Summer Date Ideas

Can’t beat this time of year for cute dates! Here’s a roundup of my suggestions for date ideas around Omaha to keep you and your significant other busy this summer.

Visit a farmers market

Is there anything more summery than picking up fresh cut flowers and ripe veggies from the farmers market? Even better if you make a meal together using your market goodies afterward!

Downtown Omaha Farmers Market

Every Saturday morning from 8am - 12:30pm in The Old Market.

Aksarben Farmers Market

Every Sunday morning from 9am - 1pm in Aksarben Village.

Papillion Farmers Market

Every Wednesday evening from 5-8pm near downtown Papillion.

Gretna Farmers Market

Every Saturday morning from 8am - 12pm in downtown Gretna.

Paint like Bob Ross at a park

Pick up a couple of small canvases, paints, and paintbrushes from the craft section at a nearby store. Bring them to a local park and paint the scenery. Want to make it more interesting? Switch canvases every couple of minutes so you really are painting together! Below are a couple of suggestions for parks with lovely views.

Elmwood Park

808 S 60th St, Omaha, NE 68106

Halleck Park

Halleck Park Rd, Papillion, NE 68046

Go roller skating

Grab your skates (or rent a pair) and get out on the rink together. The outdoor skate ribbon at The RiverFront is a nice, scenic spot for skating.

The RiverFront Skate Ribbon

FREE roller skating! Small cost for skate rentals. Make reservations online.
South 8th Street &, Farnam St, Omaha, NE 68102

Catch live music on a patio

One of my favorite patios is Sonny’s. It’s such a vibe in the summer! Every weekend during the warmer months, Sonny’s hosts live music nights, plus karaoke on Thursdays. See their website or social media for the schedule.

Sonny’s

1905 S 67th St, Omaha, NE 68106

Picnic at a park

Gather your favorite snacks and a cozy blanket. Maybe make it a goal to try a new park to picnic at each week! Below are a couple ideas to get you started. See Omaha Parks & Rec’s website for a full list.

Walnut Grove Park

15050 Q St, Omaha, NE 68137

Chalco Hills Recreation Area

8901 S 154th St, Omaha, NE 68138

Do an ice cream crawl

Got a sweet tooth? Sample flavors at different ice cream shops and rank them by your favorites. Here’s a suggested itinerary for your ice cream crawl:

Coneflower Creamery — Blackstone

3921 Farnam St, Omaha, NE 68131

Ted & Wally’s Ultra-Premium Ice Cream — Old Market

1120 Jackson St, Omaha, NE 68102

Centi

(Okay this one’s gelato, but I’m including it anyway because it’s sooo good.)
501 S 11th St, Omaha, NE 68102

Tipico Helado

5210 S 21st St, Omaha, NE 68107

Salsa the night away

Sonny’s hosts outdoor (and FREE) salsa nights every first Saturday of the month. Grab a drink (or mocktail) and get ready to dance.

Sonny’s

1905 S 67th St, Omaha, NE 68106

Challenge each other to $5 garage sale finds

Hit up weekend garage sales and make a game of it. Whoever gets the coolest find for under $5 gets to pick where you grab ice cream afterward.

Find a list of garage sales on the Omaha World Herald’s website.

Play pickleball on an outdoor court

I’ll admit, I’ve totally gotten into the pickleball craze. It’s so fun and easy to learn! My husband and I like trying out different courts around town to keep it interesting.

Omaha Parks

Some courts are reservable and some are first-come-first-served.
See a list of outdoor pickleball courts from Omaha Parks & Rec.

Smash Park

Make a reservation ahead of time through the Smash Park app.
8121 S 125th St, La Vista, NE 68128

Do a patio bar crawl

A “crawl” of anything is an easy way to make an activity out of what would otherwise be just another typical “let’s grab drinks” night. Here’s a suggested itinerary for your patio bar crawl:

The Tenant

6201 Maple St, Omaha, NE 68104

Little Ricky’s Rooftop Bar

148 S 39th St, Omaha, NE 68131

Nite Owl

3902 Farnam St, Omaha, NE 68131

True American

3710 Leavenworth St, Omaha, NE 68105

Mini bowl with live music

Bob & Willie’s Wonderbowl has a nice patio at their Blackstone location. They often host live music nights on the weekend during the summer. It’s a fun time! After mini bowling inside, you can step out onto the patio to enjoy the music.

Bob & Willie’s Wonderbowl

3724 Farnam St, Omaha, NE 68131

Hike through nature

Throw on some sneakers and bug spray. These spots are beautiful and make for a lovely hike together.

Fontenelle Forest

There is an admission fee to enter.
1111 Bellevue Blvd N, Bellevue, NE 68005

Hitchcock Nature Center

There’s a $5 admission fee per car.
27792 Ski Hill Loop, Honey Creek, IA 51542

Neale Woods

There is an admission fee to enter.
14323 Edith Marie Ave, Omaha, NE 68112

Catch a game

Summer is a lively time for catching a game in town! Can’t go wrong with any of these options below.

Omaha Stormchasers

Werner Park: 12356 Ballpark Way, Papillion, NE 68046

Union Omaha

Werner Park: 12356 Ballpark Way, Papillion, NE 68046

College World Series

Charles Schwab Field: 1200 Mike Fahey St, Omaha, NE 68102

See a drive-in movie

Perfect for a nostalgic-feeling date night. Quasar has shows every weekend during their open season, and even offers a free showing on Thursdays. Get there early to find a good spot!

Quasar Drive-In

13427 N 300th St, Valley, NE 68064

Take a stroll through the botanical gardens

The spring and summer are amazing times to visit Lauritzen Gardens. The grounds are beautiful and there’s a lot of space to stroll around outdoors. Plus, just down the street is Little Bohemia so you can easily extend the date with more things to do nearby. Bonus: go on a Monday night and bring your pup for Leashes at Lauritzen!

Lauritzen Gardens

100 Bancroft St, Omaha, NE 68108

Go to Late Nights at the Zoo

On certain evenings during the summer, the Zoo stays open after hours for an adults-only experience. Sip on drinks, enjoy small bites, and visit select areas in the zoo.

Henry Doorly Zoo

3701 S 10th St, Omaha, NE 68107

Climb a ropes course

This was one of my husband’s favorite dates that we’ve done together. Inside Fontenelle Forest is a fun ropes course where you can climb, swing, and zipline through the forest.

TreeRush Adventures

1111 Bellevue Blvd N ste a, Bellevue, NE 68005

Make up your own taco ride

Get out for a bike ride, then stop somewhere for tacos afterward. It’s a choose your own adventure!

Taqueria Tijuana

5139 S 24th St, Omaha, NE 68107

Corner Kitchen

4218 S 50th St, Omaha, NE 68117

Tixteco

2203 S 16th St, Omaha, NE 68108

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