BBQ

It’s going to be a chili weekend, and that has nothing to do with the weather. The annual Chili on the Comstock Competition takes over the tiny town of Virginia City, including a saloon crawl Saturday and the hilarious ‘Fun with the Runs’ 5K. Families will have a hard time choosing between the Cops and Kids Open House and Safety Fair at the Sheriff’s Office and the ‘Kids to Parks’ Day activities at Silver Saddle Ranch. Keep reading, and I apologize in advance for throwing so many great options your way.

SATURDAY:  

The nonprofit Healthy Communities Coalition of Lyon and Storey counties is inviting volunteers to help beautify the Dayton Food Pantry, the nonprofit garden center Community Roots & Shoots, and Healthy Communities grounds on Sunday, May 20 from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. at 209 Dayton Valley Road.

Not a cloud in the sky, and yet we have been hit by a perfect storm: Cinco de Mayo, Kentucky Derby Day, and the monthly wine walk have all collided. Let me tell you, downtown is going to be hopping, not to mention the Early Season Farmers Market making its seasonal debut in the parking lot at W. Musser and N. Nevada – just behind Due Sorella. Take the kids down to Bailys Pond at Fuji Park for the annual Tom Brooks Memorial Kids’ Fishing Day. A trip to the train museum comes with the opportunity to ride on the Historic McKeen Motor Car.

Hold onto your hat, Carson City, we’re in for one heck of a weekend. It’ll be cowboy hats and pioneer bonnets in Genoa for Western Heritage Day. Keep an eye out for Mark Twain, plenty of music, and fun for all. Leis are the preferred accessory for Lei Day at the Nevada State Museum where you’ll be treated to Polynesian surprises and free admission. With three local theater groups performing this weekend, you’re sure to find a performance that’s right up your alley. Read on and be prepared to be bombarded with options.

SATURDAY:     

Casino Fandango plans to heat up Memorial Day weekend in Carson City with the community’s first Rockin’ Rib Fest, May 25 through May 28. The inaugural event marks the only Memorial Day rib fest in the region and will be the largest planned Memorial Day celebration in the community, organizers say.

What better way to celebrate Earth Day and Earth Week than gorgeous weather that you just can’t help but enjoy. Join Muscle Powered and our Parks and Recreation Department at the Silver Saddle Ranch for a presentation and trash mob. Kids will love the Carnival at Bordewich Elementary School, and it helps raise funds for a local Cub Scout Pack. Mark Twain Elementary is hosting their annual Color Run at Mills Park, just make sure to wear a white shirt.

‘Break a leg’ to the talented kids in Wild Horse Children’s Theater. Their newest production, ‘Junie B. Jones, Jr.' opens at the Brewery Arts Center Performance Hall tonight. The Reno Coin Club has returned to the Nevada State Museum for it’s annual National Coin Week celebration with lectures, demonstrations, and foreign coins for kids. It’s a BINGO kind of night. Dayton High School is raising funds for their Safe Grad Night with a huge raffle and plenty of family-friendly BINGO fun. Join the Carson Victory Rollers roller derby girls at Battle Born Social for a Friday Night BINGO Bash.

With more than 65 breweries, every flavor imaginable will be offered at The Great Eldorado, BBQ, Brews & Blues Festival — even Vanilla Ice.

We’ve got a beautiful spring weekend to enjoy. I’d like to make this easy on you: if you are only looking for Easter-related fun, you’ll find it all HERE in my list of everything Easter. Those events are also included in this list, but there is so much more going on. Take a hike with Muscle Powered, get down to some live music, or cheer on your favorite roller derby girl.

Easter festivities are on the way, starting with the Easter Eggstravaganza in the Bob McFadden Plaza on Thursday. You’ll find fun stuff: Easter Bunny photos, brunches, egg hunts, services and more throughout Carson City, Dayton, Douglas, and Virginia City. To make it easier to find something in your neck of the woods, I’ve put in ‘bold’ the name of any town outside of Carson City.

THURSDAY:

There are not many women owned and managed restaurants and as we end Women’s History Month, we wish to highlight one of Carson’s newest woman-owned eateries certain to be a popular gathering place all year long.

I’m going to apologize right now. I can’t anticipate what this storm system will throw at us, so some of these planned events could get cancelled. One event that is never afraid of Mother Nature is the Downtown Carson City Wine Walk. Come rain, shine, or blizzard, you’ll find can sip, stroll, and discover starting at 1 p.m. Saturday. The Carson Hot Springs aren’t afraid of a little snow, and a special visit from Megan the Mermaid will make the icy hot experience more memorable. Keep reading to see what this slushy weekend has to offer.

SATURDAY:

Carson City's Brugo’s Pizza Company and Bistro changed ownership recently and is now Vino’s Pizza, transitioning to completely homemade, organic ingredients and a mountain of new menu items.

Ready, set, crawl. The Brew Crew’s monthly pub crawl kicks off from the Laxalt Plaza next to the Nugget and includes up several downtown area taverns and restaurants. If your new year’s resolution includes volunteering, the Muscle Powered Trash Mob is a quick, but mighty, helping hand. Learn about the future of the Stewart Indian School Historic Site during an encore lecture at the Nevada State Museum. Flashback to Beatle-mania at the Brewery Arts Center or karaoke at Battleborn Social are just some of your nightlife options.

SATURDAY:

Santa comes in all shapes, sizes, and apparently, vehicles. Hop aboard the Santa Train at the Nevada Railroad Museum. It’s an out-of-this-world Alien Santa at the annual Zen Christmas at A to Zen. A cookie-loving Santa can be found at Adele’s during their annual toy drive for the Ron Wood Resource Center. If your ‘kids’ are the four-legged kind, then head over to PetSmart or Paws to Pur-fection Dog Grooming for your holiday photos. In addition to the Santa-mania, you’ll find a downtown Carson Beer Crawl, two plays at the Brewery Arts Center, and plenty of music.

It’s Nevada Day weekend, and that means the annual parade and festivities will bombard downtown Carson City with thousands of revelers. I made the decision to put all of the parade related events into a separate list for a few reasons: one, this list would be way too long otherwise; two, Halloween fun is plentiful all weekend long; and three, I want my list to be as easy to read as possible. Read on for events throughout Carson City, Carson Valley, Dayton, Silver and Virginia Cities.

Leaves turning, wind blowing, and all things pumpkin sprouting up everywhere. It is absolutely autumn in Northern Nevada. Get ready for Halloween with your choice of pumpkin patches. Seeliger Elementary School is hosting theirs for the twenty-fifth year in a row. Take a trip on the V and T Steam Train at the Nevada Railroad Museum, actually take several trips. The annual Harvest Train event offers an all-day wristband that allows for as many rides as you’d like, in addition to museum admission. So many more fun activities are available to you, you’ll have to read on to see them all.

The 24th annual Boys & Girls Clubs of Western Nevada Luau, the Club’s main fundraiser of the year, collected approximately 17 percent of its overall operating costs for the organization’s Carson City and Carson Valley locations. The event featured live music, dinner and no-host bar along with both live and silent auctions.

This weekend is going to be packed. Vintage Airstreams will line the streets, a wine walk, the Aviation Roundup in Minden, Virginia City’s Outhouse Races, Oktoberfest at Fandango: and that is just the tip of the iceberg. Get a jump on the festivities tonight with plenty of live music, two artists’ receptions, karaoke, comedy, or the Witchcraft and Wizardry Ball at the Boys and Girls Club. Join in solidarity with our famous city to the south by wearing blue and silver today and attending the Candlelight Vigil at the Capitol Building.

FRIDAY:

It’s hard to see straight when the weekend approaches. The Downtown Business Association hosts their monthly wine walk on Saturday, but that is just the tip of the fun-time iceberg. Due Sorella, also known as Two Sisters, welcomes their annual Autumn Vintage Faire to the large parking lot behind them and the Airstreams on Main event brings shiny trailer nostalgia with them. Join the Annual Candlelight Vigil for Domestic Violence Awareness at the Carson Valley Museum and Cultural Center this evening – just remember to bring a jacket, it’s getting chilly once the sun goes down.

The leaves have changed color and the temperature has begun to drop; as quickly as Summer seemed to arrive this year, the Fall season has rolled right on in.

The change of season can mean a lot of different things to people; but to Nick Redwine, Fall means the beginning of the wrestling season. Nick Redwine was named the new head coach to the Varsity wrestling team at Carson High School this past Spring and he has been preparing ever since.

There will be a Community Shredding and Electronics Recycling Day Saturday, Oct. 14. The event is open to the public, and individuals and companies are encouraged to participate and is a fundraiser to support the Special Olympics of Nevada. One hundred percent of the money collected will support local athletes.

Ten+ families are teaming up for a community rummage sale in the Southgate Apartments Community Center at 2100 California St., just off Fairview across from Q's BBQ. You'll find a mix of everything: jewelry, collectibles, furniture, Halloween decorations, and much more.

The sale runs Saturday, Oct. 7 through Monday, Oct. 9 from 8 a.m. - 3 p.m.

The Carson High School HOSA, Future Health Professionals had a Health Career Display Competition with 34 teams from 3 Health Science II classes. Each was judged on the display board’s information, artistic value and originality as well as a 5 minute oral presentation.

One might think that the end of summer means that the fun times are over: they would be wrong. This list of happenings in the Carson City area isn’t getting any shorter. The annual Genoa Candy Dance is a favorite among locals and visitors alike, and this weekend welcomes the first ever Silver State Arts Festival at Fuji Park, as well. The first ever Community Garage Sale at the Community Center offers one-stop bargain hunting. Swing into the season at the monthly dance party hosted by the High Sierra Swing Dance Club.

SATURDAY:

Sundays can be a lazy day if you prefer, but there’s plenty to do if you’d rather seize the day. There's a Health Energy Fair today from 11 to 4 in Carson City. The pet parade at Dayton Valley Days is free for all participants, so dress up Fido in his best costume and strut your stuff. Head over to the Shoe Tree Brewing Company for an afternoon of good feels. A fundraiser to benefit the family of Iliana Avila, a local girl with an inoperable brain tumor, features great beer, a silent auction, live music, and more. Keep reading for all your Sunday options.

SUNDAY:

Enjoy these September days, it will be blustery and cold before we know it. Celebrate our neighbor to the east during their annual Dayton Valley Days street festival. Tour their museums, pan for gold, and enjoy samples at their Chili cook-off. Downtown Carson is a hotbed of fun tonight with two pub crawls and the Ghost Walk Haunted History Tour. Keep reading for all of the happenings.

SATURDAY:

Hosted by the Comstock Democratic Club and the Silver City Small Actions Committee – September 30, 2016 – Silver City Town Park – 11:00 am-3:00 pm – 385 High Street, Silver City, NV 89428

RSVP: Call John Hartley at 775-315-6135 or email Vickie Cannon at ComstockDemClub@gmail.com

https://www.facebook.com/ComstockDemocraticClub/

I’m going to suggest that you keep this weekend’s plans flexible. There’s only a chance of rain, but the chance of it showing up at the wrong time is always high. The very early morning is best spent watching the hot air balloons against the Reno skyline, but you’ll probably want a sweater for the pre-dawn chill. Head up the hill to Virginia City this weekend. If you’ve never been to the annual International Camel Races, you’ve been missing out. Keep reading, there’s something for everyone on this list. Find your fun.

SATURDAY:

The award-winning ribs served up by Carson City BBQ are among the 22 entries for the 29th annual Best in the West Nugget Rib Cook-Off that begins this Wednesday, Aug. 30 and runs through Monday, Sept. 4 at the Nugget Casino Resort in Sparks.