Worth the $35? You bet. So many things to try! A smattering of food options, as well, although an…read moreextra truck or two might have been appreciated due to some long lines. Great to see so many homebrews - that was probably my favorite part about the whole thing. My only disappointment was there were not many black ales to sip on (my favorite), unless you were a VIP. Music was okay if you like country. Supposedly many Nebraskans do... I hope I have the opportunity to go next year, because I definitely will!

****2016**** This is…read morecertainly not my first foray into the great world that is Craft Beer. This staple of my year makes the journey to Stinson Park like a Hajj to to Mecca for me. This year it was a bit sparse in terms of brewers. I did not see Blind Tiger, for instance, but Defiance was there. The Friday evening setup was really just OK. I even left a bit early. I handed out a bunch of swag and everybody I talked to was in good spirits. Friday has the Homebrew Expo and that is always solid. Saturday always has the VIP access and some one off specials for them. See you there!

I finally made it to Junkstock! I'd heard so many great things about this "treasure trove of junk…read morein the middle of nowhere," and while I'm glad I got to check it out, it wasn't quite what I expected. It's more about day drinking and browsing boutique goods and expensive antiques than discovering hidden treasures. The location is literally in the middle of a field, so if it rains, it gets muddy fast. While it was cute, it's not a place I'll attend regularly. A fun experience once (mostly because I got to spend time with my bestie), but for a hardcore thrifter who loves a good deal, it was not the trove of treasures I had imagined.

Fun, fun, fun!! there was lots to see and lots to do. I believe we were there for about 3 1/2…read morehours. You could pretty much get lost in that place. Also had a car show going on at the time if you're into vendors crafts and finding crazy little items everywhere and food this is the place Would do it again. Might wait until the second or third day though we went on the first day and there were lots of people very crowded but they kept the traffic moving pretty good and they kept the parking flowing!! overall great experience!!

My husband drinks wine, but I do not so that was not the highlight of my visit. I absolutely loved…read moreseeing the hot air balloons. It was really cool and a great one time experience. I had always wanted to go to the balloon and wine festival in Temecula California but we never did it. They had lots of food trucks and small local vendors. They also had a band and a DJ. It was pretty crowded but not so much that you couldn't get through. It was a nice night but probably just a one time experience for us. If you've never been, I suggest you try it out.

This is the second time attending this event. It is now held in a local park next to the old…read moredowntown Elkhorn. I tried purchasing tickets online just to find out that the online ticket discount had ended two days before the event. The entrance along with 5 tasting was $21 at the entrance. Ok price but not worth the quality of the wines. Lots of local table wines and one whisky to try. The balloon inflated at night which was a nice sight but they never lifted off the floor. The last event I went to a few yrs ago, same thing happened...and one of the vendor told me that the night before the balloons did not launch either. They were nice to look at though. It was also close to 100F and I witnessed a close medical emergency with an older lady, I ran to ask one of the sponsors if they had cooling stations for people and they just looked confused. We were able to get the older lady to a shady area and provide cold water. The band playing did a great job trying to cheer the crowd, but it was just one type of music the whole night...and if no balloons were launched or (ever meant to be launched), at least get the crowd dancing with a good DJ or a variety of entertainment. I enjoyed the event overall, but I've been to better events in the Omaha area and they were free. With that said, there is potential for the event to improve.

I've been to this Renfaire for several years, and it is always a great time!…read moreThe park is very much on theme for the Renaissance, and the majority of attendees dress the part impressively. It's always a great time walking around the vendor booths, plenty to look at and a wide variety for purchase The food and drink lines can get pretty insane -- food more so than drinks. I was able to get nachos, and they were fantastic. The drinks that I saw looked great as well. I've heard that the owner of the farm is very difficult to work with, but that is the only negative to this. Well worth the ticket price to check this out!!

NOT a 'family-friendly' event. I got here a bit late in the day, so either they choose the absolute…read moreworst to be the closing acts on stages, or this festival used to have more acts with stories and meaning, creativity and magic (and talent) to them, things that were more truly family-friendly that had everyone engaged with minimal lewdness (pirates excluded, but they at least usually started theirs with a warning), and even have educational sections where you could learn what it was really like to live back then. Now, it's mostly a bunch of stupidity, and vendors selling items from Temu for thrice the price, with maybe a small handful of people selling unique handmade goods that aren't mass-produced 3D prints. One act I had the displeasure of seeing was the "Unicorn Unicyclist." That title and the logo alone is an immediate attention grab for little kids. But what you get is a grown man giving a one sexual innuendo after the other that were supposed to pass as 'jokes,' while what weren't explicit innuendoes were at the expense of others. Fun fact: The Lord of the Rings trilogy was one of the highest grossing movies to date, and has no profanity or sexual innuendos, and encouraged loyalty and respect. And yet, adults adore it to this day. It's possible to entertain a crowd without that; you just have to actually be witty and creative to do it. Food was also sub-par, with the turkey legs extremely tough. Musicians were good, though.

I went Saturday afternoon at 4:00 and the music was not good. I got food and honestly it was just…read moremeh. There are so many good Italian restaurants in town, they could have done better.

Great food, great music and ice cold Peroni. I have been going to Santa Lucia since i was little…read morewhen it was still where it should be - on sixth street in little italy. The location is the only reason for a less than five star rating.

Well organized event. There is an area to park…read more And a golf cart to bring attendees to the tents. Food trucks in a corner. Drinks and art n craft booths, clothes, sunscreen, soap and other products. It was fun walking around shopping and tasting Will be back next year!

I have never been to SIP before, I am usually a TOAST wine fest girl…read more Now that I've tried both, here's the breakdown: Ticket pricing: TOAST: $65-120 depending on the day you go or if you want to go both days and if you want the early bird admission. DD tickets are $25. No kids allowed at all. SIP: $55-110 depending on the day you go or if you want to go both days. They also have early bird admission. DD is $15 for one day and $25 for 2, and they state that kids are allowed in. Location: SIP is located inside Mahoney State Park, you have to pay $7 to get into the park. It's harder to get an Lyft or Uber out of the park and a DD ticket is $15. TOAST is located in Aksarben, no parking fees and it's easy to get a Lyft or Uber. They also have DD tickets at TOAST for $25 and you have to be 21+. Kids: That brings me to another difference between the two, SIP lets you bring kids. TOAST has a strict no kids rule. There was not a ton of kids at the SIP event but I'm sure if I had gone earlier in the day or gone a different day it may have changed. I usually prefer TOAST for the kid free time, this is a personal preference though. The pours/tastings: SIP is generous with the pours, they also have multiple kinds of alcohol. There are distilleries, cider houses, wineries, and breweries all throughout the streets. This is nice for those who want more than the usual wine and limited cider that TOAST has. It can be seen as more bang for the buck, considering you can mix alcohol and get tipsy pretty quick. You can get some great deals on canned cocktails, good recipes for liquor that you buy and solid pours of beer, canned cocktails, and liquor. The wine pours are more of a tasting poor unless you get a vendor who is generous. TOAST is definitely a taste to buy set up, you get a little taste and some background from the vendors and you can choose a bottle based on their knowledge and your taste. No beers, liquors or canned cocktails are usually found at TOAST. But you can always find wine slushees, canned ciders, and deals on specific wines. Vendors: SIP has a smaller amount of vendors compared to TOAST. They both have a variety of boutiques, candles, flowers, dips, spreads, crackers and something for animals too (treats usually). Activities: SIP has dance lessons, bingo, goat yoga, live music, corn hole, and a trolly that takes you through the park. TOAST has live music and some bingo, along with some yard games. The area that they cover is vastly different. Food: Both have food trucks, SIP had about 5 and TOAST has between 7-9. Things from BBQ to Greek food is available. Very good selection from both. Extra: SIP has free water for the whole event no matter how many you need, they've got you covered. You should bring a bag if you are planning to buy multiple things, the parking makes it easy to take stuff back to the car though. TOAST you only get water if you get the VIP package. You also get a tote to haul your wine around in if you buy any bottles but the tote only holds 4-6 bottles. Overall, SIP was wonderful. It had great people, food, and generous pours. 10/10 experience and I am excited to see what they have next year!

Truly unlimited amounts of beer and bacon dishes at this event! They served: 1) bacon gazpacho (2)…read morebacon pork tacos 3) bacon cheeseburger sliders 4) Pulled pork Bacon sliders 5) signature bacon ice cream. All of this food was courtesy of Ameristar's Casino.. surprising! The gazpacho, sliders, and ice cream were super good. The ice cream was both sweet and savory with a mild hint of spice to it.. made in-house!! Beer was courtesy of Keg Creek Brewing in Glenwood, IA. Not bad! Their Apricot is definitely my #1 pick! Only complaint about today was not being able to eat and drink more.. !!

The venue is so cool it's right on the river. The food was outstanding! I was so impressed for a…read morefood festival how gourmet each dish was. I was a little disappointed in the beer selection. I hope the next festival brings in a different vendor.

We had the luck of winning some tickets to maha this year and I'm SO GRATEFUL for them because we…read moretruly had such a good time!! I was pleasantly surprised with how well aksarben showed up - I have never been to Maha before so I didn't know what to expect, but it was generously supplied with vendors, events, and other fun things to do. I loved the music and the way they were able to set up the amphitheater, they had great artists and everyone seemed to have an awesome time. There was such a variety of vendors you didn't miss out on any one thing -- from chalk, to jewelry, to lotions, to thrift tees, to skateboarding and a whole entire area dedicated to crafts and art thanks to mill work, there was plenty to do and enjoy!! I personally didn't go all day or in the afternoon time, I could see how you could spend about 2-3 hours here but anything more than that would've been too much for me. It a was a beautiful night and a great environment, I wish the Ferris wheel was open longer so that we could've gotten a ride but the line was as long as the street! They also had free water which was awesome to see how they were trying their best to take care of everyone who came. I was impressed by this event and hope to return next year!

Maha 2017 is in the books and absolutely my favorite Maha to date. Spent way too much money on…read moregoods from local vendors and, let's face it, a lot of $6 beers (shoutout to Lyft for the safe ride home). Main reason I loved this year is getting to see Belle & Sebastian live in Omaha. The crew from Glasgow is one of my longtime/all-time favorite groups and their set was magical. Really fitting/beautiful how the sun set behind the stage as they performed. Also saw The Faint for the first time in probably a decade and had to get down and dance -- because when you see The Faint, you dance. The drag I took from some rando dude's (tobacco ;]) joint helped with that. Hey it's what you do at music festivals. Great times all around and one of the best annual events in Omaha!

I absolutely loved it and have high hopes of returning next year to try even more of the goodies…read morethey had there, it was just so many things to enjoy I wished I could have tasted everything. Beautiful music great drinks and overall great way to celebrate. I tried the kourabiedes, brought back so many memories from my childhood, I used to actually live in Greece so I was extremely excited to see these amazing cookies! The gyro and tzatziki were AMAZING just like they make it in Greece I mean it was like I was actually back there eating my favorite foods. You can never go wrong with a Greek chicken salad and that amazing dressing!!! Oh wow definitely nostalgic event for me. 10/10 recommend

I had never been to the Greek Festival before and it was SO much fun! The Greek pastries were…read moredelicious, the festival food was fantastic, and the entertainment was top-notch. The Food: We had the lamb gyro, the chicken gyro, and fries, along with the Greek beer (Mythos). The gyros were delicious - the chicken and lamb were seasoned to perfection! We stayed inside to eat, as the heat outside was getting pretty heavy - but we did want to get outside for a bit too to see the dancers and hear the music. Outside, we had a few more Mythos, and the Loukoumathes pastries - which were little balls of fried dough covered in a honey sauce. They were so good, we had to grab a second order after we finished off the first Once we were at the tent outside, we also got to enjoy the Greek dance troupe and music. They came dancing through the audience too, which was so fun. I had never been to this festival before, but suffice to say - I will definitely be back!

We came down town for this because of the newly renovated mall area, we had family in town who had…read morenever seen it! It was absolutely gorgeous and awe worthy!! The lights are gorgeous and we timed it out with fireworks so we that we able to capture all the magic!! It runs for about a month between Thanksgiving and New Years and we will definitely be back next year!

This is a yearly tradition downtown, beginning with the lighting of the Gene Leahy Mall and the…read morerest of downtown, the night of Thanksgiving. It is always nice to see all the lights during the Holidays, especially Leahy Mall with all of the trees lit. On the Con Agra campus, there is a skating rink that opens at 1 pm daily. For $5.00, you can rent skates and skate for as long as you want. A great activity for you and the kids or even a date. Warm up with some hot chocolate afterward. The closing ceremony finishes on New Years Eve, with a free fireworks show.