21 can't-miss things to do in Lincoln this week (2/28)

Good morning, Lincoln. Settle in, sip whatever gets you going, and let The Lincoln Brief serve up everything you need to know for the week ahead ☕️

In today’s edition:

• Bump, set, spike 🏐 

• Potholes beware 🕳️ 

• Preschool season 🎒 

• 20+ things to do 📆 

Let’s get to it.

This week’s highlights

🏐 Want courtside tickets?

This summer, Lincoln will become the center of the college volleyball universe, with 10 powerhouse teams going head to head at the AVCA First Serve Showcase. Nebraska, Creighton, Penn State, and more will hit the court at Pinnacle Bank Arena from Aug. 22–24, and pre-sale tickets go live on Thursday at noon →

🚧 It’s officially pothole season

Ah, spring in Nebraska: the birds chirp, the sun shines, and the roads try to swallow your car whole. Our potholes are reportedly on the decline and LTU crews are patching as fast as they can — but they have a mission for you: report the worst offenders before they claim another tire →

🎒 Your little’s first step to world domination

If you’ve got a tiny human ready for preschool this fall, Lincoln Parks and Rec has indoor and outdoor options. Registration for both open tomorrow at 9 am →

Other highlights this week:

• ProRail Nebraska Board Meeting | Tomorrow @ 2 pm

• AFSP 2025 Advocacy Action Day | Tuesday @ 9 am

• The Power of School Gardens | Tuesday @ 6 pm

• Injury prevention education night | Tuesday @ 7:15 pm

• Foot & ankle pain workshop | Wednesday @ 7 pm

Here’s your weekly Lincoln brief, featuring (at least) 20 things worth checking out over the next seven days 👇

Today - February 28th

🍻 Craft beer and comfort food? Say less

4:30 pm: B’s Kitchen and Empyrean Brewing Co. are teaming up for a tap takeover at Wine, Beer & Spirits, and you’re invited. Expect specialty bites from B’s Kitchen and a lineup of craft brews that’ll make you forget it’s still February →

👶 Play, pizza, and pint-sized adventures

5 pm: Little Beans Play Cafe is turning Family Date Night into a full-blown adventure for your little ones (and a sanity break for you). Your ticket includes crafts, keepsakes, a scavenger hunt, pizza, and juice — AKA everything you need for an evening of wholesome chaos →

🍷 Try 25 different wines (it’s for the dogs)

6:30 pm: Think you can spot a $50 Cabernet from a $5 one? Corks for a Cause is putting your taste buds to the test at The Warm Cookie. Grab a partner, bring three identical bottles of Cab, and spend the evening blind-tasting up to 25 different varieties. Proceeds benefit Brave Animal Rescue, so you’ll be sipping for a good cause →

Tomorrow - March 1st

🎉 Nebraska’s birthday bash is on

9 am - 4 pm: The Nebraska History Museum is throwing a free-admission Statehood Day party, and it’s got everything you didn’t know you needed: scavenger hunts, square dancing, free cupcakes & Kool-Aid, hands-on crafts, and a fossil puzzle made of mammoth bones →

Keep the education rolling with Read Across America’s Super Saturday, including a book swap, STEP activities, story times throughout the day, a scavenger hunt, and more →

🧇 Love waffles? Same

8 am - 1 pm: The Chocolate Season’s Famous Waffle Weekend is back — with a Food Network stamp of approval, you know these waffles mean business. Expect eight rotating creations packed with sweet and savory goodness, plus handcrafted coffee, fresh-baked pastries, and the kind of chocolate treats that’ll have you sneaking back for seconds →

Can’t make it? Same time, same place on Sunday too.

🥂 Onesies for a good cause

2 pm: The KX96.9 Onesie Bar Crawl is cozier (and boozier) than ever. Rock your favorite onesie, hop between Haymarket bars, and enjoy drink specials all while raising money for Operation Warm, which provides winter coats for kids in need. Your ticket gets you automatic entry into prize giveaways and access to exclusive drink deals →

🐾 This fundraiser is nacho average event

5 pm: The Furry Fiesta: Nacho Average Trivia Paw-ty at Off Leash Dog Bar is serving up nachos, brain-teasing trivia, and dog-friendly fun — all for a great cause. Chow down from 5 - 6:30, then test your knowledge for a chance to win some awesome prizes. Bring your pup, grab a drink, and support Lincoln Animal Ambassadors →

Sunday - March 2nd

🛠️ One person’s trash is another’s treasure

7 am: If your garage looks like a time capsule of unfinished projects, the Rocky Manginelli Swap Meet is your chance to clear it out and make a few bucks. Even if you have nothing you need to part with, you may find some new treasures →

🤖 Build, swap, and geek out over Gunpla

2 pm: Whether you’re a seasoned builder or just getting started, the Gunpla Builders Meetup at Hobbytown is the place to be →

🎭 Roosters and… revenge?

2 pm: The Salon Reading Series is tackling Acanthus by Jordan Morille — a dark comedy set in 1887 Texas, where a widowed rancher storms into a saloon seeking vengeance for her murdered rooster. What follows? A chaotic tangle of secrets, showdowns, and surprises →

Can’t make it? You can catch it at 6:30 on Wednesday too.

Monday - March 3rd

🍻 Get a really cool glass for free

3 pm - close: Empyrean Brewing Co. and Lazlo’s South are making your Monday a little sweeter (and boozier). Buy any Empyrean beer, and you’ll score a free limited-edition glass while supplies last. Happy Hour runs from 3 - 6 for $2 off your pint →

🕺 Learn how to line dance

7:45 pm: Always wanted to learn but afraid of looking like a baby giraffe? Line Dance 101 at Nebraska Ballroom Dance is kicking off its eight-week beginner-friendly class that’ll have you boot-scootin’ with confidence →

Tuesday - March 4th

🥞 $5 for unlimited pancakes

6 am: Hy-Vee is flipping stacks on stacks (an unlimited number of times) for $5 at multiple Lincoln locations. Whether you’re a syrup minimalist or a butter enthusiast, this All You Can Eat Pancake deal is an early morning win →

🚲 Flat tire? Fix it like a pro (for free)

6 pm: Trek Bicycle Lincoln’s Fix-a-Flat Bike Maintenance Clinic is your chance to learn essential bike repairs, including flats, roadside fixes, and safety checks →

👻 Beetlejuice, Beetlejuice… better stop there

7:30 pm: The ghost with the most is taking over Lied Center for Performing Arts in Beetlejuice - The Musical. Expect outrageous humor, over-the-top sets, and earworm-worthy songs that bring the cult-classic film to life. It’s weird, it’s wild, and it’s wonderfully unhinged — just the way Beetlejuice should be →

There are several other dates and times if Tuesday doesn’t work for you.

Wednesday - March 5th

⚾ Take me out to the ball game

2:05 pm: The wait is over! Nebraska Baseball kicks off their home season at Hawks Field, taking on the South Dakota State Jackrabbits. Grab everything you own that’s red, bring your loudest cheer, and let’s make sure the Jackrabbits regret showing up →

🍤 Learn to make paella

5:30 pm: Whether you cook because you have to or because you enjoy it, this Spanish Paella Cooking Class has you covered. You’ll learn how to make a seafood paella worthy of a Spanish villa — plus rosemary garlic focaccia, marinated olives, and lemon olive oil cake →

🎣 Tie your own flies

6 pm: Ready to up your fishing game? Fly Tying for Beginners at Turpin Outdoor Education Center will teach you how to craft the perfect flies for trout and panfish season. No experience? No problem. The $10 class covers materials, tools, and expert guidance from Nebraska Game and Parks Commission + Cornhusker Fly Fishers. Bonus: You’ll leave with 4-6 hand-tied flies and the skills to make more →

Can’t make it? You’ll have another chance on March 9th from 2 - 4 pm.

Thursday - March 6th

📙 Various family-friendly activities at the library

From family story time (at multiple locations) to music and movement, toddler time, stay & play, and family fun night, there are thirteen programs throughout the day →

🎨 Your hobby squad awaits

3:30 - 5:30 pm: Got an army of gray plastic waiting to be painted? Hobby Hangout at Warhammer Lincoln is your chance to sit down, swap tips, and make some progress with fellow hobbyists. Bring your models, paints, and brushes →

Live music, films, gatherings, & entertainment

This weekend:

• 2/28 RuPaul's Watch Party @ DAME – 7 pm

• 2/28 Plan B Happy Hour @ 1867 – 7:30 pm

• 2/28 Dirty Boots @ Lincoln Eagles FOE 147 – 7:30 pm

• 2/28 Valley Creatures w/ Beyond Bananas @ The Zoo Bar – 9 pm

• 2/28 Avicii Tribute Show @ The Royal Grove – 9 pm

• 2/28 No Motive @ Big 10 Sports Bar – 9 pm

• 2/28 Josh Hoyer @ Gray's Keg – 9 pm

• 3/1 Johnny Cash Tribute @ The Zoo Bar - 5 pm

• 3/1 Smutty Bingo @ Gray’s Keg – 8 pm

• 3/1 4 on the Floor @ Big 10 Sports Bar - 9 pm

• 3/2 Del Sol Quartet @ Lied Center for Performing Arts - 3 pm

• 3/2 Roots Music Jam @ The Zoo Bar – 4 pm

• 3/2 Music Bingo @ The Small Bar – 5:30 pm

Next week:

• 3/3 Bobby Gadoury & Sharon Kreimer @ Capital Jazz - 7 pm

• 2/5 Dirty Red and The Soul Shakers @ The Zoo Bar - 6 pm

• 3/5 Women of Broadway: A Cabaret Tribute @ Screamers - 7 pm

• 3/6 Open Mic Nights @ The Hub Cafe - 5 pm

• 3/6 Classic Country Divas @ Screamers - 7 pm

• 3/6 Game Night @ DAME - 7pm

• 3/6 Southall w/ Wight Lighters @ Bourbon Theatre - 8 pm

• 3/6 Trapt | Acoustic Show @ The Royal Grove - 8 pm

Price Is Right - Lincoln edition

How it works: We’re going to give you some facts about a home for sale, including a picture of the outside, the kitchen, and a bathroom. Your job? Guess how much it’s listed for (preferably before you click to find out).

Listed by: Tiffany Heier and Abby Burmeister (HOME Real Estate)

This 2020 parade home in the East Lincoln Wandering Creek neighborhood has five bedrooms, three bathrooms, and 3,184 square feet of natural light and stylish finishes. The kitchen features a six-burner stove, there’s a three-stall garage, and the yard is fully fenced with professional landscaping.

It’s charming, updated, and fresh in a location that’s hard to beat for families and anyone looking for a quiet place to call home.

Make your guess, then (and only then)… see how much it costs →

Lincoln fun & games

As always, this week’s wordle features a 5-letter word hidden inside this edition. Let us know how many guesses it takes you!

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Trivia question of the week

❓Question: National Anthem Day is March 3rd. How long after The Star Spangled Banner was written did it become our national anthem?

🤔 Hint: Only six people (on record) have ever lived this long.

Reply and shoot us your best guess (no cheating!) - Same time, same place next week → we’ll share the answer and a fresh question to ponder.

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Last week’s answer: 26,372 feet. 

See ya next week!

P.S. Know of an event or business we should share, interested in certain types of events & stories, or want to ask a question? Feel free to reply (or email us) any time.