• Carson Now on Facebook
  • Follow Carson Now on Twitter
  • Follow Carson Now by RSS
  • Follow Carson Now by Email

Polecat Tavern in Carson City to celebrate grand opening

Carson City’s newest live music venue, Polecat Tavern, is excited to announce the celebration of their grand opening July 13, 2024.

The event will take place at 260 W Winnie Lane, Carson City between 6 and 11 p.m. Guests will be treated to live music in the parking lot with MiXed Company between 6 and 9pm and inside from 9pm to 11pm with Canyon White. Delicious Candy Burger will be the Food Truck on site for your enjoyment and we will have tables and chairs available outside.

“We have been open since December 14th. 2023. but wanted to wait for summer to have our Grand Opening Party so we could have it outside.” Says Keith Barnett, Polecat Tavern owner along with his wife and partner, Chrissi. “We wanted to have a nice big party with everyone to celebrate our new music venue.”

Polecat Tavern is already becoming known in Carson City and surrounding areas as “a place for live music,” having had live music up to 4 nights each week since December.

“We have Open Mic Night on Thursday for Music, Poetry, Comedy, or etc., fun Karaoke on the second and fourth Fridays of the month, with the awesome Keith Alan Barnett and others performing on alternate Fridays, wonderful guest performers on Saturdays (such as High Desert Habit, The Starliters, & Carson Chandler recently, with regional acts like the fabulous Tale of Giants Tour originally from San Antonio, & Psych Folk Singer/Songwriter J.Ezra out of San Diego coming up), and a relaxing acoustic jam on Sunday Evenings with Songwriter Workshops, Ukulele Jams, and more planned for the future," according to the news release.

With a seating capacity of only about 60 persons after staff and performers, the venue is quite intimate.

“We even were nominated in the Nevada Appeal’s “Best of Carson City” in the “Best Place for Live Music” category after only being open for 5 months. That was such a thrill!” said Chrissi about the nomination.

Polecat Tavern has a Full Cocktail Bar, plus a menu of yummy Mocktails, and non-alcoholic Cocktails made with Ritual Spirits. How about a Rum & Coke or a Gin & Tonic that tastes like the real thing but is alcohol free? There is Bar-Top Video Gaming available as well. We also have a large game table with an assortment of board games available. We do not serve food except for pre-packaged chips and snacks but you are welcome to order in and make a night of it.

Polecat Tavern was opened by Keith and Chrissi Barnett as a way to help provide more live music in the Carson City area. Their dream is to give a supportive space for musicians and other artists. The Stage and Mic are always available when there are no scheduled events. We have a full PA with up to 4 microphones, an electronic drum kit, and a keyboard set up. It’s a great place for musicians to try out new material or just get comfortable on stage. All of our performers have told us that they just love the way the room sounds. We have a Showcase Wall for visual art such as paintings and such. Currently T. Anderson Arts is being featured, so come take a look.

Polecat Tavern is also available on Mondays and Tuesdays for meetings or events. Keep in mind that we are a 21 & over only venue, although the patio is all ages. Contact us for more information about facility rentals. We can provide a bartender or caterer for your event as well.

Keith and Chrissi moved to Carson City a little over 18 years ago. The plan was to move to Reno/Sparks but after spending a few days in Carson City while their RV was being repaired, they both fell in love with the town and stayed. Keith is a musician who has performed as Keith Alan Barnett in the US and Australia as a solo artist.

He has a single “No Place to Fall” published, as well as an album “Three Days out of Gerlach” with the Lonesome Polecat Band, both available on most streaming services. He also performs with MiXed Company who will be playing outside on July 13 at the grand opening.

You can catch him performing around Carson City, such as the Farmers Market, Levitt Amp concerts at the Brewery Arts Center, and many other venues. Keith also works in the Audio-Visual Tech industry. Chrissi is a bookkeeper by trade and works on the side in graphic arts and jewelry making. “I’m called right brain/left brain,” she laughs.

Chrissi has been active in several non-profits since moving to Nevada and is currently Director of Finance for Sierra Association of Foster Families. “My goal is to retire in a few years and concentrate on making art.”

You can find Polecat Tavern on Facebook, Instagram, Next Door, and the website Polecattavern.com.

Go here for info about Keith Alan Barnett and here for Chrissi’s Graphic Arts website.

Top Stories

... or see all stories

Overnight lane closures will take place on southbound Interstate 580 in Carson City Monday, July 1 as the Nevada Department of Transportation installs an overhead traffic sign.

At approximately 2:30 p.m. Saturday, the Lyon County Sheriff’s Office, Communications Division received a 911 call reporting an assault with a deadly weapon and possible abduction at gunpoint occurring in the 8500 block of Santa Fe trail in Stagecoach.

The first-ever Nashville Social Club Songwriter's Round is happening this Sunday inside Swan Hall from 4 to 6 p.m. bringing an incredible evening of music featuring amazing local and traveling songwriters.

Bees, bats, and butterflies oh, my! All found at the Pollinator Parade in McFadden Plaza on Saturday. Carson City is an official Bee City USA town, which means the city has committed to sustain pollinators by providing them with healthy habitats. The city’s Bee committee also sponsors educational events for the public. Saturday's parade celebrated June as Pollinator Month.

On Saturday morning, Nevada Division of State Parks Rangers located Stephen Shytle’s white Dodge truck at Lake Lahontan. Members of the Lyon County Sheriff’s Office, Central Command, Southern Command, Western Command, Northern Command, and Investigations Division responded to the location.

Prison Tours

August tours at the Nevada State Prison in Carson City are filling up for the summer, and tours are opening soon for the fall.

The Levitt AMP Carson City outdoor concert series continues Saturday with Urban Renewal Project, a 16-piece collective that combines elements of jazz, hiphop and vintage soul that will bring genre-bending music to the Connections Central stage at the Brewery Arts Center.

Hello fellow anglers. Yes, I have been missing for a few weeks. Renee and I just returned from a trip up to Oregon. Now boy did we have perfect timing, as we arrived the salmon bite shut down on the Rogue River.

On Saturday, July 6, 2024, Capitol City Gun Club in Carson City, NV will host an Independence Day Fun Shoot. All facilities at the Club will be open to members and the public with discounted target fees all day. The Club is a shotgun only facility, offering Trap, Skeet, Five Stand, and Sporting Clays and is located at 3590 Arrowhead Drive. For more information call (775) 882-9904.

Classic car shows highlight summers for chrome buffs throughout northern Nevada. A new show has been added to the mix, arriving Saturday, June 29 at the Nevada State Museum in Carson City.

On Friday, June 28, the Carson City Sheriff's Office Special Enforcement Team conducted a traffic stop that yielded more than 11 pounds of fentanyl.

Ace Hardware is coming to Topsy Lane according to signage posted. The popular hardware store chain, which has locations in both Douglas County as well as Reno, will be taking over the vacant Pier One.

The next Carson City Board of Supervisors meeting will be held Wednesday, July 3 beginning at 8:30 a.m. in the Bob Crowell Board Room of the Community Center located at 851 E. William St.

The Miss Nevada Scholarship Organization is excited to announce the 75th Diamond Anniversary Title Holders, crowned on Friday, June 21 at Bally’s Lake Tahoe, in Stateline, Nevada.

People dressed as bees, butterflies

Carson's Bee City’s annual Pollinator Parade is Saturday June 29 beginning at 10 a.m. starting at the Visit Carson City Visitor Center, 716 N. Carson St.

Join in for a costumed 1.5 mile walk for adults and children celebrating our local pollinators and Carson City’s as a BeeCity USA town.

Inyo National Forest will be in Stage 1 Fire Restrictions starting Monday, July 1 to protect natural resources and provide for public safety.

Last week at the Board of County Commissioners meeting the Nevada Department of Transportation (NDOT) presented on the speed reduction project in the Mound House area of Lyon County. NDOT will reduce the speed limit to 35 MPH (Please see attached photographs of that presentation)

The Carson City Sheriff’s Office has received multiple reports and cases from citizens scammed during fraudulent business transactions.

The suspect in the shooting of two Silver Springs, NV residents on June 26, 2024 has been positively identified as 53 year old Silver Springs resident Stephen Thomas Shytle. At this time, Shytle’s whereabouts are unknown.

USABMX annual Race for Life hosted by Carson City BMX

If you missed out on our free BMX week held a couple of Sundays ago, here is another opportunity for those individuals who want to give it a try.

You can obtain a 1-day promo (free) membership. Carson City BMX hosting the annual Race for Life.

Load up your car with family and friends and treat them to a day of fun and nostalgia at one of the best Independence Day parties in Northern Nevada.

Our Pet of the Week is Rascal! A charming and fun-loving 9-year-old pup who defies his name “Rascal" with his gentle demeanor and playful spirit.

Carson City’s newest live music venue, Polecat Tavern, is excited to announce the celebration of their grand opening July 13, 2024.

UPDATE: Chief Slamon has confirmed the fire is out. BLM is handling the mop up and investigation.

***

Just before noon a fire was reported on BLM land in Brunswick Canyon.

According to Fire Chief Sean Slamon, it is a vegetation fire in a remote part of Brunswick Canyon.

Kids & Horses is excited to welcome back a valley event for car enthusiasts and appreciators called Friendship Day. Friendship Day was a valley event that happened for years within the local car community. Unfortunately, when the original host moved, the group was left without a place to hold the gathering.

At approximately 5:30 PM on June 26, 2024 the Lyon County Sheriff’s Office, Central Command Patrol Squad responded to the Lahontan State Park Ranger Station at Lake Lahontan for a report of an adult male subject who had been shot multiple times. Upon arrival, deputies learned that the shooting took place at a residence in the 3900 block of Birch Street in Silver Springs.

MINDEN — The Douglas County Sheriff’s Office is preparing for the upcoming 4th of July celebration and would like to wish everyone a safe and happy Independence Day.

Carson City will conduct a public hearing on Tuesday, July 2 to hear presentations from applicants for the Fiscal Year 2025, July 1, 2024, to June 30, 2025, Community Development Block Grant.

The Douglas County Commissioners approved a special use permit for a Beer Garden at Zephyr Cove Resort over the 4th of July weekend. There has been a lot of concern about the event after the 2023 party at the adjacent Zephyr Shoals that left behind 8,000 pounds of trash, and videos of a massive party scene with drinking, including underage drinking.

The Pony Express returned to the capital city Wednesday, making its annual re-ride across the West. 
This year, as an even-numbered year, the re-ride began in St. Joseph Missouri on June 17 and will continue east into California.