Wed through Sun. Any-day tickets work for all five.
Closed Dec 24 and 25, then open Dec 26 and 27 to close out the season.
Family countdown with a balloon drop, 10 AM to 2 PM.
7 PM, set to music on STAR 104.5. Best views from The RiverFront and the Old Market.
Omaha Christmas markets 2026
If you only want the shopping, these are the markets worth the trip:
- Omaha Holiday Boutique, Nov 13 to 15, CHI Health Center. 200+ vendors, the largest one-weekend market in the metro.
- Frosty Nights Christmas Market, Nov 13 to Dec 27, Falconwood Park. 20 heated cabins plus makers’ tents, open every night the park is, with lights and Santa on the same ticket. See the vendor list.
- Joslyn Castle Holiday Boutique, Nov 13 to 14. Smaller and curated, inside the castle.
- Holiday Modern Market, Nov 20 to 21, Elkhorn. 50+ small businesses.
- Midwest Fest Holiday Market, three December weekends at Heartwood Preserve. Outdoor, with skating.
- Omaha Winter Markets, every Sunday through March at Fowling Warehouse. Free, farmers-market style.
Where to see Santa in Omaha
- Falconwood Frosty Nights: Santa in Hanke Hall every night the park is open, Nov 13 to Dec 27. Photos on your own phone, no charge beyond admission.
- The Durham Museum: Family Nights with Santa on Tuesdays, Dec 1, 8, 15, and 22.
- Heartwood Barn: Photos with Santa noon to 4 PM on Dec 5 to 6, 12 to 13, and 19 to 20.
- Rockbrook Village: Santa in the Village, Nov 28, noon to 3 PM.
- Papillion Winter Wonderland: Santa at the downtown kickoff, Nov 28.
Omaha Christmas events by area
Omaha’s Christmas season is spread across the whole metro. Here is what’s closest to you.
- Bellevue and Offutt area (Sarpy County): Falconwood Frosty Nights at Falconwood Park, 905 Allied Road, is the big one, open 27 nights. Add A Christmas Story at Bellevue Little Theatre (Dec 4 to 20) and the Wood River Drive and Haro family light displays nearby. Frosty Nights is about 15 minutes from downtown Omaha via Hwy 75 and 10 minutes from Offutt Air Force Base.
- Papillion and La Vista: Papillion Winter Wonderland downtown (Nov 28), Santa’s Rock n’ Lights drive-thru at Werner Park (Nov 25 to Jan 2), and the Hickory Hills and Eagle View neighborhood displays.
- Downtown and midtown Omaha: Holiday Lights Festival in the Old Market and at The RiverFront (Nov 28 to Jan 1), Christmas at Union Station at The Durham Museum, The Nutcracker and A Drag Queen Christmas at the Orpheum, the Omaha Symphony at the Holland Center, Zoolightful at the zoo, and Season of Lights at Midtown Crossing.
- West Omaha and Elkhorn: Midwest Fest Holiday Market and Winterland skating at Heartwood Preserve (145th St), Holiday Modern Market in Elkhorn (Nov 20 to 21), Village Pointe Tree Lighting (Nov 20), and the Steinauer, Linden Estates, and Bortol light displays.
- Council Bluffs: Winterfest at Bayliss Park (Nov 20), 10 minutes across the river from downtown.
Christmas lights
Lights get their own guide. See Best Christmas Lights in Omaha 2026 for every walk-through, drive-thru, and free display, including the top neighborhood shows.
Omaha Christmas events FAQ
What are the best Christmas events in Omaha?
Falconwood Frosty Nights for a full walk-through Christmas village (Nov 13 to Dec 27), the Holiday Lights Festival downtown (Nov 28 to Jan 1), Christmas at Union Station at The Durham Museum, The Nutcracker at the Orpheum (Dec 4 to 6), and the Omaha Holiday Boutique (Nov 13 to 15) for shopping.
What is there to do in Omaha in December?
Walk the lights and meet Santa at Frosty Nights in Bellevue, see A Christmas Carol or A Charlie Brown Christmas at the Omaha Community Playhouse, skate at The Durham’s Sock Skating Pond, shop Midwest Fest at Heartwood Preserve, and catch the Omaha Symphony Christmas Celebration Dec 10 to 13.
Is there a Christmas market in Omaha?
Yes, several. The Omaha Holiday Boutique at CHI Health Center (Nov 13 to 15) is the largest. Frosty Nights at Falconwood Park runs a nightly Christmas market with 20 heated cabins from Nov 13 to Dec 27, and Midwest Fest at Heartwood Preserve runs three December weekends.
When do Christmas events start in Omaha?
The season opens the weekend of Nov 13 with Frosty Nights and the Omaha Holiday Boutique. Most tree lightings happen Nov 20 to 28, and the downtown Holiday Lights Festival ceremony is Saturday, Nov 28.
What Christmas events are near Bellevue, NE?
Falconwood Frosty Nights at Falconwood Park (905 Allied Road) runs Nov 13 to Dec 27 with lights, Santa, a Christmas market, and skating. Bellevue Little Theatre stages A Christmas Story Dec 4 to 20, and Papillion Winter Wonderland is 15 minutes west on Nov 28.
Are there free Christmas events in Omaha?
Yes. The Holiday Lights Festival downtown, Season of Lights at Midtown Crossing, Santa in the Village at Rockbrook, the KETV Family Festival, the Omaha Winter Markets, and the New Year’s Eve fireworks are all free.
One ticket, 27 nights of Christmas
Frosty Nights runs Nov 13 to Dec 27 at Falconwood Park in Bellevue. Every ticket is good for any night we’re open.