"If they can reach Dodge Street, they can reach us," Jared Arndt of Crescent Moon told Omaha Magazine for its November/December issue. "Now 36th Street is open."
His point holds for the whole stretch of Farnam from Turner Park to 40th Street. The streetcar work has made the drive in feel harder than it is. And between now and Thanksgiving, nearly every event on the Midtown Crossing and Blackstone calendars takes place inside a restaurant or bar on the route. If you've been avoiding Farnam since summer, this is the season the businesses are asking you to come back through their doors.
Only one side of Farnam is closed
As of the week of October 12, the Omaha Streetcar Midtown update lists eastbound Farnam as closed between Turner Boulevard and 40th Street while crews lay track in the north lanes. On the Blackstone side, the city's update says the westbound Farnam lane stays open during the pole foundation work between 39th and 40th.
So the trick is to come in from the open side or from a cross street. Here's what the official pages recommend:
- For Midtown Crossing, use 33rd Street or Harney. The streetcar project tells drivers headed to the parking garage to use those two streets. Midtown Crossing's construction parking page gives the turns: from Dodge, go south on 33rd and the garage entrance is on your left. From Harney, the entrance is just east of 33rd, also on your left.
- Know the free parking window before you go. The construction parking page lists 2 hours free in Midtown Crossing's two garages. The footer of the events page lists 3 hours free with retailer validation. If you're staying for a long dinner, ask your server about validation.
- Metered spots are still open around the park. Look on 31st Avenue around Turner Park and on the south side of Farnam, where the spaces are back-in.
- For Blackstone, have a backup lot in mind. When street parking near 39th and 40th is blocked, the streetcar project points to alternative parking at 40th and Harney.
Lane assignments change week to week, so check the weekly construction updates before you head out. Two things on the October list could catch you off guard. Overnight closures of Park Avenue for rail welding are planned for late October, and Dewey Avenue gets a short closure in mid-October.
Almost every event on the calendar happens inside a business
Look at what's actually on the calendar between now and Thanksgiving. The Chili Crawl takes place inside the participating restaurants. Each Puzzle Race is hosted at a different Midtown spot. The Merry Market is at Empire Room Omaha, and the Blackstone cook-off is at Scriptown Brewing. Season of Lights is the only big event that happens outdoors in Turner Park, and even that page sends you to the neighborhood restaurants to warm up afterward.
| Date | Event | Where | Cost |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sat., Oct. 24, 3–6 p.m. | Chili Crawl, presented by Bloc Fitness | Participating Midtown Crossing restaurants | $5 per tasting portion |
| Wed., Nov. 4, 6–8 p.m. | Midtown Puzzle Races | Smokin' Oak Wood-Fired Pizza + Taproom | Free, registration required |
| Wed., Nov. 11, 6–8 p.m. | Midtown Puzzle Races | Chateau Vin | Free, registration required |
| Sat., Nov. 14, noon–2 p.m. | Chili Cook-Off Sponsored by Rightfiber | Scriptown Brewing, 3922 Farnam St. | $10 |
| Sun., Nov. 15, 11 a.m.–4 p.m. | Midtown Merry Market | Empire Room Omaha | Cash bar |
| Starting Sun., Nov. 15, nightly at dusk | Season of Lights | Turner Park | Free to stroll |
| Wed., Nov. 18, 6–8 p.m. | Midtown Puzzle Races | PROOF Whiskey Bar & Craft Cocktails | Free, registration required |
| Wed., Nov. 25, 6–8 p.m. | Midtown Puzzle Races | Ray's Wings, Pizza & Drinks | Free, registration required |
This lines up with what the businesses along the route have said they need. The same Omaha Magazine story reports that the city and the Streetcar Impact Alliance are holding block parties along the route to win back former customers and bring in new ones. Katie Mock, who co-owns Blackstone's Nite Owl, told the magazine the parties are meant to remind people, "Hey, we're here, it's not that bad."
Two chili events, three weeks apart, on either side of Turner Boulevard
The chili events make a good first trip back because they put a full block of kitchens in front of you in one afternoon.
Midtown goes first. On Saturday, October 24, from 3 to 6 p.m., participating Midtown Crossing restaurants will each serve their signature chili as a $5 tasting portion, "from tried-and-true classics to bold, fiery creations." That's this coming Saturday, and it's the easiest way to try the Midtown restaurants without committing to one dinner.
Blackstone answers on Saturday, November 14. The district's annual Chili Cook-Off runs noon to 2 p.m. at Scriptown Brewing, 3922 Farnam St. For $10 you taste chili from Blackstone businesses and vote for your favorite. Scriptown sits west of 39th, where track work runs on the north side of Farnam. The westbound lane and the 40th and Harney parking option both apply here.
Do both and you'll have walked the Midtown and Blackstone ends of the route by mid-November.
Wednesdays in November move to a different room each week
The Midtown Puzzle Races give you a reason to come back midweek and land somewhere new each time. Teams of two to four race to finish the same 500-piece puzzle in 90 minutes or less. It's free, but tables are limited, so you have to register ahead to reserve your table and puzzle.
The four Wednesdays rotate through Smokin' Oak Wood-Fired Pizza + Taproom on November 4, Chateau Vin on November 11, PROOF Whiskey Bar & Craft Cocktails on November 18, and Ray's Wings, Pizza & Drinks on November 25. All four run from 6 to 8 p.m.
November 15 is the big day for Midtown
Sunday, November 15, packs Midtown's two biggest holiday events into one day. The Midtown Merry Market runs 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. at Empire Room Omaha, with 30-plus local makers selling everything from boutique goods to hand-poured candles to local stationery, plus themed cocktails from Empire Room's cash bar.
That same evening, Season of Lights begins. Tens of thousands of white LED lights cover Turner Park and the Midtown Crossing neighborhood, there's a decorated tree in Farnam Court, and Santa's sleigh is set up for photos. It runs nightly at dusk.
If you're parking for both, metered spots on 31st Avenue put you right at the edge of Turner Park.
Two Blackstone favorites closed in late summer and both reopened
Each of those events depends on businesses staying open through the work, and two familiar Blackstone spots briefly didn't.
Fifth House, the vegan restaurant at 3901 Farnam St., closed for about a week and a half at the end of August. KMTV reported that it reopened on September 2 after getting grant help meant for businesses affected by streetcar construction.
Noli's Pizzeria at 4001 Farnam St. closed midweek in September and was back open by that weekend. According to Omaha Magazine, the reopening followed an outpouring of support. The Aksarben Noli's stayed open the whole time. The same story mentions a late-night food truck open until 2 a.m. at 38th and Farnam, serving the M & M Beef and Steak sandwich.
Much of that help comes from private money. Omaha Magazine reports that an anonymous donor funded the Nebraska Enterprise Fund, which awards $10,000 grants to businesses with streetcar-related losses. As of September, more than $4.1 million of the $5 million Omaha Streetcar Business Impact Fund had been distributed or allocated. Clark Ross, owner of the Mercury lounge at 16th and Harney, told the magazine there may not be enough to go around if every eligible business applies, and he said the Alliance is looking for matching grants from corporations and donors. Mock also asked people to tell their friends on social media that their favorite places are still open.
How long the Farnam work keeps going
The fall events fall right in the middle of the track schedule. In Blackstone, the city expects track work on the north side of Farnam to finish between 36th and 37th Streets in late fall, and between 37th and 39th Streets in early 2027. In Midtown, the water main and deep sewer work on Turner Boulevard and on Farnam and Harney between Turner and 29th started in October 2025 and is expected to wrap up this fall.
There's also a closure that isn't part of the streetcar project. Since September 1, 42nd Street between Farnam and Dewey Avenue has been closed for UNMC crane work by Kiewit Construction. The closure is set to last five months, which runs into early 2027.
The official project schedule lists mainline track construction from 2026 to 2028 and streetcar service starting in 2028. So this year's Season of Lights, and probably next year's, will still go up next to an active work zone on Farnam.
Selling Sisters follows how Omaha neighborhoods change around projects like the streetcar, block by block, and we're always glad to talk them through. Schedule a consultation, and tell us which Farnam spot you're heading to first.
