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Good in the ’Hood
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August 6, 2010, at 10:10 AM
Your address for Saturday fun, music, food, brew
Iwen Exposures
Saturday is a beautiful day in two local neighborhoods
This article originally appeared in our sister publications, The Reader and El Perico.
Some great things are happening this Saturday in two of Omaha’s communities. So good that The Reader decided to cover both so that you might decide to make a day of it and check out the two occasions. We’re talking about North Downtown Day and Farnam Festival — both celebrations of communities on the rise.
“It could be a cool thing where people come down and enjoy both events and see two cool neighborhoods in the same day,” said Brad Iwen, one of the event organizers for Farnam Festival and a photographer who opened his own studio, Iwen Exposures Photography, near 40th and Farnam last October.
Iwen said the neighborhood surrounding 40th and Farnam had “kind of been falling apart for a long time.” But with the recent developments at Midtown Crossing and new businesses near the 40th and Farnam intersection, “that is now changing. It’s starting to become a unique, thriving district, so we’re billing this as a celebration.”
It’s also a fundraiser. Iwen and other local businesses involved with the newly formed Farnam Festival non-profit entity are using all funds raised at the event to switch Farnam to two-way traffic from 36th to 42nd Streets. “The fact that Midtown Crossing put a two-way street up to a certain point was very encouraging and it just seems to make sense to continue that on,” said Iwen. They’ve set a goal of raising $50,000 by the end of the summer. “The purpose of the two-way conversion is to allow better local access to business and create a more lively cultural experience that is pedestrian friendly,” said Iwen.
While Farnam Festival is looking to revive the neighborhood, North Downtown Omaha Days is holding a neighborhood open house to celebrate the beginning of something completely new. With the new baseball stadium in construction, “the next two years are gonna see a huge progression and show the vibrancy of an already unique destination,” said Brooke Ossenkop, one of the event organizers for North Downtown Omaha Days.
“The businesses have had a lot of individual requests for interviews because of the stadium presence, so we wanted to open it up and show what North Downtown is all about,” said Ossenkop. “We want to be an extension of the Old Market as a place for people to come to.”
But whatever you do, don’t call the neighborhood NoDo. NYC, Denver and a number of other cities already have NoDo districts, so when plans for the area were first announced, a few news articles used the kitschy name. But once the North Downtown Alliance formed, Ossenkop said they felt the name wouldn’t do. “We spent a good six months deciding what name to call the area and came back to North Downtown,” said Ossenkop. “We wanted to be in control of the branding and make it our own and not some figment of NYC. Plus the connotation the name carries is limiting — NoDo meaning no dough.”
With all the investment and new businesses going into the neighborhood, it’s easy to forget that the Sienna Francis House and the people who use the facility are still a strong presence in the area. That’s why TipTop will host the Sienna Francis House’s annual art show, displaying work created by the homeless. “Sienna is definitely part of the neighborhood and it’s not something we want to push away,” said Ossenkop.
Farnam Festival runs 3 p.m.-12 a.m. on 40th and Farnam, with a beer garden, booths from area businesses, raffle, silent auction and more. Admission is $10/kids 10 and under free. Music starts at 3:15 p.m. with Normandy Invasion, followed by Brad Hoshaw and the Seven Deadlies, The Third Men, Sarah Benck, Thunder Power, Midwest Dilemma and Southpaw Bluegrass Band. Visit farnamfestival.com.
North Downtown Omaha Days events run 4-9 p.m. with free and family-friendly activities at various locations from 10th and Cass to 16th and Nicholas, including: Film Streams’ local film showcase; at Slowdown music from Talking Mountain, Bear Country and DJ Tyrone Storm, plus photo booth by Christine Elizabeth Photography; TipTop Apartments’ block party and art show by Sienna Francis House; Green Street Cycles’ bike rental, pedicab rides and Green Street Ally Cat; Studio 906’s art car exhibit, live music and art activities for children; Urban Outfitters’ sidewalk sale and DJ Kobrakyle; HotShops’ exhibits and Omaha Creative Institute art demonstrations; Mastercraft Building open house w/ SecretPenguin, What Cheer, MinorWhite, CAMP and more; Inclosed Studios’ hands-on letter pressing; Old Mattress Factory’s live music and food/drink specials and Hilton Omaha, Homewood Suites and Holiday Inn will offer special rates.
