What to do this weekend - July 24, 2025
Hi,
Welcome to This Week In Lincoln, a newsletter about a city with so goddamn much art and music that it's impossible for one person to absorb it all.
I want to tell you about an exhibit I saw yesterday, but first a few odds and ends:
- As usual, the bulk of this newsletter is a curated list of local events. There's plenty of cool stuff happening this weekend, next week, and next month. Go find something that interests you!
- I want to shout-out the person behind the Mutual Aid Hedgehogs instagram account. They crochet beaded hedgehogs (I have one! they are cute!) and give them away for free at Mana Games and Bodhi Imports, though they encourage donations via Venmo. Each month, they highlight a different community organization and donate the funds they've received to that group. In July, they're supporting Nebraskans for Palestine.
- Finally, this newsletter is free to read, but takes time and labor to produce. Consider upgrading to a paid subscription if you like what I'm doing here. And if you don't have the means, please share this newsletter with someone else in Lincoln. Your recommendations help more than you know.
A new exhibit asks: What do you carry with you from 2020?
When I walked into the International Quilt Museum yesterday, I told the woman working the front desk that I was looking for "the Covid exhibit." I knew, on some level, that this wasn't fully accurate; I knew the museum's latest display wasn't just about the pandemic. But, consciously or not, that's clearly what I expected from an art installation explicitly about the year 2020.
To be sure, "Aftershock: The Long Shadow of 2020," which opened earlier this month, contains plenty of artwork about our collective experience of Covid-19. But it's more than just a retrospective on the ravages of death and disease. It's also an examination of that year's chaotic political climate; a reflection on the nationwide uprisings against police violence sparked by the murder of George Floyd; and a visual representation of the crushing emotional reality of surviving a tumultuous, endless year, one agonizing day at a time.
As the subtitle implies, one of the exhibit's major goals is to call attention to the fact that we're all still living in the aftermath of 2020. It's tempting to try and quarantine our own experiences, to pretend the year was, ultimately, just a detour from how the world is "supposed" to be. But "Aftershock" challenges its viewers, asking: What do you still carry from that time? What has stayed with you? These questions also invite their opposites: What are you trying to forget? What emotions and experiences have you buried or refused to grapple with?
This may seem like a silly example, but many of us have probably lost or thrown away our masks — perhaps the most visible and potent symbol of that era. Some folks, I'm sure, never want to see another mask ever again. But several of the artists featured in "Aftershock" did more than just get rid of these unpleasant reminders of painful memories: They repurposed old face coverings to create something new and striking.
I was especially captivated by Kristin La Flamme's "Masks 3/2020 - 6/2022," which recycles the actual cloth masks the artist wore at her retail job during those years to create a stunning visual gradient. The exhibit's introductory text talks about the way textiles are "objects of intimacy and memory," and La Flamme's piece is a concrete example of that. Fabric she wore in an attempt to protect herself is transformed into a material record of two years spent surviving in an inequitable economy, thus indexing the cruelty of a society that forces artists to work retail during a plague just to pay rent. It's a beautiful and painful piece.
I also appreciated the spatial design of "Aftershock" as a whole. While most of the quilts are displayed on the gallery walls, three of them hang from the ceiling and, as such, feel like they're in conversation with one another. One of the three, a wonderfully profane quilt titled "WTF," faces away from the gallery entrance. As you enter, all you see is a square of pure black suspended between two stylized symbols of American democracy. But walk around to the other side, and you'll find a colorful expression of artist Erika Mulvenna's personal feelings about, well, everything!
"This project," Mulvenna writes in an accompanying text piece, "pretty much sums up my feelings about the pandemic, racial injustice, and getting laid off from my already work-from-home job."
I love the implicit dialogue between Mulvenna's work and the other two hanging quilts — especially "Vote" by Elizabeth Ray. The latter is visually striking, but the message on its own feels rather hollow, particularly because it also hovers above the exhibit's artistic responses to Black Lives Matter, a stark reminder of the possibilities for collective action that go beyond just voting.
The direct confrontation between "WTF" and "Vote" — two very different exclamations — helps each contextualize the other. It's not enough to just vote, and it's also not enough to simply throw up your hands and surrender to nihilism. There was (and is) still value in political engagement, even when faced with the overwhelming horror, death, and violence of a year like 2020. But there is also something fundamentally absurd and broken about the existing apparatus of American civic life. It's okay to admit that, and sometimes the only appropriate response is to say, loudly: "WHAT THE FUCK."
"Aftershock: The Long Shadow of 2020" is on display at the International Quilt Museum until January 10, 2026. I've included more photos of the exhibit throughout the rest of this newsletter, but I encourage you to go see it in person.
Got an event you want to see included in next week's newsletter? Submit it here. You can also send feedback, suggestions, compliments and criticism to tynanstewart@proton.me
Thanks so much for reading.
~ Ty
Thursday, July 24
Thursday, July 24
Film: Sunlight
+ When: 5 pm, 7:05 pm
+ Where: Ross Media Arts Center (Google Maps)
+ Cost: $10 at 5 pm | $12 at 7:05 pm
From the Ross's website: "From comedian and ventriloquist Nina Conti, SUNLIGHT is a darkly funny love story between a man and a woman who doesn’t want to come out of a monkey suit until she is truly loved."
Last chance to see this film at the Ross!
Thursday, July 24
Music: KZUM Stransky Park Concert Series presents The McGovern Stringband
+ When: 7 to 9 pm
+ Where: Stransky Park (Google Maps)
+ Cost: Free!
A local acoustic Americana and Bluegrass all string band. Here are links to their music and socials:
+ website / facebook / youtube
Ybor - A Second Chance Kitchen will also be there serving Cubano sandwiches. There's currently a chance of rain, so keep an eye on local weather forecasts.
Thursday, July 24
Nature: Moth Night at the Nature Center
+ When: 8 to 10 pm
+ Where: Cunningham School, Pioneers Park Nature Center (Google Maps)
+ Cost: Free, but registration is required.
From the Lincoln Parks and Recreation Facebook page: "Discover the hidden wonders of the night! Join us at the Cunningham Schoolhouse during Nebraska Moth Week for a peaceful evening walk through the prairie. We’ll explore the fascinating world of moths, insects, and nocturnal wildlife that come alive at dusk."
Thursday, July 24
Public Meeting: Telecommunications / Cable Television Advisory Board Meeting
+ When: 4 pm
+ Where: County/City Building, Room 303, 555 South 10th Street (Google Maps)
Free and open to the public. You can access the agenda on the city's website.
Thursday, July 24
Science: Rooted in Fire: Sustaining Nebraska’s Prairie and Grasslands
+ When: 6 to 7 pm
+ Where: Zoom
+ Cost: Free, but registration required.
This zoom event is being organized by Conservation Nebraska. From their website: "Dr. David Wedin, the Director of the Center for Grassland Studies and Professor of the School of Natural Resources for the University of Nebraska-Lincoln. He will offer expert perspectives on maintaining Nebraska's prairie and grasslands, emphasizing the fundamental role of fire in this process."
Thursday, July 24
UNL: Bedding Drive
+ When: 10 am to 5 pm
+ Where: Gender & Sexuality Center, Nebraska Union, Room 346, 1400 R St. (Google Maps)
+ Cost: Free!
UNL's Gender and Sexuality Center is looking for new, unopened bedding supplies, including twin XL and queen sheets; blankets; and comforters. The drive continues through Friday, July 25.
More from UNL's website: "Be part of a Bedding Drive to help at least 40 students. Collected items will be offered at no cost to UNL students through the Lavender Closet and through the Center for Advocacy, Response, and Education. The goal is for these items to last us through at least two years."
Friday, July 25
Friday, July 25
Books: The Nebraska Heritage Book Club
+ When: noon to 1 pm
+ Where: Bennett Martin Public Library, 4th floor conference room (Google Maps)
+ Cost: Free!
The book for July is Lonesome Dreamer: Life of John G. Neihardt by Timothy Anderson.
Friday, July 25
Film: Before We Forget
+ When: 7:20 pm
+ Where: Ross Media Arts Center (Google Maps)
+ Cost: $12
From the Ross's website: "An Argentine filmmaker, unable to finish editing a movie about his unrequited first love, receives an unexpected invitation to revisit his past, reconstruct his memories, and perhaps even find a new ending to the story."
Other screenings scheduled through July 31.
Friday, July 25
Film: Ran
+ When: 6:30 pm
+ Where: Ross Media Arts Center (Google Maps)
+ Cost: $12
From the Ross's website: "Akira Kurosawa’s epic retelling of King Lear returns to theaters in a beautiful 4K restoration celebrating the film’s 40th anniversary."
Other screenings scheduled through July 31.
Friday, July 25
Music: John Voyage
+ When: 9 pm
+ Where: Zoo Bar (Google Maps)
+ Cost: $8
Featuring special guest Sam Bennie.
Friday, July 25
Music: Meadowlark Music Festival - An Evening with Scott Tixier
+ When: 7:30 pm
+ Where: Kimball Recital Hall, UNL Glenn Korff School of Music, 1113 R St. (Google Maps)
+ Cost: Individual tickets are $28.52, but you can buy two for the price of one. Bring a friend!
Friday, July 25
Public Meeting: Community Open House - Belmont Redevelopment Plan
+ When: 7:30 to 8:45 pm
+ Where: Belmont Park (Google Maps)
+ Cost: Free and open to the public.
From the city's website: "The City of Lincoln has been hosting a planning process to imagine a long-term vision for the future of the Belmont neighborhood and to identify short-term catalytic projects. At this final Open House, we will be sharing the Plan as part of other FREE Summer of Fun activities. Invite your friends and neighbors to join in. Open for all ages. Food provided."
Saturday, July 26
Saturday, July 26
Community meeting: Lincoln Alliance's July Meeting
+ When: 10 to 11:30 am
+ Where: New Visions United Methodist Church (Google Maps)
+ Cost: Free!
Andrew Thierolf of the City of Lincoln Planning Department will give an update on the comprehensive plan. Also on the agenda: The logistics of applying for an Open Door Grant through the Lincoln Community Foundation. Show up and get involved!
Saturday, July 26
Market: Historic Haymarket Farmers' Market
+ When: 8 am to noon
+ Where: Haymarket (Google Maps)
+ Cost: Free, but there will be plenty of vendors to buy from.
Oasis Bluegrass Band will be performing live.
Saturday, July 26
Market: Y-Not Mini Market
+ When: noon to 5 pm
+ Where: The Resonator, 2124 Y St. (Google Maps)
+ Cost: Free to visit but it's a market! There will be things to buy.
Come support local makers!
Saturday, July 26
Music: Kevin McClure + A Band Called Hemingway + Infielder
+ When: 7 pm (doors), 8 pm (show)
+ Where: Bourbon Theatre (Google Maps)
+ Cost: $17.45, including fees
Saturday, July 26
Music: Meadowlark Music Festival - A Bossa Nova Celebration
+ When: 7:30 pm
+ Where: Prairie Pines Nature Preserve, N 112th St. and Adams (Google Maps)
+ Cost: Individual tickets are $28.52, but you can buy two for the price of one. Bring a friend!
Food and drink from Pepe's Bistro will be available; cash only. The festival organizers also suggest bringing a blanket or chair. If it rains, the concert will be held at Prairie Creek Inn, 2400 S. 148th St. Walton, NE 68461 (Google Maps).
Saturday, July 26
Music: Nebraska Crossroads Music Festival - Lincoln Showcase
+ When: 7:30 to 9:30 pm
+ Where: Sheldon Sculpture Garden (Google Maps)
+ Cost: Free, but registration is requested.
This is an outdoor event, so bring a blanket or a chair!
More from the festival's website: "Enjoy an eclectic evening of music and poetry with festival headliners Dawn of Midi, Layale Chaker and Sarafand, and Kinan Azmeh performing his iconic Suite for Improvisor and Orchestra, along with poetry from the current and former Nebraska State Poet and true Cornhusker wordsmiths Jewel Rodgers and Matt Mason, food trucks, and family activities with our friends from the Asian Community and Cultural Center."
Saturday, July 26
Theater: 10th Annual First Flight Festival: Flight B
+ When: 7:30 pm
+ Where: UNL’s Studio Theatre on the first floor of the Temple Building (Google Maps)
+ Cost: $20 or $35 for a festival pass
This year's First Flight Festival includes two sections of short plays and monologues (Flight A and Flight B), and is ongoing through July 27. Find more dates on their website!
Saturday, July 26
Words: Adult Spelling Bee
+ When: 4 to 5 pm
+ Where: Gere Branch Library (Google Maps)
+ Cost: Free, but registration is required.
Exactly what it sounds like: A spelling bee for adults! Prizes will be awarded to the winners.
Sunday, July 27
Sunday, July 27
Market: Sunday Farmers' Market at College View
+ When: 10 am to 2 pm
+ Where: 4801 Prescott Ave. (Google Maps)
+ Cost: Free, but it's a farmer's market, so be prepared to spend money.
Sunday, July 27
Music: Meadowlark Music Festival - Stan Getz Tribute with Greg Fishman
+ When: 3:30 pm
+ Where: Kimball Recital Hall, UNL Glenn Korff School of Music, 1113 R St. (Google Maps)
+ Cost: Individual tickets are $28.52, but you can buy two for the price of one. Bring a friend!
Sunday, July 27
Music: toasterbath + Happy John + Strange Pain
+ When: 6:45 pm (show), 7:30 pm (doors)
+ Where: The Juice Box (DM them on Instagram for the address)
+ Cost: $10 suggested donation
toasterbath is a dream pop band from KC currently on their album release tour. Come out and support them and also see some cool local acts!
+ toasterbath: bandcamp / insta
+ Happy John: website / bandcamp / insta
+ Strange Pain: insta
Sunday, July 27
Theater: 10th Annual First Flight Festival: Flight A
+ When: 2 pm
+ Where: UNL’s Studio Theatre on the first floor of the Temple Building (Google Maps)
+ Cost: $20 or $35 for a festival pass
This year's First Flight Festival includes two sections of short plays and monologues (Flight A and Flight B). Today is the last chance to attend this year's festival!
Things to do next week:
Monday, July 28
Music: High Ruler + Jenny Haniver
+ When: 6 pm (doors), 7 pm (show)
+ Where: Duffy's Tavern (Google Maps)
+ Cost: $5
Monday, July 28
Public Meeting: Lincoln City Council
+ When: 5:30 to 7:30 pm
+ Where: Council Chambers in the County/City Building (Google Maps)
This meeting is open to the public. The agenda has not yet been posted.
Tuesday, July 29
Film: The Ballad of Buster Scruggs
+ When: 7 pm
+ Where: Ross Media Arts Center (Google Maps)
+ Cost: $5
From the Ross's website: "From Joel and Ethan Coen, THE BALLAD OF BUSTER SCRUGGS tells six stories, united by their dark, offbeat takes on traditional tales from the American West."
Part of the Made in Nebraska Summer Series.
Wednesday, July 30
Music: Nebraska Crossroads Music Festival - Layale Chaker and Sarafand
+ When: 7 to 8:30 pm
+ Where: Kimball Recital Hall, UNL Glenn Korff School of Music, 1113 R St. (Google Maps)
+ Cost: Free, but registration is requested.
More details from the festival's website: "Back for her fourth Crossroads appearance, Layale Chaker brings her acclaimed ensemble Sarafand to perform their evocative new release, Radio Afloat. We are grateful to partner with University of Nebraska–Lincoln's Glenn Korff School of Music as they unveil the newly-revitalized Kimball Hall, exploiting its state-of-the-art acoustics and technical wizardry with Chaker’s rich, distinct musical language."
Thursday, July 31
Books: Just Desserts
+ When: 6:30 to 7:45 pm
+ Where: Bennett Martin Public Library, 4th Floor Auditorium (Google Maps)
+ Cost: Free!
Monthly discussion of a mystery novel. For July, the group is reading We Solve Murders (2024) by Richard Osman. Participants are encouraged to bring a dessert to share!
Thursday, July 31
Fair: First day of the Lancaster County Super Fair
+ When: The fair runs all day, with stuff starting at 8 am
+ Where: Sandhills Global Event Center (Google Maps)
+ Cost: $15 per vehicle gets you a day pass
There's a ton going on: Vendors, exhibits, family activities, a petting zoo, competitions, live music, food, and more. The fair runs through Saturday, August 9.
Friday, August 1
Music: Estrogen Projection + Uh Oh + Joyrager
+ When: 6:30 pm (doors), 7:30 pm (show)
+ Where: Rococo Theatre (Google Maps)
+ Cost: $21 general admission | $23 day of the show
Links to the bands' music or socials:
+ Estrogen Projection: linktree / insta
+ Uh Oh: bandcamp / insta
+ Joyrager: linktree / insta
Friday, August 1
Music: Nebraska Crossroads Music Festival - Lincoln Finale
+ When: 7 to 9 pm
+ Where: Kimball Recital Hall, UNL Glenn Korff School of Music, 1113 R St. (Google Maps)
+ Cost: Free, but registration is requested.
More details from the festival's website: "We’ve put together an orchestra with familiar and new faces, local and visiting artists – a true expression of the festival’s ability to connect across geography and culture. Including Omaha Symphony Concertmaster Susanna Perry Gilmore, Russian virtuoso violinist Olga Smola, and Lincoln-native bassist Sam Beck-Johnson just to name a few, it will be a tribute to Nebraska’s own musical environment, its musical institutions and its impact on the wider world."
Things to do next month:
Friday, August 8
Film: White Light/Black Rain: The Destruction of Hiroshima and Nagasaki
+ When: 7 to 10 pm
+ Where: Black Cat House (Google Maps)
+ Cost: Free!
A 2007 documentary directed by Steven Okazaki, featuring interviews with survivors of the atomic bombing of Hiroshima and Nagasaki.
Saturday, August 9
Market: Parking Lot Party - Open Harvest turns 50!
+ When: 10 am to 4 pm
+ Where: Open Harvest Co-op Grocery (Google Maps)
+ Cost: Free!
Help celebrate the Co-op's 50th birthday! You can apply to be a vendor at the party here.
Saturday, August 9
Zines! Salt Creek Zine Fest
+ When: noon to 4 pm
+ Where: F Street Community Center (Google Maps)
+ Cost: Free!
From the organizers: "Zine fests are an opportunity for lovers of indie art to buy and trade zines, a flexible and limitless medium of art that's low-cost and encourages breaking boundaries. It's also an opportunity for artists who make zines to share their work, meet other artists, and build a local community."
Tuesday, August 12
Public Meeting: Board of Health Meeting
+ When: 4 to 5 pm
+ Where: Lincoln-Lancaster County Health Department, 3131 O Street (Google Maps)
This meeting is open to the public. The agenda has not yet been posted online.
August 7-10, 14-17
Theater: Punk Rock Romeo & Juliet
+ When: 7 to 10 pm
+ Where: Wyuka Stables (Google Maps)
+ Cost: Tickets start at $15
A production of the Flatwater Shakespeare Company. More details from their website: "Shakespeare gets a mohawk in this raw and rebellious take on Romeo and Juliet. Set in a gritty, guitar-fueled world where love and rage collide, Flatwater’s punk rock adaptation brings Verona’s feuding families to life with thrashing energy, DIY grit, and heart-on-your-sleeve passion."