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The free, family-friendly drop-in program brings art-making, public tours and Omaha Conservatory of Music performances to the Joslyn on Sunday, December 6, 2026, alongside four exhibitions.
All times are local to the venue · America/Chicago
At the Joslyn’s Holiday Lights Festival, making art, exploring galleries and attending a tour or music performance offer different ways to spend a museum visit. The exhibitions add another thread: they consider how social spaces, personal histories and familiar images shape art and its meaning.
The museum describes a drop-in program of art-making, gallery experiences, public tours and performances by Omaha Conservatory of Music. Those options suit different kinds of visits, but the event listing does not assign them individual start times or publish a sequence. If a particular tour or performance matters to your plans, its timing is not confirmed in the listing.
The festival runs from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Sunday, December 6. The event page describes it as family-friendly and says that all activities and exhibitions are free.
Further reading: Holiday Lights Festival | Joslyn Art Museum, Omaha ↗
In the Scott Pavilion’s Riley CAP Gallery S8, Sadie Barnette’s exhibition considers the overlap between personal stories and collective histories. It also invites attention to ordinary moments that may take on deeper significance. The show is on view through January 3, 2027.
Two exhibitions in the Hawks Pavilion approach history and experience through images. In Media Gallery H6, Jacolby Satterwhite: Country Ball 1989–2012 brings performance, animation and found imagery together in digital videos. For this work, Satterwhite used 3D graphics software to revisit a home movie from his childhood. It remains on view through March 7, 2027.
Works on Paper Gallery H5 presents Made in USA: Prints for the American Revolution Bicentennial through March 7, 2027. Its prints were commissioned for the 1976 bicentennial; artists reworked recognizable icons and stories, drawing attention to how national history is formed and shared. The listed gallery locations offer one practical way to group a visit: Café Society and Barnette’s exhibition are in the Scott Pavilion, while the Satterwhite and bicentennial exhibitions are in the Hawks Pavilion.
Further reading: The Joslyn Calendar | Joslyn Art Museum, Omaha ↗ · The Joslyn Exhibitions | Joslyn Art Museum, Omaha ↗
The Joslyn’s program is one part of the annual KETV Family Festival, presented in partnership with downtown Omaha’s arts and cultural community. The museum advertises free Ollie the Trolley transportation between participating venues; its event listing does not give trolley stops or operating times.
Further reading: Holiday Lights Festival | Joslyn Art Museum, Omaha ↗
The museum pairs hands-on art-making with gallery experiences, public tours and music performances. These are options within the same festival window, not a published timetable: the event listing does not give individual start times or connect a particular activity to a specific exhibition.
The festival runs from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. It is a free drop-in program, and the museum says all activities and exhibitions are free. The event is described as family-friendly; no specific age policy is stated.
The museum says its main and garden entrances, galleries, sculpture gardens, restrooms and water fountains are wheelchair accessible, and elevators serve all areas of the building. A limited number of wheelchairs are available to borrow at the Hawks Pavilion Welcome Desk on a first-come, first-served basis.
Sensory kits can be borrowed at the Welcome Desk. Assistive listening systems are available in Abbott Hall and for some programs elsewhere. Selected visitor resources are available in Spanish, including the map, self-guided materials, many gallery texts and digital guide audio clips. ASL interpretation can be requested for programs and public tours with three weeks’ advance notice. These are venue-wide resources; the festival listing does not specify which will be provided for individual activities.
Service animals must be trained to assist a person with a disability and remain under the handler’s control. The museum may ask for an animal to be removed if it is disruptive, poses a risk or makes physical contact with artwork. Emotional support animals are not permitted.
The festival takes place at Joslyn Art Museum, 2200 Dodge Street, Omaha, NE 68102. The museum lists the main entrance drive from James Fous Avenue on the north side or from Dodge Street on the south. A covered visitor drop-off is directly in front of the main entrance.
Free on-site parking is first-come, first-served; metered parking is available on surrounding streets. ADA parking spaces are available. Map links can calculate directions from your starting point.
Holiday Lights Festival | Joslyn Art Museum, Omaha ↗ · Visit The Joslyn | Joslyn Art Museum, Omaha ↗ · The Joslyn Access | Joslyn Art Museum, Omaha ↗
The museum says it is accessible on foot, by car, bicycle or bus. Metro Transit’s 24th & Dodge ORBT Station is steps west of the museum. Bike racks are available; bring your own lock. The museum says helmets may be stored in free lockers near the Welcome Desk.
The festival listing advertises free Ollie the Trolley transportation between participating venues but does not list stops or operating times.
Holiday Lights Festival | Joslyn Art Museum, Omaha ↗ · Visit The Joslyn | Joslyn Art Museum, Omaha ↗
No. The event runs from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m., but the museum does not give individual start times for activities or performances.
The Joslyn advertises free Ollie the Trolley transportation between venues. The event listing does not provide stops or operating times.
The museum describes it as family-friendly but does not state a specific age policy.
2200 Dodge Street, Omaha, NE 68102
Map search by venue and address. Check the organiser’s entrance details before travelling.
Images from the linked sources. Each caption identifies the context of the image.
Event, planning and background information checked 2026-10-31 against the linked sources.