What to do this weekend - October 22, 2026

Thursday, October 22
Books: Visiting Author - M. R. Hasan (Reconceiving AI)

+ When: 5:30 to 6:30 pm
+ Where: Francie & Finch Bookshop, 130 S 13th St. (Google Maps)
+ Cost: Free!

More details: "Reconceiving AI: The World as an Apple or a Blue Orange began at a Cézanne retrospective in Chicago in 2022, with a question: what did a painter who spent thirty years on apples understand about perception that the most sophisticated AI still misses? Drawing on art, literature, film, philosophy, and cognitive science, the book argues that human cognition cannot be replicated through data and processing power alone."

Thursday, October 22
Film: A History of Concrete

+ When: 5:10 pm | 7:20 pm
+ Where: Ross Media Arts Center, 313 N 13th St. (Google Maps)
+ Cost: $10 matinee | $12 evening show | Half price for UNL students and Ross members

More details: "Following the finale of his TV series, filmmaker John Wilson looks to the bedrock of his beloved New York City for inspiration and structure. Concrete, the world’s most widely used building material, appears as an ever-present life force, and John sets out to make the definitive documentary on the matter. To tell this seemingly drab story, he decides to use the industry-approved Hallmark formula to increase his movie’s appeal. But his foundation soon begins to crumble—literally and figuratively—as he struggles to balance artistic freedom with the realities of the modern film industry."

Last chance to see this at the Ross!

Thursday, October 22
Film: The Scout

+ When: 5 pm | 7 pm
+ Where: Ross Media Arts Center, 313 N 13th St. (Google Maps)
+ Cost: $10 matinee | $12 evening show | Half price for UNL students and Ross members

More details: "Sofia works as a location scout for a TV pilot filming in New York City. It’s her job to find the homes, businesses, and exteriors where the show will be filmed. Driving around the city’s different neighborhoods, she enters the private spaces of strangers to photograph their cozy apartments and eclectic shops, stepping into the fabric of their lives while trying to satisfy the demands of her erratic employers. Over a day filled with these encounters, Sofia witnesses moments of curiosity, vulnerability, and quiet tension until her work takes a sudden, personal turn."

Last chance to see this at the Ross!

Thursday, October 22
Music: College Night: The Last Wild Buffalo + The Owls + Oddits

+ When: 9 pm (doors) | 9:30 pm (show)
+ Where: Duffy's Tavern, 1412 O St. (Google Maps)
+ Cost: No cover | $10 for under 21

More details: Come out and listen to folk masters The Last Wild Buffalo, Blair-based rockers Oddits, and local band The Owls.

18+ show!

Thursday, October 22
Open Mic: Songwriters' Night at Crescent Moon

+ When: 6:30 to 9 pm
+ Where: Crescent Moon Coffee, 140 N 8th St. (Google Maps)
+ Cost: No cover!

More details: Showcasing local singer songwriters! All are welcome, seasoned pros and newbies. Sign up for the open mic begins at 6 pm. Hosted by Mark Lowe.

Friday, October 23
Film: Mārama

+ When: 7:10 pm
+ Where: Ross Media Arts Center, 313 N 13th St. (Google Maps)
+ Cost: $12 evening show | Half price for UNL students and Ross members

More details: "1869. When a young Māori woman is summoned from New Zealand to North Yorkshire, she uncovers her horrific colonial heritage and is compelled to confront and destroy the titled Englishman who devastated her family."

Friday, October 23
Film: Our Mr. Matsura

+ When: 5 pm
+ Where: Ross Media Arts Center, 313 N 13th St. (Google Maps)
+ Cost: $10 evening show | Half price for UNL students and Ross members

More details: "Our Mr. Matsura is the story of Frank (Sakae) Matsura, the orphaned son of a samurai, who emigrated to Washington State in 1901, eventually settling in remote Okanogan County. There he embedded himself in a community of Native people and newly arrived settlers and immigrants, including miners, ranchers, shopkeepers and cowboys."

Friday, October 23
Film: Let the Right One In (2008)

+ When: 6:45 pm
+ Where: Ross Media Arts Center, 313 N 13th St. (Google Maps)
+ Cost: $10 | $5 for members | $5 for UNL students

More details: "When Oskar, a sensitive, bullied 12-year-old boy, meets his new neighbor, the mysterious and moody Eli, they strike up a friendship. Initially reserved with each other, Oskar and Eli slowly form a close bond, but it soon becomes apparent that she is no ordinary young girl."

Part of Fright Fest 2026!

Friday, October 23
Film: A Girl Walks Home Alone at Night (2014)

+ When: 9:15 pm
+ Where: Ross Media Arts Center, 313 N 13th St. (Google Maps)
+ Cost: $10 | $5 for members | $5 for UNL students

More details: "In the Iranian ghost-town Bad City, a place that reeks of death and loneliness, the townspeople are unaware they are being stalked by a lonesome vampire."

Part of Fright Fest 2026!

Friday, October 23
Film: Rocky Horror Picture Show

+ When: 10 pm
+ Where: Joyo Theater, 6102 Havelock Ave. (Google Maps)
+ Cost: $10 cash only

More details: Come out and dance the Time Warp again. Rocky Horror will play every Friday at the Joyo until the end of November!

Friday, October 23
Halloween: Horror at Highball

+ When: 9:30 pm
+ Where: The Highball Bar, 122 N 11th St. (Google Maps)
+ Cost: $10 Cover

More details: "Drawn Together presents Horror at Highball! Join us for scary and sickening drag performances AND the costume contest. Before you ask, yes, there’s a prize. Drinks will flow and heads will roll."

19+ event!

Friday, October 23
Music: Babydoll + Anxiety + Toby + Static Bloom

+ When: 8 pm (doors) | 9 pm (show)
+ Where: Bodega's Alley, 1418 O St. (Google Maps)
+ Cost: Free for 21+ | $5 for 18-20

More details: An alt rock show! Featuring the grunge, garage rock band Babydoll from Sioux City. With support from Springfield NE's Anxiety, dreamy midwest metal band TOBY and static bloom.

Friday, October 23
Music: Church of Blues

+ When: 5 to 7:30 pm
+ Where: The Zoo Bar, 136 N 14th St. (Google Maps)
+ Cost: $10

More details: Church of Blues is a supergroup of Lincoln-based musicians, featuring Josh Hoyer, Levi William, Joe Gourlay, and Dave Boye, who perform both classic and traditional blues music.

Friday, October 23
Music: Mailbox + Still Dreaming + Jade Beck

+ When: 7 to 9:30 pm
+ Where: The Bay, 2005 Y St. (Google Maps)
+ Cost: Free!

More details: Featuring indie sleaze band Mailbox along with Omaha's heavy indie rockers Still Dreaming and musician Jade Beck.

All ages show!

Friday, October 23
Music: Ron Coniglio + Steve Hanson

+ When: 7 to 9 pm
+ Where: Crescent Moon Coffee, 140 N 8th St. (Google Maps)
+ Cost: Seems to be free?

More details: Ron Coniglio is a singer-songwriter and will be performing a few songs for the very first time. With support from experienced local musician Steve Hanson.

Friday, October 23
Theater: The Great Gatsby

+ When: 7:30 pm
+ Where: Lincoln Community Playhouse, 2500 S 56th St. (Google Maps)
+ Cost: $29.15 tickets for adults | Buy tickets here

More details: "Jay Gatsby, a self-made millionaire, passionately pursues the elusive Daisy Buchanan. Nick Carraway, a young newcomer to Long Island, is drawn into their world of obsession, greed and danger. The breathtaking glamour and decadent excess of the Jazz Age come to the stage in this adaptation approved by the Fitzgerald estate."

One more showing on Sunday!

Saturday, October 24
Books: Visiting Authors – Andrew Farkas and Danilo John Thomas

+ When: 4:30 to 5:30 pm
+ Where: Francie & Finch Bookshop, 130 S 13th St. (Google Maps)
+ Cost: Free!

More details: Come out and learn more about Danilo John Thomas’s debut story collection, Ore Vein, which explores the thin spaces between hardship and heroism in small-town America.

Author Andrew Farkas will also be visiting to talk about three different books that were released in 2026, including his collection of short fiction Movies Are Fine for a Bright Boy Like You.

Saturday, October 24
Crafting: Sewing Saturday

+ When: 10 am to 2 pm
+ Where: International Quilt Museum, 1523 N. 33rd St. (Google Maps)
+ Cost: Free!

More details: "Sewing Saturdays are a chance for guests of any age to learn sewing skills and create a small, take-home project! Don’t worry if this is your first sewing experience — help will be nearby if you need it. No registration required and materials are included with the cost of admission."

Saturday, October 24
Film: Weapons (2025)

+ When: 6:30 pm
+ Where: Ross Media Arts Center, 313 N 13th St. (Google Maps)
+ Cost: $10 | $5 for members | $5 for UNL students

More details: "When all but one child from the same class mysteriously vanish on the same night at exactly the same time, a community is left questioning who or what is behind their disappearance."

Part of Fright Fest 2026!

Saturday, October 24
Film: The Wolf House (2018)

+ When: 9:15 pm
+ Where: Ross Media Arts Center, 313 N 13th St. (Google Maps)
+ Cost: $10 | $5 for members | $5 for UNL students

More details: "After escaping from a religious colony in Chile, Maria seeks shelter in a mansion where she’s taken in by two pigs, its only inhabitants. Like in a stop-motion dream, the universe of the house reacts to her feelings. The animals slowly morph into humans and the house into a dark, menacing world."

Part of Fright Fest 2026!

Saturday, October 24
Music: Vempire Album Release w/ Hair Person + Ex Lover + Luna River

+ When: 9 pm (doors)
+ Where: The Zoo Bar, 136 N 14th St. (Google Maps)
+ Cost: $10

More details: Come out and celebrate the release of Vempire's new album Everything Is Temporary.

Sunday, October 25
Film: A Ghost Story (2017)

+ When: 5:15 pm
+ Where: Ross Media Arts Center, 313 N 13th St. (Google Maps)
+ Cost: $10 | $5 for members | $5 for UNL students

More details: "Recently deceased, a white-sheeted ghost returns to his suburban home to console his bereft wife, only to find that in his spectral state he has become unstuck in time, forced to watch passively as the life he knew and the woman he loves slowly slip away."

Part of Fright Fest 2026!

Sunday, October 25
Film: Clue (1985)

+ When: 7:15 pm
+ Where: Ross Media Arts Center, 313 N 13th St. (Google Maps)
+ Cost: $10 | $5 for members | $5 for UNL students

More details: "Clue finds six colorful dinner guests gathered at the mansion of their host, Mr. Boddy – who turns up dead after his secret is exposed: He was blackmailing all of them. With the killer among them, the guests and Boddy’s chatty butler must suss out the culprit before the body count rises."

Part of Fright Fest 2026!

Sunday, October 25
Music: Battle of the Band$

+ When: 5 pm (doors) | 6 pm (show)
+ Where: MBX, 1330 N St. (Google Maps)
+ Cost: PWYC | All proceeds go to Center for People

More details: It's a halloween themed show featuring a lineup of some of Nebraska's coolest young bands. Featuring Jet Set!, Boy Seeking Band, Lazarus Go Home, Valley Street, alls, and Price of Humility.

I wrote about this yesterday. Check out my preview!

Sunday, October 25
Music: Davina and the Vagabonds

+ When: 5 to 7:30 pm
+ Where: The Zoo Bar, 136 N 14th St. (Google Maps)
+ Cost: $20 advance | $25 day of show

More details: The Twin Cities-based jazz-blues band is coming to Lincoln.

21+ show!

Sunday, October 25
Music: Lincoln Friends of Chamber Music presents An Afternoon of French Romantic Chamber Music

+ When: 4 pm
+ Where: Kimball Hall, Lied Center, 301 N 12th St. (Google Maps)
+ Cost: Regular tickets start at $42 | For students $21

More details: "With a program at home on the stages of New York and Vienna, LFCM and the Lied Center welcome proud Chicago-based artists Orion Weiss (piano), Rachel Barton-Pine (violin), and the Pacifica Quartet in an extraordinary collaborative program of Germaine Tailleferreand Maurice Ravel. The featured work in the second half is Ernest Chausson’s Concert for violin, piano, and string quartet – a romantic chamber gem."

Sunday, October 25
Music: Phuzz + P.O.E + Maw LoHo + Glasgow Smile

+ When: 5 pm (doors) | 5:30 pm (show)
+ Where: Duffy's Tavern, 1412 O St. (Google Maps)
+ Cost: Free or PWYC | $5 minor charge

More details: A big pre-Halloween throwdown, featuring stoner band Phuzz, local rockers P.O.E, and two brand new bands: Maw Lo Ho and Glasgow Smile.

All ages show!

Sunday, October 25
Theater: The Great Gatsby

+ When: 2 pm
+ Where: Lincoln Community Playhouse, 2500 S 56th St. (Google Maps)
+ Cost: $29.15 tickets for adults | Buy tickets here

More details: "Jay Gatsby, a self-made millionaire, passionately pursues the elusive Daisy Buchanan. Nick Carraway, a young newcomer to Long Island, is drawn into their world of obsession, greed and danger. The breathtaking glamour and decadent excess of the Jazz Age come to the stage in this adaptation approved by the Fitzgerald estate."

Last chance to see this!

Friday, October 30
Music: The Haunting of 1867

+ When: 9 pm to late
+ Where: 1867 Bar, 101 N 14th St. (Google Maps)
+ Cost: $12 advance | $15 at the door | Buy tickets here

More details: Three bands are playing: Boy Seeking Band, The Breakroom and P.O.E. Make sure to show up in costume! There will be a contest with a $50 cash prize.

All ages!

Saturday, October 31
Music: Emo Night Halloween

+ When: 8 pm
+ Where: 1867 Bar, 101 N 14th St. (Google Maps)
+ Cost: $15 | Buy tickets here

More details: 1867 will be spinning Emo hits and deep cuts all night. Come prepared for a costume contest, themed drinks and more!

All ages!

Sunday, November 1
Community: The Land Is a Teacher: Indigenous Epistemologies and Ways of Knowing

+ When: 5 pm
+ Where: The Foundry Community - Conference Room, 211 N 14th St. (Google Maps)
+ Cost: Free!

More details: "Dr. Angel Hinzo and Manny Macedo will lead a conversation on Indigenous epistemologies and ways of knowing, examining the land as a teacher and the importance of relationships, responsibility, and lived experience in learning."

Tuesday, November 3
Community: 2026 Midterm Elections Watch Party

+ When: 6 pm to midnight
+ Where: The Foundry Community - 2nd Floor, 211 N 14th St. (Google Maps)
+ Cost: Free!

More details: Organized by the Lincoln DSA. Join them for a night of food and solidarity to watch local and national elections.

Wednesday, November 4
Community: Post-election gathering

+ When: 6 to 9 pm
+ Where: Meadowlark Coffee, 1624 South St. (Google Maps)
+ Cost: Free!

More details: Not really an agenda for this meeting. It's just a space for folks to process the election and potentially plan immediate next steps. Organized by our local Indivisible chapter.

Wednesday, November 4
Music: Nice Strong Arm + Domestica + 10 Watt Robot

+ When: 7 pm (doors) | 8 pm (show)
+ Where: Duffy's Tavern, 1412 O St. (Google Maps)
+ Cost: $8 | $2 minor charge

More details: A great looking loud show. Featuring indie rock band Nice Strong Arm from Austin, local legends Domestica, and rock and rollers 10 Watt Robot.

18+ show!

Friday, November 6
Music: Your Own Knife + Price of Humility + Black Strat + Empty Suits

+ When: 6 pm (doors)
+ Where: The Mudhole | DM them for the address
+ Cost: PWYC

More details: A big DIY punk show featuring Nebraska screamo Your Own Knife, screamocore Price of Humility, hardcore punk band from Lincoln Black Strat and local post-hardcore post-punk rockers Empty Suits.

All ages!

Saturday, November 7
Music: Wild Fall Festival and Bison Day

+ When: 10 am to 2 pm
+ Where: Pioneers Park Nature Center, 3201 South Coddington (Google Maps)
+ Cost: Free!

More details: This festival highlights the nature, history, and wildlife of the tallgrass prairie. There will be a bunch of opportunities for hands on activities guided by staff and volunteers, including:

+ Workshops focused on bison and native prairie plants
+ Animal meet‑and‑greets with turtles and snakes
+ Nature activities, art projects, and story time
+ Guided nature exploration
+ Tours of historic buildings
+ Wagon rides ($5/person, ages 3+)

Saturday, November 14
Books: Nebraska Celebration of Books

+ When: 10 am to 5:30 pm
+ Where: Nebraska Union, 1400 R St. (Google Maps)
+ Cost: Free and open to the public!

More details: "The festival is held to celebrate Nebraska’s literary heritage and contemporary authors and to stimulate public interest in books, reading, and the written word. By gathering together contemporary writing talent of our state and surrounding areas, the festival provides an opportunity for participants to cultivate an understanding of our history, culture and community."

Featuring a big lineup of cool panels and events! Find the full schedule here.

Saturday, November 14
Music: The Zooeys + Isiah Driessen + Jacklyn Rose

+ When: 6 pm (doors) | 7 pm (show)
+ Where: Rococo Theatre, 140 N 13th St. (Google Maps)
+ Cost: $18 GA | $20 day of the show

More details: The Zooeys are returning home for the grand finale of their eight-city, multi-state tour. They'll be joined by Isiah Driessen's Americana-rooted songwriting and Jacklyn Rose who moves between neo-soul, folk, gospel, pop, and singer-songwriter music.