Taste of Omaha moving this year’s event to Ralston

RALSTON, Neb. (WOWT) - Taste of Omaha will go on this year — but not in Omaha.

Instead, this year’s Taste of Omaha — slated for June 2-4 — will happen at the Granary district and the Liberty First Credit Union Arena in Ralston, event organizers announced Monday morning.

“We wanted to continue the event in 2023, and we were very encouraged by the community coming forward with a lot of suggestions,” festival director Mike Mancuso said. “We reviewed many many ideas; but right away, (this was) one of the first locations that was mentioned to us — and Mayor Don Groesser and his team put together an excellent plan.”

The event has hit some bumps in Omaha in recent months that left questions as to whether the Omaha foodie festival would happen at all this year. After the Omaha City Council denied a liquor license for the Taste of Omaha festival at Elmwood Park this year, organizers told the council the event wouldn’t happen without it.

“When we heard Taste of Omaha was not going to be held in Elmwood Park, we got our team together along with The Granary; and we worked really hard to put a plan together to entice them to come and to utilize our facilities here. And we’re really really glad you’ve made that decision, and you’re coming to Ralston,” Ralston Mayor Don Groesser said during Monday’s announcement.

Alcohol sales will be allowed at the Ralston event. Organizers said its 26th annual event will be just the same as it has been in Omaha, with more than 40 vendors outdoors across two locations — just a short walk from one another, with a shuttle available for those who might need a ride. There will also be more live music in both spaces.

“We are encouraged by the plans, working through the opportunity of featuring both of these amazing venues and connecting them with a short walk, with more activities with kids zone, stage, rides for kids, as well as our marketplace displays that you can walk between the two venues and have concerts at both locations,” Mancuso said.

Sales tax revenue from “Ralston presents the Taste of Omaha” will to the Ralston Community Foundation to help the City of Ralston with its upcoming parks projects, Groesser said Monday.

“This is very very exciting news for Ralston,” the mayor said. “We’ve been working on our city for — I’ve been the mayor for a long time — and one of the things we’ve been trying to do is really create an atmosphere that would bring events like this to the City of Ralston.”

Taste of Omaha organizers said they had intended to return the festival to the RiverFront this year but could not do so until next year, when Heartland of America Park is set to reopen.

Organizers said they do intend for the event to return to The RiverFront next year.

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Digital Director Gina Dvorak contributed to this report.

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