It’s August, and that means the University’s halls and courtyards will be filling once again with students.
Some will be new students just starting on their educational path. Others will be returning from summer break, rested and ready to tackle new challenges. Some, like me, will be “non-traditional” students – older students, possibly with families, reinventing themselves or starting new lives with the University of Nebraska at Omaha. Their stories will be different, but their goals will be similar.
Kind of like Omaha itself. A city of immigrants in a nation of immigrants, Omaha has as complex and varied a cultural landscape as any other American city. The city has exploded westward in recent years, but east of the glitz of the West End shopping centers, golf courses, biking trails and megachurches, there’s still a wonderful old town waiting to be discovered.
Yes, Omaha has a rich and diverse cultural heritage that can only be experienced by stepping outside your comfort zone. There’s a lot of fun to be had in Omaha, and a lot of it happens east of 72nd Street.
A perfect example is the Saint Peter and Paul Church Summer Festival which was held on Aug. 1 this year at 36th and X streets.
The festival has been an annual event at the church since its inception in 1917, when it was just a parish picnic with a few tents. In those days the grand prize at the festival was a live lamb; this year, one lucky visitor would walk away with $10,000. But that wasn’t the only attraction. This year there were 38 booths with games, concessions and raffles, plus rides and bouncy castles for the children. A polka band entertained the crowd with live music all afternoon.
Outside on the grounds you could get grilled Italian sausage, kielbasa and bratwurst, all homemade from locally grown, grass-fed livestock.
In the church gymnasium, vendors sold baked goods, tacos and sarmas, a delicious mixture of beef, pork, rice and spices wrapped in cabbage and swimming in a stew of tomatoes, onions and garlic. Other booths held keno-like contests for bags of groceries, toys and quilts.
Best of all, it was surprisingly inexpensive. There was no charge for entry, and you could buy as much or as little food as you wanted – one of those enormous sausages cost only $3, the sarmas were $2 each and the games were typically about 50 cents to $1 to play. All in all, it was a fun and affordable afternoon for the kids.
Chances are, a lot of these new and returning students won’t know a lot about the rich history of their new home. Many people come here with preconceived notions of what Omaha is like. It’s a cow town, it’s in the middle of nowhere and “Omaha, where’s that?” are just some of the misconceptions people outside Nebraska have about Omaha. When I told a neighbor in New York that I was packing up my family to move here, she was incredulous. “People actually move to Nebraska?” she said sarcastically.
Yes, as a matter of fact, they do. Like many returning students, I chose to come to Omaha. Years ago as a young airman I was stationed at Offutt Air Force Base, and some of my fondest memories of my career are from that time. Many of my colleagues spent their off-duty time drinking and partying and lamenting that they were in Omaha instead of somewhere cool.
I’m glad I didn’t fall into that trap. I stepped out of my comfort zone and opened myself to a wider world. And now here I am, ready to do it again.
If you missed the Saints Peter and Paul Church Festival, don’t worry. There are plenty of chances to experience the rich cultural diversity of Omaha throughout the year. Here is a sample of what Omaha has to offer:
Every Thursday, the Italian American Society hosts a weekly dinner from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. at their meeting hall at 1238 S. 10th St. Lunch cost is just $6.
On Aug. 15, Saint Stanislaus’s Church at 41st and J Streets will have their 40th annual Polish festival from noon to 8 p.m.
On Aug. 14, the Second International Festival will celebrate Omaha’s cultural and ethnic diversity. Various ethnic groups will have cultural items on display for sale and there will be live music and dancing. The event takes place at Bancroft Street Market at 2702 S. 10th St. from 11 a.m. – 4 p.m. Admission is $2.
On Sept. 17 and 18, the German American Society will celebrate its 126th German Day at Oktoberfest with music, food and dancing. Come by 3717 S. 120th St. Tickets are $3 for Friday evening and $4 for Saturday all day.