If you haven’t made any 4th of July plans in Omaha yet, there are still plenty of ways to get your patriotism on!

Keep it Local

If you’re like us and looking to have a good old-fashioned Independence Day, be sure to head over to Ralston, Nebraska! Their annual Old Fashioned Fourth of July Celebration takes place on Wednesday, July 4th, 2018.

The Ralson Old Fashioned Fourth of July Celebration has a lot of family-friendly activities planned for the entire day! Dust off that jogging stroller and get your fitness on by starting the day with a little 1-3 mile race! The Optimists Independence Day Fun Run/Walk, believe it or not, is one of the oldest runs in Nebraska!

From there you can check out the Children’s Parade that begins at 10:00 am at 5505 Miller Avenue.

The 58th Annual Parade starts at 1:00 pm beginning at 80th and Highland and wrapping up at 7400 Main Street. Don’t forget to pack a candy bag for your kids! Rumor has it that the delicious flavored Tootsie Rolls that are thrown along the way are actually terrible for you, so you should probably just drop those off here at the OMG offices on Thursday…

Looking for fireworks in Omaha? Easy. The Fireworks Spectacular in Ralson starts at dusk (9:30ish) by the Ralston Arena at 72nd & Q (dude). If you’re feeling a little “extra” you can watch the fireworks synced to music by tuning into FM Radio KAT 103.7! We don’t know about you guys, but we’re ready for a little Neil Diamond, “Coming to America.” (You're welcome ↓)

Keep it Small Town

Feeling like you want to get REALLY small town? Head over to the charming town of Underwood, Iowa. A short 25-minute drive on I-80 from Downtown Omaha will take you to a great little farm town celebrating 65 years of 4th of July celebrations!

Fun fact: Jack Link’s Beef Jerky has planted roots in Underwood, Iowa. Aaaaaand they throw out boxes and boxes of beef jerky during the parade. The parade starts at 10:30 am and we highly suggest being at the beginning of the route (300 2nd Ave, Underwood, Iowa) to get the greatest candy/jerky return on your trip.

Other great things you’ll find at the Underwood, Iowa 4th of July Celebration? A Bloody Mary recovery tent (essential), pancake breakfast, watermelon feed, dodgeball tournament, bean bag tournament, and fireworks at 10:00 pm. Full schedule here.

There may or may not be someone in the Omaha Media Group office that is partial to the Underwood celebration, but it does attract visitors from all over. And again…Bloody Mary recovery tent.

Keep it Kid Friendly

If you’re looking to avoid a swarm of people watching a trail of tractors roll by, head over to the Henry Doorly Zoo & Aquarium for their Red, White and Zoo event! The first 800 people through the gates receive a free patriotic gift provided by Oriental Trading Company (that also used to be housed in Underwood, Iowa, FYI).

Open from 9:00 am to 5:00 pm, you’re welcomed to “parade” the zoo on a self-guided tour in search of red, white, and blue animals. They even have a list of animals on their website! We think you should up the ante a little bit by seeing who in your party can find the animals first. We’re all about a little competition here.

Whatever you plan to do this 4th of July, we wish you a great, safe, and fun holiday with your family and friends! 

Are there any events going on near you that we should know about? Let us know! We’d love to hear about them!

**Special Note: The Omaha Media Group office is closed Wednesday, July 4th and back at it on Thursday, July 5th.