Smiles & Sweets; Over 1,000 attend Trunk or Treat in the Village
Children and families celebrate, enjoy the activities at 24th and Lake
Great things are happening in the Village. Businesses, venues and organizations are working together to create a great place to come together consistently for food, music, arts, entertainment and to support the small businesses in the area.
“Saturday was completely magical. Seeing the kids dressed up and the adults getting engaged as they played the games and got candy was wonderful,” said Cynthia Hume, site manager for OEDC’s Fair Deal Village. “I’m thankful for the partners of The Village at 24th and Lake who collaborated to host another successful event.”
In early September, partners developed a calendar of events for the fall and winter season in the Village. The first two major events have been well attended and received rave reviews from the community.
“Fall Fest was a huge success with 500 in attendance and then, two weeks later the Trunk or Treat had over 1,000,” said Willie Barney, CEO of the Empowerment Network and Co-owner of the Revive Center and Carver Legacy Center, all located in the Village. “It was a beautiful day and the kids really enjoyed themselves. It is always a blessing to see so many families in the Village.”
Most of the event was focused on the 20 plus stops where kids could get free candy.
Kids definitely went home with their pumpkins, buckets and goodie bags full.
Ital Vital Living took it even further by creating a haunted house which drew a crowd and some surprises for the visitors.
“My mom built the haunted house from scratch. I could definitely hear some screams coming from inside,” said Latisha Taylor, one of the co-owners at Ital Vital. “Overall, the kids had a good time. We think we will have to go even bigger next year.”
In addition to the bountiful candy and haunted house, families could make arts and crafts at the Union, play small carnival games at OEDC, listen to the DJ at Dreamland Park, take a tour of the Great Plains Black History Museum and purchase cinnamon rolls, caramel apples and peach cobbler at the Revive Center.
“We had another big turnout, with 300 visitors at the Great Plains,” said Eric Ewing, executive director at the Great Plains Black History Museum.
Members of the Omaha Police Department, Black Police Officers Association and Douglas County Sheriff candidate Wayne Hudson were also handing out candy and interacting with the community.
“This is great for the officers to engage in a positive way with the community and for the kids just to come outside and enjoy themselves in a safe and positive environment,” said Sgt. Marcus Taylor of the BPOA.
The event was also an opportunity to stay informed and get connected with important health resources.
Visitors were able to pick up health information and swag from UNMC, get their vaccination from Douglas County at IMA’s MLK Park and listen to African-American Mocha Docs speak about keeping safe from COVID and the importance of getting vaccinated.
“Saturday was amazing on the northwest corner of 24th & Lake Street, the IMA’s MLK Park as IMA pastors gave out candy to hundreds of children and the DCHD Vaccination Team administered vaccination shots,” said Pastor Portia Cavitt, Senior Pastor or Clair Memorial UMC and President of the IMA. “Through much prayer and scientific knowledge, we have the power of prevention!”
“To see the families and the smiles on the faces of the children, that’s what it is all about for me,” said Barney. “It reminds me of my own childhood going to Harvest Festivals with my family.”
“It’s also a great way to connect the community to the exciting things happening in the district. Many of them tell us they didn’t know there were so many businesses, opportunities and resources here at 24th and Lake and they definitely plan to come back.”
It was another beautiful day in the Village at 24th and Lake. Momentum is building. The next big event will be the 11th Annual Christmas in the Village on Saturday, December 4th.
Stay connected with future events here.
Community Features
Revive Black Business Summit launches new phase of collective economic growth
Building Wealth and Community by Expanding Businesses, Creating Profits and Advancing Careers.
By: Willie D. Barney, Co-owner Revive and Carver Legacy Center
Our first Revive Black Business Summit and Business Exchange for 2026 was held on Saturday, January 10th at the Revive Center Omaha – 24th and Lake, hosted by Willie and Yolanda Barney, focused on working together to double the number of Black Businesses with Employees.
Dreams and Visions are becoming reality. On Saturday, January 10, 2026, seventy Black business owners and entrepreneurs convened at our first Revive Black Business Summit of the year. This event was one of our best yet. Networking. Learning. Sharing. Business Exchange. Inspiration. Resources. Funding.
Yolanda and I have hosted these networking, business exchange and capacity-building events for 12 years. We have been blessed to work with over four hundred Black business owners and entrepreneurs in Omaha and hundreds more across the country.
We set a goal 22 years ago to help support, promote, connect, launch, and grow Black businesses. Saturday’s event at the Revive Center at 24th and Lake shows the incredible things happening in Omaha for Black businesses and the ever-increasing possibilities.
The Brookings Institution highlighted a 95% increase in Black Businesses with employees in Omaha. Our next goal is to help double the number of Black businesses with employees and create over 3,000 more jobs.
On Saturday, we had a number of owners in attendance running multi-million-dollar businesses and others who are at the start-up phase. The sharing of information, contacts and business exchange was real and impactful.
Carmen Tapio, CEO and Founder of North End Teleservices, is a notable example as she launched her business in the face of challenges to access capital even though she came with global experience and had helped others build extraordinarily successful businesses. She overcame those obstacles and now leads the largest Black owned business in the state, creating hundreds of jobs and careers. NET has been recognized as one of the fastest growing businesses in the country.
Tapio highlighted some keys to success: It starts with faith. Form partnerships. Don’t quit. “If it’s in your heart, if it’s in your spirit, don’t quit! There is a pathway there for you. It is not a straight line.”
Raheem Sanders, MPH Sanders, CEO and Managing Partner of PPRP, a national data, research and evaluation firm shared insights on how to grow profits and build community effectively by maximizing AI and data.
Sanders emphasized AI should be used to increase your sales, revenue and profits, not just to save money. “It should make you even more productive. Go from 2-3 proposals in a month to 10-20 proposals.”
Keele Taylor MA,PHR,SHRM-CP Taylor, CEO of HR-Minded with 20 years of experience and a growing national client base provided insights for hiring, onboarding, retention and preparing your business for growth and staying compliant while doing so.
“Onboarding starts from the moment you post your position,” said Taylor. “My job is to help you stay compliant in all areas of HR, not just hiring.”
Candice Price, serial entrepreneur and community builder, co-owner of HomeTeam Auto and several other enterprises, presented strategies to generate multiple streams of income. Growing from an initial investment of $1,750 to co-owning businesses worth millions.
“Partnerships are essential,” said Price. “And, don’t take no for a final answer. Don’t let a no shut you down. There are others out there who will help you.”
Phillip McClain, CEO of the Mensch Group provided an overview of the exciting new projects he is working on to build community through innovations in real estate. He is currently leading a $20 million development in North Omaha and has offices in Chicago and cities.
“I’m excited to bring even more innovative developments and options to North Omaha,” said McClain.
We were also blessed to have numerous resource organizations with us providing funding, training and expertise: Carver Legacy Center, Omaha 100, Nebraska Opportunity Exchange, Hayes & Associates and HR-Minded.
Thank you, Carver Legacy, and HR-Minded for helping to sponsor the event.
Our next Summit is coming up March 7th. Learn more at reviveomaha.com. Omaha is on the move. Come grow with us!
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Community Features
Christmas in the Village at 24th and Lake Draws Thousands to North Omaha for 15th Annual Celebration
OMAHA, Neb. (Dec. 21, 2025) — Thousands gathered in North Omaha on Saturday, Dec. 6, for the 15th annual Christmas in the Village, a vibrant holiday festival that brought economic energy and community pride to the 24th & Lake district.
“Since the launch of Christmas in the Village, new organizations, businesses and venues have opened in the historic district,” said Willie Barney, CEO and founder, Empowerment Network. “These events attract families, visitors and tourists that support the arts and cultural venues and shop with the vendors and businesses. Businesses report this as one of their top sales days and a significant way to gain new customers that come back throughout the year.”
Christmas in the Village brought residents, families and community members together to experience live entertainment, carriage rides, arts and crafts, photos with Santa and Mrs. Claus and shopping in the holiday boutique. The celebration spanned from 24th & Ohio to 24th & Burdette.
“Christmas in the Village is one of North Omaha’s most beautiful traditions,” said Kimara Snipes, executive director, One Omaha. “Black joy on full display. Kids running around with cocoa and candy canes. Families taking pictures with Santa and Mrs. Claus. Live music, small businesses lined up, people hugging in the street like a big family reunion right in the heart of our community. This is what it looks like when we invest in ourselves. This is what it looks like when a vision turns into a tradition.”
Organized in partnership with the Omaha Economic Development Corporation (OEDC) and dozens of community businesses, the event has served as a critical economic engine for the area.
“The important thing about Christmas in the Village, or events like this, is that it brings communities together,” said Buey Ray Tut, CEO of Spark and event vendor. “It brings people together, and it gives us pride in the community that we live in. So I not only think it’s an important event, I think it’s a critical event for our community to grow and thrive.”
More than 100 local businesses, organizations, artists and ministries participated in this weekend’s event, continuing a tradition of community collaboration and economic support that has grown steadily since the festival’s inception in 2011.
“I can’t believe it’s been 15 years since we’ve had the privilege to host this amazing holiday tradition in North Omaha,” said Vicki Quaites-Ferris, VP of Community Development for the Empowerment Network and Christmas in the Village Event Director. “We started out with 1,000 visitors and have since grown to host well over 10,000. Bringing joy to children and families while creating wonderful memories to last a lifetime is something I am proud to have been a part of.”
She added, “We have been blessed with businesses, organizations, churches, and families who have supported us each year. I am already looking forward to hosting the 16th Annual Christmas in the Village at 24th and Lake on Saturday, December 5, 2026.”
This year’s sponsors included American National Bank, Charles Drew Health Center, Douglas County Visitor Improvement Fund, KETV, Nebraska Department of Economic Development, Revive! Omaha and Veridian Credit Union. Supported by the My Brother’s Keeper Alliance (MBK Alliance), a program of The Obama Foundation, the Empowerment Network is committed to building safer environments for all residents by increasing educational and career success while reducing violent crime.
To learn more about Empowerment Network and Christmas in the Village, visit https://empoweromaha.com/.
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About the Empowerment Network
The Empowerment Network is a nonprofit organization committed to advancing economic, social and civic progress within Omaha’s African American community, North Omaha and the region. Through collaborative efforts and innovative initiatives, the Empowerment Network strives to create opportunities for empowerment and transformation in every zip code and neighborhood in the City of Omaha and other national communities.
