Mark Twain Days full schedule released; VIP pre-sale tickets are live, public tickets available Friday
Submitted by Kelsey Penrose on Wed, 03/22/2023 - 1:10pm
Come one, come all for the inaugural Mark Twain Days multi-day festival in Carson City! Live as Mark Twain did throughout the festival in Downtown Carson City with events such as costumed balls, family picnics, trains rides, and much more.
Event Date:
Repeats every day until Sun Apr 23 2023 .
April 21, 2023 (All day)
April 22, 2023 (All day)
April 23, 2023 (All day)
The fun begins Friday, April 21. Let’s take a look at the full schedule of events. Some events require the purchase of a ticket, but many are free for the public to enjoy.
Events that require a ticket are denoted with **asterisks**
To purchase tickets, please click here.
FRIDAY, APRIL 21
**3:00 – 8:30 pm “Twain Train”** VIP Cocktail Rail Excursion - Specialty Sips and Twain Tales from costumed performers on the historic Railway from Carson City to Virginia City with a stop in Virginia City for a catered reception at Pipers Opera House
6:30 – 7:30 pm “Yours Dreamily, Mark Twain” - Readings of prize-winning short stories – McFadden Plaza
**7:00 – 9:00 pm Paint and Sip, Brewery Art Center**, create your masterpiece of Twain’s famous sayings
**7:00 – 10:00 pm Classic Cinema Club Mark Twain Film Screening and music,** Brewery Art Center
Other Activities: * Costumed Ambassadors – around town and McFadden Plaza
* Downtown restaurants, merchants featuring Twain items and menus
SATURDAY, APRIL 22
Activities taking place throughout the day: * Nevada State Museum - family activities / Historic Mint Tour featuring Mark Twain Medallion
* Children’s Museum of Northern Nevada – Jumping Frogs and Twain era games
* Literary readings –Various locations through the downtown
* Costumed Ambassadors – around town
* Brewery Art Center Artisan Gallery, Mark Twain exhibit
* Downtown restaurants, merchants featuring Twain items and menus
* Art Rocks – artist-decorated Rocking Chairs displayed throughout the downtown
* Music and performances – McFadden Plaza
* Tom and Becky from Hannibal, Missouri perform the Engagement Scene – various locations
* Frog Jumping Contests– Children’s Museum of Northern Nevada
* Foreman Roberts House- open house, art exhibits, children’s games
**10:00 – 11:30 am “Walk in Sam’s Shoes”** - Twain Path Interactive Walking Tour with Mary Bennett’s Costumed Performers including Clemens home, Mark Twain’s other favorite downtown area hang-outs
10:00 – 11:30 am Literary Workshop – Community Center
10:00 am – 4:00 pm Twain-era vendors marketplace and musical performances in Arlington Square
10:00 am – 4:00 pm DBA Downtown Treasure Hunt
11:00 am – 2:00 pm Downtown Passport adventure
**12:00–2:00 pm Living History Performances - McAvoy Layne/Kim Harris/DebiLynn Smith, Nashville Social Club**
2:20-2:30 pm Crowd Moustache Photo Shoot – McFadden Plaza
2:30-3:00 pm “Cast of Characters” Costumed Runway Show – McFadden Plaza
3:00-4:30 pm Literary Workshop – Community Center
**3:30-8:00 pm Steampunk Event **- Nevada State Railroad Museum
**6:00 - 9:00 pm Bowtie Ball **- A period Costume Ball at the Governor’s Mansion
**7:00 – 9:00 pm Paint and Sip, Brewery Art Center,** create your masterpiece of Twain’s famous sayings
**7:00 – 10:00 pm Classic Cinema Club screening of Bonanza episodes starring Mark Twain** with period banjo music and beverages, Brewery Art Center
SUNDAY, APRIL 23
Activities taking place throughout the day:
* Downtown restaurants, merchants featuring Twain items and menus
* Costumed Ambassadors – around town
* Nevada State Museum / Historic Mint Tour featuring Twain Medallion
* Music and performances – McFadden Plaza
* Brewery Art Center Artisan Gallery, Mark Twain exhibit
* Tom and Becky from Hannibal, Missouri perform the Engagement Scene – various locations
* Foreman Roberts House- open house, art exhibits
**10:00 – 11:30 am “Walk in Sam’s Shoes”** - Twain Path Interactive Walking Tour with Mary Bennet’s Costumed Performers including Clemens home and his other favorite downtown area hang-outs
10:00 am – 4:00 pm Twain-era vendors marketplace and musical performances in Arlington Square
12:30 – 3:00 pm “A Tisket a Tasket” - Picnic and gift basket auction – State Legislature Grounds and “Games on the Green” Children’s/family outdoor games for the Twain era (Game of Graces, board games, fence painting, sack races, croquet, hoop and stick, cup and ball, era-based games) – State Legislature Grounds
**4:00 pm - “Becoming Mark Twain: Sam Clemens in Nevada”** - A Carson City Symphony performance featuring Violinist Andrew Sords, Carson City Community Center
The full festival events map can be found here.
Nevada’s own McAvoy Layne, who has been portraying Twain for more than 40 years, will be at the center of many of the festivities and featured in a humorous performance of, “Becoming Mark Twain: Sam Clemens in Nevada.”
Visit the website marktwaindays.com for more information on this new annual event.
