Mutual of Omaha Thanksgiving Lighting Ceremony

November 22 6 pm Gene Leahy Mall, 14th and Farnam Streets

The Holiday Lights Festival will kick-off on Thanksgiving evening, November 22nd, with the annual lighting ceremony at the Gene Leahy Mall, 10th to 14th Streets between Farnam and Douglas Streets. Beginning at 5:35 pm, pre-show entertainment will be begin with Second Chance, followed by the Nebraska Choral Arts Society's Cantori Choir. The official lighting ceremony begins at 6 pm. Mayor Jim Suttle and a group of children from the Adopt-A-Tree program and Kids Cafés from throughout the city will lead the crowd in a countdown that will culminate with the illumination of a spectacular display of twinkling lights.

The Lighting Ceremony will be broadcast live on Cox Channel 2. The Holiday Lights will remain lit every evening from 5 pm to 1 am through January 6, 2009.

Following the lighting ceremony, choose from the following entertainment options:

• Holiday Skating Extravaganza - Enjoy an evening of holiday spirit on ice at the annual Holiday Skating Extravaganza at the Omaha Civic Auditorium Arena. The show will begin at 7 pm.
• Old Market Shopping and Dining – More than 20 of the Old Market's finest shops and restaurants will be open on Thanksgiving evening until 8 pm or later. Shop, dine, relax with friends and enjoy an evening carriage ride alongside the Gene Leahy Mall.
• Making Spirits Bright Holiday Concert - Bring the family to the Holland Performing Arts Center for a holiday concert featuring Camille Metoyer Moten, Paul Tranisi, Kathy Tyree, Grace Bydalek, Cabaret Theater and the GBT Academy of the Arts. Doors open at 6:45 pm; concert begins at 7 pm. Admission is $5 per person.
• “A Little House Christmas” - Celebrate the spirit of the season at The Rose Theater with a special performance of "A Little House Christmas” at 7:15 pm. It's the late 1800's on the American prairie and the Ingalls family is praying for a miracle. With a brutal winter storm approaching, Pa decides to make a trip to town to gather supplies for the family's Christmas dinner. Laura and her sister Mary do their best to trim the tree and prepare for the holiday celebration, but everyone is worried when Christmas Eve arrives and Pa still hasn't returned. Thanks to the help of a surprise visitor, the Ingalls family is reunited to share in the true spirit of the holidays. Tickets are $10 on Thanksgiving night only - a $6 discount off the regular ticket price. Limited seating is available.
• “Shop Around the Corner”– Come see a classic 1940 holiday film at Film Streams, 14th and Webster Streets. "Matuschek's" is the gift shop around the corner. Among the staff is Alfred Kralik, a likeable young man who's in love with a woman he has never met and whose name he doesn't even know (their “romance” has been conducted through a post office box). When Klara Novak comes to work as a clerk in the shop, the sparks begin to fly... she and Alfred can't stand each other. Of course, what neither knows is that Klara is the woman Alfred has been romancing through the mail! The 1998 film “You’ve Got Mail,” starring Meg Ryan and Tom Hanks is based upon “Shop Around the Corner.” Tickets are $5 on Thanksgiving night only - a $3 discount off the regular ticket price. Limited seating is available.
  
  

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