✨ BENSON FIRST FRIDAY ✨
🗓️ August 7 | 📍 Benson Creative District

Benson First Friday returns for the 13th Annual New American Arts Festival, a celebration of immigrant, migrant and refugee communities!

Plan your night and learn more at bensoncreativedistrict.org/firstfriday
Check back Thursday before First Friday for the FINAL event lineup!

✨ Benson First Friday is brought to you by BFF Omaha ✨

The mission of BFF Omaha is to build community through arts engagement in the Benson Creative District and beyond! Become a Friend of BFF today and get exclusive PERKS every First Friday! Support BFF Omaha and become a Friend at the Artist Market or the BFF Happy Hour!

13th Annual New American’s Art Festival

🌎 The New American Arts Festival returns to the Benson Creative District on First Friday, August 7, 2026, bringing together artists, performers, makers, creators, and organizations for a celebration of culture, creativity, and community. 🎨🎶

NAAF supports immigrant, migrant, and refugee communities by creating paid opportunities for artists, increasing visibility for their work, and making space for communities to share their cultures, stories, and traditions with Omaha. 🤝✨

🎤 Petfest Stage performing artists:

Pablo Arza
Kapten
Huapango Folk Ensemble
Socrates & Los Panas

🎶 Ted & Wally’s Stage:

Raga Tala by Malika Maduri
Sapphire
Adanu Heartland Drum Ensemble

🖼️ Art by Lopez-Zurita Art & Design, David Manzanares, Arsalan, Jin, and D’Colores Art Bus w/ Dee.

🎭 Plus so much more happening throughout the district!

NAAF is made possible with support from CIRA: Center for Immigrant & Refugee Advancement and Soundarte.net. 💛

🎨 BFF SUMMER ARTIST MARKETS

📍 Military & Maple | 62nd & Maple

⏰ 6:00 - 10:00

Shop local and support Omaha artists at the BFF Artist Market. Discover handmade goods, original artwork, prints, and one-of-a-kind finds from a rotating lineup of makers and creatives.

PETFEST SUMMER: AUGUST
📍 Petshop Gallery, 2725 N 62nd St

⏰ 6:00–10:00 PM FREE

PETFEST takes over the Petshop backlot all summer long. From May through September, we’re bringing your favorite PETFEST bands to every First Friday.

🎶 6:00 - Huapango Folk Ensemble
🎶 7:00 - Pablo Arza
🎶 8:00 - Socrates y Los Panas
🎶 9:00 - KAPTEN

Huge shoutout to our PETFEST sponsors:
Fiber First, Benson Brewery, Ted and Wally’s, Ming Toy Gallery and Central Skate Shop

✨ Openings in the BCD Galleries ✨

PETSHOP | 2725 - 2729 N. 62nd St. | July 3rd | 6:00 - 10:00 | @petshopgallery

Printed Memoria: Prints and Sculptures

Printed Memoria brings together prints by Oria Simonini, Víctor López, Heczar Gómez, Mari Mariel, and David Manzanares, alongside sculptures by Manzanares. The artists share more than an exhibition: they are the people with whom Manzanares first began painting murals many years ago.

Also on display:

Rickrack or Champion

BFF Gallery | 5901 Maple St. | July 3rd | 6:00 - 10:00 | @thebffgallery

For What It's Worth

August First Friday come take a look at a lifetimes worth of photographs taken by Cecilia Saldana and celebrate her first solo show!

MaMO | 2725 N. 62nd St. | June 5th | 6:00 - 10:00 | @bffmamo

Would You Just LOOOK At It? by Electricradbolt

Walk with us through the valley of Electricradbolt‘s wonderfully wicked whimsical creations. A 3D tapestry of fibers, clays, papers, and other mixed media hand crafted into magical life forms from Electricradbolt’s universe. Would you just LOOOOK at it?! 

Ming Toy | 6066 Maple St. | June 5th | 6:00 - 10:00 | @mingtoygallery

Unearthed: A First Look at The Antiquarium’s Bill Farmer Collection

This exhibition is the first public activity of The Bill Farmer Project, which is dedicated to preserving the legacy of Farmer and facilitating the inventory, valuation and sale of his work to benefit BECAH, a Brownville (NE) nonprofit. All sales proceeds will benefit The Antiquarium.

Maple St. Construct | 5912 Maple St. | August 7 | 6:00 - 9:00 | @maple_st_construct

Rooted En Route

Maple St. Construct is excited to host our first artists-in-residence and second exhibition of 2026, featuring Los Angeles-based artists Alyssa Newsham and Daniel Schubert. The artists have been residing at our Little Italy studio creating work for this exhibition throughout the month of July.

and so much more!

Check back Thursday night for the final event listings! Not seeing your event? Email jp@bffomaha.org to get on the list!

💛 FRIEND OF BFF PERKS

Become a Friend of BFF and enjoy PERKS every First Friday!

• Alley Cat Vintage: 20% off purchase

• Benson Brewery: Half off draft beer

• Beercade: $1 off all drinks

• Burke’s Pub: Buy one apple pie shot, get another for a penny (3-6 PM)

• Burrito Envy: Free cinnamon crisp with purchase

• Central Skate Shop: 10% Off Purchase

• Edge of the Universe: Free cookie with drink purchase

• Jake's Cigars: Half off sangria on tap

• Kai Tei: Buy one get one sake

• Snowy Sundaes: $1 off any drink

• St. Andrew’s: $1 off tap beers until 7. $1 off Sangria all night

• Star Deli: 10% off purchase

• Ted & Wally's: Free scoop of ice cream

• The Sydney: $1 off all drinks

Become a Friend of BFF HERE!

✨ THANK YOU TO OUR JULY FIRST FRIDAY SPONSORS ✨

❤️ Mutual of Omaha
🧡 Ted & Wally’s Ultra-Premium Ice Cream
💛 FiberFirst Internet
💚 Thermal King Windows
💚 Anytime Seltzer

Friend of BFF Business Members:
11Eleven • Access Period • Alley Cat Vintage • ASL Interpreting Services • Benson Brewery • Blue Line Coffee • Central Skate Shop • Dahlia House • Edge of the Universe • Gregg Grossman, Inc. • Heather Tedesco, Realtor • Jake’s Cigars • Legend Comics & Coffee • Maple St. Construct • Maven Social • Metropolitan Community College • Ming Toy Gallery • Nebraska AIDS Project • Omaha Roller Derby • Removery • SET the Bar • Shipment Vintage / Floors, Floors, Floors • Shop Five Nine + Ceremony • Slowdown • Snowy Sundaes • Star Deli • Taco Co. • The Bay • The Sydney

💚 Made possible with support from the Nebraska Arts Council and the Nebraska Cultural Endowment

Proudly produced by BFF Omaha and rooted in the Benson Creative District