Stories We Share: The Courage to Connect – Sept. 10-19 and beyond!
Calendar of Nebraska Welcoming Week Events
Each year during Welcoming Week, communities across Nebraska, the country, and the globe come together to celebrate what makes our neighborhoods stronger: connection, belonging, and the people who call them home. This is a wonderful time to connect with both new and longtime neighbors, celebrate diverse cultures, and strengthen our ties of community.
This year’s Welcoming Week theme, “Stories We Share: The Courage to Connect,” reminds us that welcoming starts with a simple but courageous act: reaching out. It takes courage to introduce yourself to someone new, to share your own story, and to ask a question with curiosity.
Our stories help us understand one another. They reveal not only our different journeys but also what we share in common, like values, hopes, and dreams. When we choose connection over assumption, curiosity over fear, and conversation over division, we create stronger communities where everyone thrives.
Check out these local Nebraska Welcoming Week Events & more!
Click here to find local Nebraska Welcoming Week events near you! Nebraskans across the state are hosting cultural celebrations, learning events, festivals, games, parades, and sharing food and stories of belonging and more! See this calendar of more than 75 events in 12+ communities across Nebraska!
Participate in a Welcoming Week event here in Nebraska or join a virtual event or one outside the state if you are traveling – Welcoming Week is being celebrated around the world!
Here’s how you can participate if you can’t attend an event!
Print a Welcomer sign for your office/business, post on social media, or use the Toolkit to create social media graphics, email banners, or virtual meeting backgrounds in your next video call!
Reach out to either of us (Eric and Christa) if you’d like to discuss doing something in your workplace, among friends, at your place of worship, or somewhere else. We have some ideas that could be done with quick planning!
Help spread the message! Share your photos and experiences with welcoming on social media using the hashtag #WelcomingWeek2026. Follow Nebraska Is Home and Welcoming America on Facebook or @WelcomingUSA on Instagram.