Join us for an immersive evening of music, storytelling, and learning during Night Light: Grow (18+). Nonprofit Comunidad Maya Pixan Ixim (CMPI) will present “Rooted in Resilience: Maya Agriculture & Land Sovereignty.” Come learn about the deep connections among Maya culture, agriculture, and land stewardship. Experience the sounds of a professional Maya marimba player, and learn about the Milpa cycle, sacred crops, and the Maya calendar’s ties to the natural world. This engaging evening blends history, science, and tradition for a unique cultural exploration you won’t want to miss!
At Night Light: Grow, we will also be celebrating the individuals and organizations that grow in our community. Explore hands-on learning experiences with some of Omaha’s most beloved growers at several Curiosity Stations.
Fig. cafe will also be mixing up a special “Green Goddess” botanical cocktail to enjoy while you explore.
Rooted in Resilience: Maya Agriculture & Land Sovereignty
For the Maya people, agriculture is more than sustenance—it is sacred. CMPI will explore the Milpa cycle, an ancient, sustainable agroforestry system that integrates annual crops like sacred white corn, beans, and squash within a 40-year regenerative cycle. Through storytelling, historical context, and cultural traditions, they will discuss how land access and agricultural practices remain central to Maya identity.
The presentation begins with a ceremonial welcome in Q’anjob’al Maya, followed by a discussion on the historical displacement of the Maya people and ongoing efforts to reclaim land and food sovereignty. Dr. Anabel Ford’s renowned research on the Milpa system will be discussed, highlighting how the Maya calendar aligns agricultural practices with lunar and seasonal cycles.
Live Maya marimba music will set the tone, immersing attendees in the rhythm of the culture. The presentation concludes with a Q&A session, providing space for deeper dialogue. Whether you’re a farmer, advocate, or curious learner, this session offers profound insights into the resilience of Maya agricultural traditions and their relevance today.
Curiosity Stations with Local Growers
City Sprouts: Soil: Let’s Get Into It!
Learn all about vermicomposting, a method of composting that uses worms to break down organic waste into nutrient-rich soil. City Sprouts will walk guests through the steps to vermicomposting and introduce them to the red wiggler worm, which eats food scraps and fertilizes soil inside a special composting bin. Pick up a free soil sample kit to test the health of your soil at home and get it ready for planting! City Sprouts’ annual Soil Sample Drive, in partnership with NRCS and Omaha Public Library, starts on Friday, March 14.
Blazing Star Seed Coop: The Saving, Winnowing and Processing of Seeds
Blazing Star Seed Cooperative, a network of urban farmers and gardeners who work together to grow and save seeds, will be on hand to demonstrate and discuss how they save local, climate-adapted seed varieties using winnowing screens and other tools.
Black Chick Farm: Helping Flowers Bloom
Join Black Chick Farm and fellow Night Light guests in creating a community flower collage! Help future flowers bloom by sharing what herbs, vegetables, flowers, or other plants you wish to find at local farmers markets or plant sales. Write your plant dreams on a paper flower petal and help inspire a bigger conversation on what we can collectively grow as a community.
Milkweed Matters: Seedball Creation
Milkweed Matters returns to the Luminarium for seedball making! Help create milkweed seedballs while learning about the importance of milkweed as a host plant for Monarch butterflies. Milkweed Matters will take the seedballs created at Night Light and toss them into roadsides across the country during bike rides this summer to increase the habitat of Monarch butterflies and other pollinators.
No More Empty Pots: Seeding: The Seed Lifespan
Hydroponic farming is an indoor growing method that uses a nutrient-rich water solution instead of soil. Experts in hydroponics from No More Empty Pots, a Luminarium program partner, will help you begin the seeding process and take you through the stages of the hydroponic growing process – including the chance to see the harvesting of mature plants grown right here inside the Luminarium! Hydroponic farming has several benefits. It maximizes space, uses less water, and is more predictable than traditional farming due to its controlled environment. Learn how rural and urban farmers are using this method now and how it may play an even bigger role in the future.
Omaha Public Library: Common Soil Seed Library
Did you know you can check out seeds to plant at home from your neighborhood Omaha Public Library branch? In addition to a diverse collection of seeds selected for our region’s growing conditions, the Common Soil Seed Library offers educational books and resources on planting and growing as well as reading lists tailored to your gardening experience level. You can also participate in interactive programs at your local library on topics including container gardening and seed saving. Visit OPL’s Curiosity Station to learn about these programs and more, and take some donated seeds home with you.
Nebraska Extension Office: Ask a Master Gardner!
Are your houseplants wilting? Are you unsure what to plant in your garden this spring? Get the expert answers you need to all of your plant-based questions with the help of a Master Gardener! Thanks to our friends at Nebraska Extension, you can also pick up free guides and free seeds to take home and plant using your new-found gardening knowledge.
Who: All Adults, ages 18+
Where: 345 Riverfront Drive
When: 7:00pm — 10:00pm
Reserve Your Tickets Now