Happy Friday, Lincoln. You know the drill – grab your coffee (or whatever you sip in the morning), kick back, and let Lincoln Brief serve up everything you need to know for the weekend ahead.

📰 In the news

Local happenings: Lincoln families pick free blooms with kind notes, educators are using speech tracking gadgets to boost early literacy, and Otoe-Missouria art takes center stage — catch up here.

State-level stories: Bruce Springsteen’s restored Electric Nebraska sessions, a new ranking of Nebraska’s top workplaces by employee survey, and fresh cropland soil health baseline data — see what else is brewing.

National headlines: Mortgage rates are trending down, investors catapult gold above 3500 an ounce, and a tropical wave eyes the Antilles — peruse the best of the rest.

Highlights this week

• Watch free Native American film screenings
• Learn to prevent child sexual abuse
• Play mini golf with adoptable pets
• Savor global flavors, support Good Neighbor
• Anxiety about debt? Get a free consultation

🫶 We got your back

Treats: When the sun’s shining you want a treat that feels like a hug in a cone. Lincoln’s ice cream spots serve generous scoops and seasonal twists that hit the sweet spot.

Perks: Trying to untangle Nebraska’s benefits feels like solving a Rubik’s Cube in a dark room. This 2025 eligibility guide breaks down every program you could qualify for so you’re no longer lost in the maze.

Taqueria: From perfectly charred tortillas to fillings that demand a double order, Tacos Los Hermanos – Lincoln brings the kind of flavor that requires extra napkins and zero regrets.

Bargain shopping: The best finds aren’t always on store shelves. Amazon’s Deals Page is like a never-ending treasure hunt where the good stuff costs less, with new discounts dropping daily.

Save: The average driver pays $175 a month for car insurance, but most of us are paying way more than we should. If it’s been a while since you shopped around, you’re likely part of that “most of us.” This comparison tool may save you hundreds.

👀 Why just read it when you could be in it?

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📆 Around town this weekend

All events are subject to change without notice. This is entirely outside our control. Please check official event pages and social media for the most up to date information.

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Today

🤖 Daft Punk Night @ The Royal Grove | Friday (9/5) at 9:00pm – If you’ve been itching to break out your robot helmet, The Royal Grove is spinning Daft Punk, Justice, Kavinsky, and disco bangers all night. Pack nostalgia, neon, and a healthy sense of irony; adulthood insists raves need refined tastes.

🔊 Ghettoblaster @ Big 10 Sports Bar & Grill | Friday (9/5) at 9:00pm – Kickoff eve got a soundtrack upgrade at Big 10 Downtown, where Ghettoblaster spins beats loud enough to rouse the block. Five bucks gets you in, a sea of red shirts, and enough room to perfect your touchdown dance. No actual clowns, we promise.

This weekend

🚗 Five Nines Cars and Coffee @ Five Nines | Saturday (9/6) at 9:00am – Roll out of bed and into a morning of gleaming classics and fresh brews. At Five Nines’ Cars & Coffee, you’ll ogle anything from ’60s convertibles, souped-up econoboxes, and sleek exotics, while New Day Coffee’s truck pours the good stuff. Free, no sign-up needed.

🌽 Husker Huddle @ Wick Alumni Center | Saturday (9/6) at 2:30pm – Akron Husker Huddle is firing up the pre-game tailgate with free pizza while supplies last, plus adult and non-alcoholic drinks for purchase, a Kona Ice truck, yard games, and kids’ activities. Think laid-back revelry, mild chaos, and that pre-game buzz without the crowded stands.

🎧 DJ Pressed: The Sunny Rave Tour @ Bourbon Theatre | Saturday (9/6) at 9:00pm – Think Paddy’s Pub meets a sweaty warehouse, minus the rats. DJ Pressed makes his Nebraska debut with a Sunny-inspired rave, featuring pulsing beats, custom cocktails, mind-bending visuals. Costumes highly encouraged, even if it’s just an old garbage bag.

🍂 Cooper & Co. Fall Festival @ Cooper & Co. Home + Gift | Sunday (9/7) at 10:00am – Grab your favorite flannel and swing by this free, family-friendly festival where 35-plus local vendors peddle everything from killer kettle corn to hand-thrown mugs, while live bands replace your curated playlist. Let the kids conquer the bouncy castle while you sip cider-spiked bliss.

🤝 Lincoln Unites @ Foundation Garden | Sunday (9/7) at 12:00pm – Think you’re over every local shindig? This one’s different, Lincoln’s about to get national props, and you’ll be front row in the community garden with live tunes, international snacks, and more fun than your cousin’s backyard bbq. Free, family-friendly, and absolutely worth skipping laundry.

🌌 Cosmic Charlie: High-Energy Grateful Dead @ Bourbon Theatre | Sunday (9/7) at 6:30pm – This Sunday night at the Bourbon Theatre, an Athens-born crew channels high-energy Grateful Dead vibes without pretending to be the dead themselves. Expect familiar classics spat through a fresh filter, so dust off your dancing shoes, grab your plus one, and embrace the local magic.

Next week

🎶 Jeff Jenkins and Terri Jo Trio @ Capital Jazz Society | Monday (9/8) at 7:00pm – Free jazz never sounded so good. Omaha’s Jeff Jenkins, who’s tickled the ivories alongside Freddie Hubbard and Broadway casts, teams up with Venango’s Terri Jo, whose folk-to-scat résumé is longer than your grocery list, and they’ve got originals and standards to prove it.

🧶 Q-mmunity Craft Social @ Makit Takit: Lincoln’s Craft Studio | Tuesday (9/9) at 5:30pm – Whether you’ve been hoarding yarn for months or have no clue what a Makit Anytime project is, the local craft social has your name on it. Pull up a chair, swap witty quips over glue sticks, and finish something more exciting than takeout leftovers.

Wanna see more? Browse our full events calendar →

🎶 Live music & entertainment

• 9/5 Brews at the Zoo @ Lincoln Children’s Zoo – 6 pm
• 9/5 Dustin West Band @ James Arthur Vineyards – 6:30 pm
• 9/5 Cole Younger & the Renegades @ Roca Tavern – 8 pm
• 9/6 Checkerfest 2025 @ Royal Grove – 5 pm
• 9/7 Chris Sayre @ James Arthur Vineyards – 2 pm
• 9/7 Cosmic Charlie @ Bourbon Theatre – 6:30 pm
• 9/9 Mugshot and more @ Duffy’s Tavern – 6 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 one additional room. Your job? Guess how much it’s listed for (preferably before you click to find out).

Listed by: Jayson Becker (BancWise Realty)

Engineered wood floors, sleek linear fireplaces, and electronic window blinds set the mood in this 6-bedroom, 4-bath Boulder Ridge standout by Murray Custom Homes. The kitchen’s oversized butler’s pantry is ready for snack attacks, while the primary suite brings spa vibes with heated floors, a soaking tub, and a reverse osmosis system for water so pure it might spoil you.

Andersen windows flood the space with sunlight, leading out to a 33-foot covered deck made for lazy afternoons. The insulated garage comes with carriage-style doors and MyQ tech, and the natural stone exterior keeps curb appeal on point.

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