OMAHA, Neb. (KMTV) - — You may have taken a drive past Omaha's historic Joslyn Castle in Midtown and, on Sunday, you could have caught a glimpse of a community fair around the castle.
Joslyn Castle & Gardens — a 35-room mansion built in the Scottish Baronial style — stands atop a hill off 40th and Davenport Streets. It's a shining example of what historic preservation can look like in modern-day Omaha.
Preserve Omaha has the same goal as the castle: inspiring local businesses to come together to make an impact on the community.
"Omaha needed an event like this. They needed a community fair. We also need people that are preservation and reservation minded. This is an event that we thought would be fun to throw together. It's just been better than we expected," Tim, Reeder, president of Preserve Omaha said.
Reeder's inspiration for the event came from his work as a real estate agent. He spoke with different local organizations and the response he got encouraged him to start an event like this one.
"This started off as a realtor in my trust in businesses, clients, and vendors. We have just taken this on to do something else. So now we are artists, non-profits. We also have a trolley tour in the neighborhood and a walking tour of the neighborhood as well."
One business that is preservation-minded is Jamie Berglund's, David Loren Construction, a local Omaha business, which does residential planning, design, and construction management on different homes.
Berglund said the inspiration for the company's name came from her two sons, Sam David and Kai Loren.
"We live in south Omaha in a house that is 123 years old, that we've redone from studs out, multiple times over the years. We've got a lot of personal experience on our home and also other experience working on other people's homes, too, throughout the years," Berglund said.
She said the highlight of her day was meeting new people and sharing the joy of building her local business in her lovely community.
"People should stop by our stand because they are going to get really personable, friendly, transparent, honest assistance, and an outcome they'll really love in their home."
That outcome is something both Reeder and Berglund hope to bring back next year.
Download our apps today for all of our latest coverage.
Get the latest news and weather delivered straight to your inbox.
