Halloween is somehow already right around the corner, and every year around this time I remember one thing I’ve always wanted to do: put on a full ghillie suit, hide somewhere near the front door, and scare people as they come up for candy.

I have no idea why this has stayed on my bucket list for so long, but the whole idea just sounds like so much fun. For some reason, I’ve also always wanted a ghillie suit. I just think they look super cool.

Maybe this is the year I finally commit to it.

I hope your week has been treating you well, now lets get into it!

We’re officially getting into that time of year where Omaha starts feeling a little chillier every week. Nothing dramatic yet, but you can definitely tell fall is settling in. The good news? Pollen season is finally wrapping up, with low levels pretty much across the board. My sinuses would like to personally thank October.

I’ve been thinking more about the trivia night, and I changed my mind on one thing: it’s going to be free.

Nothing about the event itself is changing. I just realized that for the first one, I’d rather make it as easy as possible for people to come hang out and have a good time.

Still just 40 spots. More next week.

This week: Jim Clements, Founder of Made New Makerspace

Walking into Made New Makerspace feels a little like walking into someone’s imagination after it exploded in the best possible way. As I got a tour, I realized pretty quickly that the place was way bigger than I expected. Someone was welding, projects were spread around, and the whole shop felt busy and alive. Then there’s Jim Clements himself. He is hilarious, incredibly welcoming, and so obviously passionate about what he has built that it is almost impossible not to get excited with him.

Made New started because Jim noticed something while teaching skilled trades in high school. He could teach students how to weld, build, and work on engines, but employers kept telling him the bigger need was soft skills: showing up on time, taking feedback, and working with others. So Jim created a life-skills program and eventually decided to take it beyond the classroom. That led to a pretty wild conversation with his wife: quit his job, cash out his 401(k), start a nonprofit, and probably not take a paycheck for years. “When she didn’t immediately kill me, I knew it was meant to be.”

Made New officially started in 2018 at Jim’s dining room table with two 3D printers. From there came library meeting rooms, then a 900-square-foot space, and eventually the makerspace I walked into. Today, Made New has worked with more than 8,000 young people through hands-on classes, life-skills training, refurbished laptops, and paid work opportunities. Jim told me about one teenager who made a steel rose during a welding class and decided, “I want to do this forever.” Four years later, he is welding boats in Florida.

That story fits how Jim sees young people. He told me adults are often too quick to treat “they don’t know how” like the end of the sentence. To him, it is a comma. One student named Valier reluctantly took sewing classes until Vicky, who teaches the textile program, pointed out that she could make money with the skill. Valier eventually started selling what she made at flea markets and online. After earning about $200 in profit at one market, she came back and handed Made New $20 because they were the ones who helped her get there. Jim said his heart melted.

The funny thing is, Jim has basically been preparing for this his whole life. His family told me that as a toddler he was already taking apart household items and creating enough chaos that screwdrivers apparently had to be kept out of reach. Decades later, he is still tinkering, except now he has built a place where thousands of young people can do it too. His dream is eventually an enormous makerspace serving even more of Omaha. After spending time there, I have a feeling he’ll figure out a way to build that too.

Learn more about Made New Makerspace →

01 - Banana Ball is coming to Omaha!

Omaha's getting a taste of baseball's wild side! The Banana Ball Championship League is headed to Charles Schwab Field on September 3–4, 2027, featuring the Firefighters and Party Animals. Expect trick plays, dancing, and plenty of entertainment. Tickets will be distributed through a lottery, so getting a seat might be part of the challenge.

02 - Ice skating before November?

Winter is arriving a little early at Heartwood Park. Winterland's outdoor ice rink is reopening October 31, its earliest opening yet. Even better, skating and rentals are completely free! Opening day includes a showing of The Nightmare Before Christmas, making it a pretty fitting way to spend Halloween.

If you want to see your picture featured here, click the button below and send it my way!

Thank you to Matt for this super awesome photo.

6:00 PM | Durham After Dark
A 21+ Halloween night takes over historic Union Station, with the museum staying open late until 10. More details

8:00 PM | PWP WrestleVania
Independent pro wrestling gets a spooky-season twist for PWP’s annual WrestleVania. More details

5:00 PM | Baseballoween
Werner Park opens for free trick-or-treating, activity stations, and a Halloween movie on the giant videoboard. More details

6:30 PM | Zootacular
Glowing paths, trick-or-treating, live entertainment, and after-hours animal encounters take over the zoo. More details

7:30 PM | Complexions Contemporary Ballet
Athletic contemporary ballet meets the music of Lenny Kravitz in Love Rocks. More details

11:55 PM | The Rocky Horror Picture Show
The cult classic returns for a midnight showing, complete with prop kits and pre-film entertainment. More details

10:00 AM | The Luminarium’s Fright Lab
Trick-or-treating meets strange science for a full day of Halloween experiments and activities. More details

6:30 PM | Joe Gatto
The Impractical Jokers star brings his stand-up show to Omaha for the weekend. More details

7:30 PM | Tim Burton’s The Nightmare Before Christmas
Watch the full movie on the big screen while the Omaha Symphony performs Danny Elfman’s score live. More details

8:00 AM | Hot Cider Hustle
Run a 5K, 10K, or half marathon around Zorinsky, then finish with hot cider and caramel apples. More details

3:00 PM | Liz Kay’s Fallout Launch Party
A free local book launch brings together Omaha writers, conversation, and live music. More details

And that’s a wrap on week six. If you made it all the way down here, thank you for spending a little bit of your Wednesday with me.

If you liked this issue, send it to someone you think would enjoy it too.

See you next Wednesday 😄