Omaha Event Details and Color Guide (explained)

The most obvious thing about the event details is that they have colored box lines around the information. The next thing is the background color of the details. The background will be either dark or brown. The brown background events have already happened. The dark background events are going on currently or are in the future.

Each of the event info blocks is displayed for approximately 45 days before and throughout the event. Some larger local events with websites may be displayed much earlier to help with vacation planning (as many as 180 days). The event details are generally displayed for 10 days following the event's end date. During this period, the background color will switch to Brown. Otherwise, the background color of events will be dark if the date of the event is in the future.

On most pages, you will not see many of the past events as they also will disappear after around 10 days following the end of the event. The exception is for pages that show the event anytime during the year.

Events are either confirmed or unconfirmed. It doesn't matter for past events, but for future events, it is nice to know when an event date has been confirmed. If an event date has been confirmed, the background color of the details area will have a blueish cast to it. Keep in mind that even though an event is shown as being confirmed, sometimes the event coordinators will still change, but not inform us, so make sure you verify a date before showing up.

Borders and lines

To make it easier to get as much data in the same area, different colors are used for the border lines. The human eye associates colors with their meaning much easier than a text explanation.

Some events have two colored border lines, a box within a box, referred to as the "Outer line" and the "Inner line." The inner line is separate from the background of the details box. Once you get familiar with the colors, you can get a lot of information about the event details very quickly.

Websites Linked To

Many events have a website that can provide additional information, but not all do. Some websites are for the event itself, and others are for the organization that is putting on the event. Since websites change, there is no guarantee that the link leads to a page that specifically has information about the event. Some organizations change the event page URL year to year, and some even remove the page entirely after the event. In those cases, you might get a 404 (Page not found) error. We try to keep up, but every year, many events have to be changed on our end, and still, before the event, it may change again. We do the best we can and hope for the rest.

In many cases, there is no website for the organization putting on the event. In other cases, the organization or the event had a website but the domain name was not renewed or they have changed to a different domain name, but we have not been informed there is a place to get information. If you are interested in getting more information on a specific event, don't be afraid to do your own search. If you do find something, you can pass it along to us. Very often the event planning committee/organization has their hands full leading up to an event and has not had the time to update us on new details. Thanks if you do send us information.

Outer box lines

The outside line is for indicating whether there is an external website that is linked to or not and whether the event has been confirmed. There is a different color for each combination.

The events that have a website to link to will be one of two colors (Yellow or Orange). The Yellow is brighter than the Orange, and it is used to indicate the event has been confirmed.

The events that do not have a website to link to will be one of two colors (Pale Green or Dark Sea Green). The Pale Green is brighter than the Dark Sea Green, and it is used to indicate the event has been confirmed.

Website available and event is confirmed (Yellow outer line)

Yellow lines indicate that the event has a website where more information can or might be available.

Website available but event not confirmed (Orange outer line)

Orange lines indicate that the event has a website where more information can or might be available.

No Website is available but the event is confirmed (PaleGreen outer line)

PaleGreen lines indicate that there is no website available for the event.

No Website is available and the event is not confirmed (DarkSeaGreen outer line)

DarkSeaGreen lines indicate that there is no website available for the event.

For events that have a website, the text and link are in lilac color, with the Orange or Yellow border; the other events are in light blue, with a Pale Green or Dark Sea Green border.

Inner box lines

If the event has two sets of border lines, the inner box line color provides more information. Several different situations may happen for an event, although the end-user may not see all of them. The most common is whether the event has been canceled, postponed, limited, virtual, or is a regular event.

Regular Event

Regular events are the goal for all events, and most are classified as a regular event. The regular events do not have an inner line.

Canceled (Cyan Inner Line)

In the case of a canceled event, the inside line is a solid Cyan color. We consider "Canceled" to mean no event for the current year. To the event coordinators, it may be canceled for just one year, or it could be canceled for all future events (permanently). When an event is permanently canceled (for all future events), we may not know that has happened, at least immediately, so it may remain as an unconfirmed event, simply because we know nothing different. As we later learn that it has ended permanently, it effectively goes into the status of "Does Not Happen Anymore." At that point, they are no longer displayed.

It is common that an organization may have to cancel for the current year, but it does not mean that the next year will continue to be canceled. Therefore, the new year will not have the Cyan inner box (unless that year's event is also canceled). Due to COVID-19, many organizations canceled events, but with each new year, we hope they can get back to having an active events.

Postponed (Purple inner line)

An event may also be postponed by the organizers. In this case, the inside line is Purple. The line may be dashed or solid. If no new date has been published, the line is a dashed Purple Line (indicating it is up in the air). Some postponed events publish the new date. In these cases, the Purple Line will be a solid Purple, indicating that the new date has been finalized.

Postponed events may be postponed for the entire year, or they may be rescheduled for a later date in the same year.

We interpret Postponed to mean that the event will happen later in the year instead of its original date. Canceled is when there are no plans to choose a different date for the same year. Event coordinators may announce that an event is postponed, but they have not chosen the new date.

Some event coordinators use the term "Postponed" when they do not intend to reschedule for the current year. In some cases, the published information will say that the event is postponed until next year. We consider that to be canceled because the event will not happen within the same year. If a new date is not announced, as the time gets closer to the original date, we may not know that the "postponed" event is canceled until just before the event.

If the new date of a postponed event is known, it will be displayed, and if the rescheduled event takes place in a later month, then the event block will move to that month.

The most common colors for the inside line will be either Cyan or Purple. For an easy way to remember what each color means, think of the first letter of the type of event.

Cyan = Canceled • Purple = Postponed

Virtual and Limited events (Violet Inner Line or Lime Inner Line)

For 2020-2021, due to the COVID-19 Pandemic, some events switched to "Virtual" events (all online). Others have put on a "Limited" event. For example, the 2020 Nebraska, Douglas County Fair had a Limited event, meaning that the participants in competitions were allowed, but the general public was not. The 2020 Earth Day Omaha had a "Virtual" event; everything was done online (no attendees).

If the event is a VIRTUAL event, the location and address information is not shown in order to not suggest the public can attend. For LIMITED events, even though the public cannot attend, some people can if invited by the organization. Therefore, the location and address are displayed to aid those attendees that might need it. Do not use the information to show up unannounced. Make sure you are allowed to attend first.

The colors of the inner box will be dashed in Virtual and Limited events because they are events the general public cannot attend in person, and the colors are chosen using the first letter of "Virtual" and "Limited." "Virtual" events use Violet as the color, but the line is a dashed line. "Limited" events use Lime as the color, but the line is a dashed line.

Lime = Limited • Violet = Virtual

Let's all hope that the virtual and limited events are in our past!

Events with unknown details

Occasionally, an event comes to an end permanently, although we may not have the information that informs us that is the case. Every year, each event has to be confirmed to ensure the dates are correct. If we cannot locate information that confirms an event is still going on three years in a row, there is a good chance the event has ended permanently but we do not know the details about its demise. In that case, the inner box color will be DeepPink. You should consider this if you are planning to attend one of these events.

Other Data

The events have several bits of information, but some parts are not visible until you hover the mouse pointer over the event date text. The visible data includes the date of the event or estimated date, based on the previous year's dates and derived rules. "Confirmed" will be displayed when a date has been confirmed by the event planners or from data gathered at their website. Also, confirmed date events will have a background that has a blueish cast to it, however, some monitors do not do a great job of showing the difference. In other words, base your information on whether the event has the "Confirmed" indicator, then check online for more details.

Dates based on a rule

Some events have a definite rule they use every year, so the dates for future year's events may be displayed with dates that are presumed to be very accurate. Many other organizations do not have a definite rule, so the dates or weekend may change from year to year. Some events may even change to a different month. Events that are planned around Memorial Day, Independence Day, or Labor Day are generally based on the holiday date, but the event itself might start during the weekend before or after that special holiday (often referred to as Memorial Day Weekend or Labor Day Weekend). That means that events based on Independence Day and Labor Day events can start in the previous month, and events based on Memorial Day could happen in a different month.

Any event that has a rule of starting the event on the Friday before (or a few days before) the first weekend, could start in the previous month. Some events will be based on the "nth FULL weekend" in a month. Those details help us to predict much more accurate dates.

Very often an event will be based on a rule, but the rule not be mentioned in any published information. We study events past year's dates to gather any insight as to whether the event is based on a rule. Sometimes, we can be fooled by what we expect. For example, an event that repeatedly seems to occur on the 4th weekend of a month, until ... there are five weekends in a month, and the event takes place on that last weekend. In those cases, we update our "presumed" rule to more accurately predict dates.

If the new date of a postponed event is known, it will be displayed, and if the rescheduled event takes place in a later month, then the event's date will also be displayed for that month.

Even though having a RULE is an easy way to set a standard that an event's attendees can use to make future plans, many of the organizers do not stick to the same rule year to year. As a result, each year may be on a different weeked, or in some cases, a different month. Sometimes a change from a previous rule becomes the new standard, therefore, we display what we believe is the rule, ... just in case it sticks.

Logos and Flyers

Most events have a logo. It will be displayed if available unless there is a flyer also available. Some events have a poster/flyer for the event. If it is available, then the poster graphic will be displayed as a small image. You can click on the image to see it at full size. The same image will be accessible if you click the red "Graphic Flyer" button link below the date and above the address.

Some events have a multi-page PDF booklet to go along with a poster. If available, they are displayed as a link under the "Graphic Flyer" link.

Hovering over event details

When you hover your mouse pointer over the event details, you will see additional information, such as admission prices, Grand Entry times, specific times for each day of a multi-day event, and a calendar showing the dates of the event highlighted.

Map Links

The event blocks also have a link to a physical or map address near the bottom of the details. You can access it by clicking on the Google map graphic.

Contacts

Many websites or events provide a contact phone number, and some a contact person. These are shown at the bottom of the other data. If you are using a mobile device, the phone number will be a link. If you click on it, your mobile device will offer choices of how you can use the number, such as include it in your contacts or call the number.

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