Adventures on Water by Molly Nance While Lincoln is known for its wonderful parks and bike paths, its lakes are hidden gems for outdoor recreation.  Lincoln has several of these water playgrounds in and around the city. The largest public lake in town is Holmes Lake, centered between 56th and 70th Streets and Normal Boulevard and Pioneers Boulevard. It’s a beautiful setting for a 2.5 mile walk around the lake or for tossing a Frisbee to your friend in the wide, grass-covered meadows. You’ll see people of all ages fishing along the shore, enjoying a picnic under the trees or paddling their ..read more

by Tyler A. Thomas  Growing up in a military family, we naturally traveled a lot. Between moves to different duty stations to visiting cities, states and countries on the weekends, my parents never wanted to waste time just hanging out at home. This type of explorer energy is ingrained in me and as I began to become more independent, first earning my drivers license, exploring my city and its surroundings was welcomed and encouraged.  At 16, I started searching for and sampling new coffee shops and smoothie stands driving my passion to eat and drink local. When I later moved to Linco ..read more

Sriyani Tidball, editor and publisher, balances the production of Lincoln Today with various other projects for Tidball Productions. The UNL graduate holds a degree in architecture and a master’s degree in journalism. She completed 10 years on the UNL faculty teaching advertising, PR and human rights. Now she works part-time in the UNL human rights program. This energetic mother of four and grandmother of five splits her time between the U.S. and her native Sri Lanka, where she and her family have devoted themselves to projects that assist the poor and combat human trafficking worldwide. She r ..read more

by Sriyani Tidball Lincoln’s new flag was the result of the competition Reflag Lincoln, when the city launched out a contest inspiring all designers to take part in helping Lincoln get a new flag. The winning flag, entitled All Roads Lead to Lincoln, was created by Ed Mejia, a Lincoln resident, the creative director, art director, and graphic designer in one of Lincoln’s businesses. There were 190 submissions and Mejia’s design was selected as the winner by an eight-person committee in charge of the project. According to Mejia, he picked the colors very carefully and was inspired by the colors ..read more

Bike Share in the Lincoln Community, by the Lincoln Community by Logan Spackman BikeLNK bikes landed on the streets of Lincoln in 2018 through the combined efforts of University of Nebraska-Lincoln students and administration and Lincoln community leaders committed to bringing this innovative transportation option to the capital city. Brought to Lincoln as part of a Congestion Mitigation and Air Quality grant awarded to the City of Lincoln, BikeLNK is managed through partnership between the City of Lincoln which owns the equipment and the 501c3 nonprofit operator ROAM, Nebraska’s premier activ ..read more

by Tyler A. Thomas I have to admit something. I have an addiction. I am addicted to sweets. I love the smells. I love the taste. I love the tiny spot in my stomach that always has a vacancy. It has not always been like this. But coming out of the pandemic and raising two kids, “what’s for dessert?” is a constant topic around our table. There’s something about that “palate cleanser” as my dad would call it. That final sweet sensation to finish off a meal, it’s always on the top of my mind. And Lincoln is no stranger to the sweets game. Searching to score something sweet is easy. Maybe it’s a Mi ..read more

by Erik Brodin Higgins The Crossroads Music Festival is the largest multicultural and multi-genre festival of its kind in the Midwest and takes place in Lincoln, Nebraska from July 29th to August 6th, 2023. World-class performances spanning classical, soul, folk, hip-hop and a unique blend of styles defying traditional classification make up the festival’s nine days. The concerts animate the narratives of the many cultural groups that call Nebraska home in a week-long celebration of Nebraska’s rich cultural heritage. Between 50-80 musicians congregate in Lincoln for the festival, among them in ..read more

by Cynthia Peterson Leaders in cities large and small are coming to realize that music can be an economic generator and drive tourism, while improving the lives of its citizens. Though part of Lincoln’s master plan—which looks holistically at how the city can improve—a downtown music district was officially blessed by Lincoln Mayor Leirion Gaylor Baird in her ‘State of Lincoln’ speech on October 4, 2022. Citing the desire for Lincoln to be in the vanguard of the “Music Cities” movement in the U.S., Gaylor Baird announced the Music District Advisory Committee to “support and drive development o ..read more

by Dave Mlnarik The Cornhusker State Games, held annually in mid-July, is one of the nation’s largest multi-sport athletic festivals with 70 different sports conducted at more than 50 different venues, primarily in Lincoln and the surrounding area.  A total of 9,245 athletes participated in 2022 in events ranging from traditional Olympic sports like swimming, wrestling, and track & field, to more recreational activities like fishing, cornhole and bowling. The variety of sports helps attract an audience ranging in age from under five to 90 in a typical year. The Opening Ceremonies—comp ..read more

by Sriyani Tidball  Lincoln’s culture has changed dramatically in the past decades, as it is home to many cultures, who also have their own centers. These are not only a tool to help the many immigrants and refugees who call our welcoming city home, but also a celebration of how wonderfully diverse our city is.  The growth and influx of recent immigrants is having a notable impact on Lincoln communities. Refugees and immigrants, breathe new life into urban communities by establishing businesses, sharing their culture, and revitalizing neighborhoods. In the 1980s the refugee populatio ..read more