BENSON FIRST FRIDAY
First Fridays in the Benson Creative District have been a neighborhood tradition for over a decade, offering a consistent, year-round platform for artists, musicians, and creative businesses to share their work. What started as a monthly art walk has grown into a district-wide collaboration, with galleries, storefronts, bars, and community spaces hosting their own creative programming every month.
Looking for this month’s First Friday events? View the current lineup here →
June 3rd | 5:00 - 2:00AM
Benson Creative District
🇺🇸✨ JULY FIRST FRIDAY ✨🇺🇸
🗓️ Friday, July 3 | 📍 Benson Creative District
First Friday is back for a hot, sweaty holiday weekend in Benson! Come out for artist markets, gallery openings, live music, cold treats, local biz, and all the creative independent spirit that makes Benson an American Beauty. ✨
Start your holiday weekend in Benson.
Plan your night and learn more at bensoncreativedistrict.org/firstfriday
Check back Thursday before First Friday for the FINAL event lineup!
🎨 July First Friday poster by Melynda Walsh (@melynmarie)
🖼️ Posters sponsored by @blick_omaha
🇺🇸✨ Thank You to Our July First Friday Sponsors ✨🇺🇸
❤️ Mutual of Omaha @mutualofomaha
🤍 Ted & Wally’s Ultra-Premium Ice Cream @tedandwallys
💙 FiberFirst Internet @fiberfirstusa
❤️ Thermal King Windows
⚡ Thank You to Our Friends of BFF Business Members ⚡
❤️ 11Eleven @11elevenbenson
🤍 Access Period @accessperiod
💙 Alley Cat Vintage @alleycatomaha
❤️ ASL Interpreting Services
🤍 Benson Brewery @bensonbrewery
💙 Blue Line Coffee @bluelinecoffeeomaha
❤️ Central Skate Shop @centralskateshopomaha
🤍 Dahlia House @dahliahouse_
💙 Edge of the Universe @edgeuniversebff
❤️ Gregg Grossman, Inc.
🤍 Heather Tedesco, Realtor @heatherheartshomes
💙 Jake’s Cigars @jakesomaha
❤️ Legend Comics & Coffee @legendcomicsandcoffee
🤍 Maple St. Construct @maplestcontrust
💙 Maven Social
❤️ Metropolitan Community College @mccneb
🤍 Ming Toy Gallery @mingtoygallery
💙 Nebraska AIDS Project @neaidsproject
❤️ Omaha Roller Derby @omaharollerderby
🤍 Removery @removery
💙 SET the Bar @setthebaromaha
❤️ Shipment Vintage / Floors, Floors, Floors @shipmentvintage
🤍 Shop Five Nine + Ceremony @shopfivenine
💙 Slowdown @theslowdown
❤️ Snowy Sundaes @snowysundaes
🤍 Star Deli @star_deli
💙 Taco Co. @handmadetacos
❤️ The Bay @thebay_
🤍 The Sydney @thesydneybenson
💚 Made possible with support from the Nebraska Arts Council and the Nebraska Cultural Endowment @neartscouncil
💚 Proudly produced by @bffomaha and centered in the Benson Creative District @bensoncreativedistrict
The Map
Check out the new and improved Benson Creative District map!
Featured First Friday Programs
First Fridays are never one-size-fits-all. While each month brings something new, the past 13 years have given rise to several signature programs and events that consistently anchor and define the First Friday experience in Benson.
First Friday PRIDE
Benson First Friday has always been a welcoming, LGBTQIA+-affirming space since its inception in 2012. Over time, the June edition of First Friday organically grew into what is now known as First Friday PRIDE, intentionally centering queer artists, performers, and community voices across the district. First Friday PRIDE expands Omaha’s celebration of LGBTQIA2S+ communities by elevating artists who identify as LGBTQIA2S+, creating space for visibility, dialogue, and joy. The event also serves as a platform for advocacy, social justice conversations, and collective action in support of LGBTQIA2S+ communities, rooted in the belief that creative spaces should be safe, affirming, and accessible for all.
Artist Markets
First Friday Artist Markets provide consistent, low-barrier opportunities for artists to sell their work directly to the public while activating public space throughout the district. From May through September, on-street Artist Markets bring artists outdoors as part of the First Friday experience, creating a walkable, high-visibility marketplace. During the colder months, markets move indoors from October through April at the Benson Theatre, maintaining year-round access for artists and audiences alike. Summer First Fridays also include a Youth Artist Market, produced in collaboration with The Bay, offering young artists a supported entry point into the creative economy in the Benson Community Center parking lot.
New American Arts Festival
Founded in 2013, the New American Arts Festival takes place during August First Friday and was created to connect Omaha’s immigrant and refugee communities with the broader cultural life of their new home. The festival celebrates the arts and cultures of Syrian, Karen, Nepali, Afghan, Mexican, Rwandan, Burundian, Sudanese, Thai, and other New American artists in collaboration with community partners and neighborhood businesses. NAAF provides paid opportunities for artists to showcase their work while building professional and economic skills through exhibitions, performances, and on-street artisan markets. By embedding the festival within First Friday, NAAF expands audiences, strengthens professional networks, and supports artists in sustaining their creative practices beyond the event.
Live Performances
Live music and performance have long been a core part of First Friday in Benson, evolving from informal pop-ups into a year-round concert series and large-scale events like PETFEST. Through this work, the Petshop backlot has been transformed into a flexible community gathering space with a dedicated stage, seating, professional sound, and lighting. First Friday performances are always free and feature some of the strongest regional talent, alongside touring artists from across the Midwest and beyond. These shows create accessible entry points for new audiences, support working musicians, and reinforce First Friday as a shared, neighborhood-scale cultural experience.
Handmade Parade
The Handmade Parade takes place during October First Friday and is a collaborative project with Giant Joy Collective that brings large-scale, artist-made spectacle into the public realm. Centered on handmade puppets, costumes, and participatory elements, the parade invites artists, students, and community members to collectively build and perform together. Rather than a passive viewing experience, the Handmade Parade emphasizes creative process, collaboration, and joyful visibility, turning neighborhood streets into a shared stage. The event reinforces First Friday’s commitment to hands-on making, accessibility, and art as a tool for connection and collective celebration.
Past Photo Galleries
Check out our Facebook to view photo galleries from past events!
