It's Your City: Silver and Snowflakes Festival of Lights this Friday kicks off holidays in Carson City

This week's It's Your City with Cortney Bloomer features Ronni Hannaman, executive director of the Carson City Chamber of Commerce to discuss the Silver and Snowflake Festival of Lights this Friday, Dec. 2 and several other events planned for the holidays.

For more than a quarter century, Carson City’s own Silver and Snowflake Festival of Lights has rung in the holiday season for residents and visitors of the Nevada state capital. After 28 years, the event continues to generate excitement for the yuletide while deepening the area’s sense of community. See the video below.

Downtown Carson Street, between Robinson and Fifth streets, will be closed to motorists beginning at 4:30 p.m. A new feature of the 2016 Silver and Snowflake Festival of Lights is complimentary horse-drawn carriage rides provided by the Lake Tahoe-based Borges Family and their featured draft horses. Carriage rides begin at 4:30 p.m. on Friday, Dec. 2 at the State Capitol and run until 7 p.m.

Another tradition continuing this year is the caroling music of Carson City fifth-graders at the capital steps, who Hannaman calls the festival’s true stars. More than 400 kids will begin singing at 5:30 p.m.

As in festivals past, the centerpiece of this year’s Silver and Snowflake Festival of Lights — sponsored by the Redevelopment Authority Citizens Committee — is still the state tree lighting ceremony on the Capitol grounds, scheduled for 5:50 p.m.

The rest of Carson City, including the city’s Christmas tree located on the grounds of the First Presbyterian Church at 306 W. Musser Street, lights up at 6 p.m.

Children under 12 are invited again this year to enjoy complimentary ice skating after the tree lighting ceremonies, she said, at the Arlington Square Ice Rink, situated in the parking lot between Robinson and Spear streets.

The Carson City Empty Bowls Project culminates once again during the annual Festival of Lights with its big fundraiser held from 4:30 to 7 p.m. at the First Presbyterian Church, 306 W. Musser Street. Go here for more information.

Empty Bowls in Carson City is a year-long effort of collecting and donating as many handmade bowls as possible to be filled with food to feed the area's hungry during the holidays.

This year’s event will be held on and around the newly completed downtown corridor, which officially opened Oct. 28, just before Nevada Day, after an eight-month construction process and redesigned the stretch of North Carson Street between William and Fifth streets.

The new downtown Carson Street is more pedestrian friendly, featuring wider sidewalks — as much as 20 feet in some places — cross walks that are about 40 percent shorter, as well as designated bicycle lanes on each side of the street, and more on-street parking.

Live entertainment will also be featured on the permanent stage at the recently completed Bob McFadden Plaza — formerly 3rd Street between Carson and Curry streets — which had its grand opening on July 31 of this year.

Finally, a group of Christmas carolers from Sierra Lutheran High School in South Carson City will be visiting open businesses in downtown Carson City Friday evening to provide holiday music and add to the seasonal ambiance, Hannaman said.

Below is a schedule of events for the 2016 Silver and Snowflake Festival of Lights in downtown Carson City, held Friday, Dec. 2:

— 4:30-7 p.m., Carson Street closed. Enjoy dinner at one of the local restaurants or visit the Carson City Empty Bowls Project fundraiser at the First Presbyterian Church, 306 W. Musser Street.

— 4:30-7 p.m., Free sleigh rides beginning at the Capitol by Borges Sleigh Rides and courtesy of the Carson City Chamber of Commerce.

— 5:30 p.m., Carson City 5th grade music students sing holiday favorites at the State Capitol with special appearances by Santa Claus and the Grinch.

— 6 p.m., Carson City lights up.

— 6 p.m., Carson High Chamber Choir sings carols at the City Tree Lighting located at the First Presbyterian Church, 306 W. Musser Street.

— 6 p.m., City Tree Lighting by Mayor Robert Crowell, corner o Nevada and Musser streets.

— 6:30 p.m., Holiday entertainment begins on the Bob McFadden Plaza Santa Stage. Free hot chocolate courtesy of the Elks Lodge #2177 and local Kiwanis Club. Free cookies courtesy of RE/MAX.

— 6:30 p.m., Caroling along Carson Street by Sierra Lutheran High School Carolers.

Festivities continue Saturday when Holiday with a Hero will host its second annual Holiday Crawl on Saturday, Dec. 3, from 5 to 10 p.m. in downtown Carson City. Check-in begins at 4 p.m., at The Studio @ Adams Hub, 177 W. Proctor St. with event beginning at 5 p.m. Participants must be 21 years of age. They will receive a souvenir cup and a free drink at check-in to kick off the evening. Go here for more information.

Under the direction of Richard Doede, the Capital City Community Band will perform its free annual holiday and patriotic concert with a “Salute to Bob Hope,” on Sunday, Dec. 4 at 3:00 p.m., inside the Carson City Community Center's Bob Boldrick Theater, 851 E. William Street. Go here for more information.

It's Your City is a weekly program that focuses on news and events around Carson City. The program is sponsored by Paradise Salon Spa & Wellness, 3430 Executive Pointe Way.