Mutual of Omaha Bank
Thanksgiving Lighting Ceremony

Thursday, November 27, 6 pm

Gene Leahy Mall, 14th and Farnam Streets
http://www.mutualofomahabank.com

The Holiday Lights Festival will kick-off on Thanksgiving evening with the annual lighting ceremony at the Gene Leahy Mall. Beginning at 5:35 pm, pre-show entertainment will begin with Cher & Gene Klosner. The official lighting ceremony begins at 6 pm. Stop by the Shine the Light on Hunger booth and purchase a pin to support The Food Bank. Mayor Mike Fahey and a group of children from the Adopt-A-Tree program and Kids Cafés from throughout the city will lead the crowd in a countdown that will culminate with the illumination of a spectacular display of twinkling lights.

Elderly and disabled citizens are welcome to view the lighting ceremony from the fourth floor of the W. Dale Clark Library. Everyone attending the lighting ceremony is encouraged to bring a can of food to support the “Shine the Light on Hunger” campaign benefiting the Food Bank. Donation barrels and a Food Bank truck will be parked near the stage at 14th and Farnam Streets to collect non-perishable foods and household goods as part of the campaign. Cash donations will also be accepted.

Following the lighting ceremony, choose from the following entertainment options:

Old Market Shopping and Dining
Thursday, November 27, 6:30 – 8:30 pm

Don’t miss this opportunity to jump-start your holiday shopping or just relax with friends and family. Some of the Old Market’s finest shops, restaurants and pubs will be open following the Thanksgiving Lighting Ceremony. Horse-drawn carriage rides by MJ Carriage Services will be offered until 11 pm. Businesses to be open include:

13th Street Coffeehouse
Artists’ Cooperative Gallery
Barry O's Old Market Tavern
Billy Frogg's Bar & Grill
Cibola of Omaha
Cubby’s Old Market Grocery
Dubliner Pub
Everything Them Art Gallery
French Cafe
The Hair Market Salon
Hollywood Candy
Images of Nature Gallery
MJ Java
Mr. Toad
Myth Martini Bar
Old Market Artists Gallery
Old Market Candy Shop
Old Market Tea House
Old Chicago
Overland Sheepskin
Passageway Gallery
Patrick’s Market
Sam & Louies
Soul Desires Bookstore and Coffee Shop
Tannenbaum Christmas Shop
Ted & Wally's Ice Cream

Holiday Skating Extravaganza
Thursday, November 27, 7 pm
Omaha Civic Auditorium, 18th & Capitol Avenue

The 2008 Holiday Skating Extravaganza will be a combination of nostalgic holiday exhibitions, as well as contemporary celebrations of skating, music, costumes and props. The production features darling tot skaters dressed as sweet little sugar plum fairies, some runaway reindeer and a very jolly snowman, otherwise known as Frosty.

Michael John Murphy, a folk musician based in Omaha, will perform live during the Ice Show. Murphy plays various instruments including the guitar and Native American flute.

The entire family will be entertained with lots of glitter, exciting skating and loads of holiday cheer. Admission to the Holiday Skating Extravaganza is free. The sixty-minute production begins at 7:00 p.m. at the Omaha Civic Auditorium Arena.

Making Spirits Bright Concert
Thursday, November 27, 7 pm
Holland Performing Arts Center, 13th & Douglas Streets
http://www.omahaperformingarts.org
http://www.nebraskawindsymphony.com

Cap off a perfect evening of turkey and holiday lights with a spirited concert at Omaha’s finest performing arts venue, the Holland Performing Arts Center. The Making Spirits Bright concert will be presented at 7 pm in the Holland Center’s Kiewit Concert Hall.

The concert will feature The Nebraska Wind Symphony. The Nebraska Wind Symphony is an adult community band serving Omaha and the surrounding areas. Up to 60 musicians from a wide variety of vocational backgrounds perform in this ensemble. They will be performing upbeat, classic holiday favorites.

Tickets to the Making Spirits Bright concert are $5 each and available by calling Ticket Omaha at (402) 345-0606 or on-line at www.ticketomaha.org. Tickets can also be purchased at the Holland Performing Arts Center in advance or the day of the show. Limited seating is available.

“Berenstain Bears Save Christmas”
Thursday, November 27, 7 pm
The Rose Theater, 20th & Farnam Streets
http://www.rosetheater.org

Join us at The Rose Theater for an all-new stage adaptation of Stan & Jan Berenstain’s best-selling book “The Berenstain Bears Save Christmas.” Enjoy festive holiday music and plenty of opportunities for audience participation as you share the spirit of the season with all your favorite characters from the popular book series.

This holiday spectacular captures the spirit of the season and will warm your family's heart. Special for the Thanksgiving evening performance, guests may purchase tickets in advance or at the door for $10 each -- $6 off the regular box office price. For advance tickets, call The Rose Box Office at (402) 345-4849 or purchase online at www.rosetheater.org. Limited seating is available.

“Shop Around the Corner” (1940)
Thursday, November 27, 7 pm
Film Streams’ Ruth Sokolof Theater, 14th & Webster Streets
http://www.filmstreams.org

Experience the classic 1940 romantic comedy classic (and a new Omaha Thanksgiving tradition!) Tickets are $5 on Thanksgiving Night only -- a $3 discount off the regular ticket price. Limited seating is available.

About the film: James Stewart and Margaret Sullavan star in this holiday classic from legendary director Ernst Lubitsch and the inspiration for Nora Ephron’s 1998 film YOU’VE GOT MAIL. A gift shop worker named Alfred (Stewart) falls in love with a woman he’s never met and whose name he doesn’t even know, as a result of a relationship conducted entirely through post office box. When Klara (Sullavan) comes to work in the same shop, sparks begin to fly… she and Alfred can’t stand each other. What neither of them knows is that the other is really the object of their mailbox romance!

Adopt-A-Tree
Omaha-area schools help support the Holiday Lights Festival each year by raising and donating $200 to light a tree in the Gene Leahy Mall. The Adopt-A-Tree program was developed to encourage school and youth involvement in the celebration. The following schools are participating in the 2008 program. If your school would like to adopt a tree, please contact Carly Barth at 345-5401.

Black Elk Elementary
Burke High School
Central High School
Harvey Oaks Elementary
Marian High School
Marrs Magnet Center
Willa Cather Elementary