What's happening around Carson City on Friday, Dec. 21

For all the darkness lovers out there, today is for you, because it's the Winter Solstice, the shortest day of the year. The almanac says sunrise on Friday morning is at 7:14 a.m. and sunset is at 4:39 p.m. Friday afternoon, giving the Carson City area just a little over nine hours of sunlight.

Each day from now until the June 21 Summer Solstice will gradually get a little longer.

Enjoy the limited amount of daylight with a morning hike at Ron Wilson Memorial Park, or relish in the early darkness with a Winter Solstice hike at Washoe Valley State Park.

Here is what's happening on this last day of Fall:

— Friday Morning Walk to Ronald D. Wilson Memorial Park, hosted by Muscle Powered, 9 a.m. Come and join us for our weekly one hour walks to enjoy Nevada outdoors around Carson City! Meet in the parking lot at James Drive and Mark Way at 429 Mark Way. Water and closed-toe shoes required. All walks are 1 to 2 miles with duration of 1 hour with usually negligible elevation gain, and frequently on paved or smooth paths. If it rains or snows, meet at the Multi-Purpose Athletic Center (MAC) at 1860 Russell Way. Contact Betts Markle at bettsm@gmail.com or call 775-843-8424, if you have any questions.

— Holiday Craft Fair at the Carson Mall. The Carson Mall Craft Fair includes local crafts, toys, clothes, Santa and more! The Fair will run until Christmas Eve from 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. Santa Claus and his elves will be joining the fair inside the Carson Mall for meet and greets and pictures on Saturdays and Sundays through December 23. Santa is available from 9:30 a.m. to 12 p.m. and 12:30 to 2:30 p.m.

— Holiday Gift Making for Children at the Brewery Arts Center. 3:30 t 5 p.m. The Brewery Arts Center is offering 5 days making thoughtful gifts and personalized gift wrap. Kids ages 8-15 make gifts for friends and family all wrapped and ready to go under the tree (or beside the menorah) by the last day. $110 per child (sibling discount $90 each) Minimum 10 kids M-F 3:30-5:00 Two sessions available, Instructor: Darla Bayer Dec 3-7 (Christmas and/or Chanukah) or Dec 17-21 (Christmas and/or generic) Each camp will make completely different gifts so your child may attend both camps. Registration available online here.

— Fifth annual "Shopping with the Elves" at the Silver Stage Food Pantry, 3595 Ramsey Weeks Cutoff in Silver Springs, from 1-5 p.m. Pparents who are guests of the Food Pantry can shop for gifts for their children. The event includes a chance for children to visit with Santa and have holiday refreshments while their parents shop. The Pantry is in need of gifts for ages infant to 18 years.
Home-bound Seniors: The Pantry also welcomes donations of gifts for seniors. They deliver baskets and gifts to 40 home-bound elders, and sing carols to them as well.
The Pantry is normally open Monday-Friday from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., but will be closed for the holidays from Dec. 24 through Jan. 1. Phone: (775)-577-9161.

— Winter Solstice Hike, Washoe Lake State Park, 4855 Eastlake Blvd in Washoe Valley, 4:30-6 p.m. Join park staff for a full moon hike along the Deadman’s Creek Trail on the longest night of the year! The trail offers great views of Washoe Valley, Washoe Lake and Slide Mountain. This hike is 1.5 miles round-trip and has an elevation gain of approximately 380 feet. Participants should wear sturdy hiking boots and dress in layers for the weather. This is a family-friendly event. Pets are welcome, but they must be on a leash at all times. Meet at the Maze parking lot. Directions: Take Exit 44 from I-580 and drive north on Eastlake Blvd. approximately four miles. The park entrance is on the left. Turn left past the fee booth and the Maze is the first parking lot on the right. Park entrance fee is $5 per vehicle. Please use the self-pay station at the park entrance. Cash or check only. Contact Kim Zuch, 775-687-4319, wlsp@parks.nv.gov.

— Derek Richards returns to the Carson Comedy Club located inside the Carson Nugget in Carson City on Friday and Saturday, Dec. 21-22. Doors open up at 7:15 p.m. and the show begins at 8 p.m. Tickets can be purchased at the Winners Club inside the Carson Nugget or at www.ccnugget.com. the Carson Nugget is located at 507 N Carson Street. Derek's act is fast, fresh, and at times, fanatical. A regular on the Las Vegas circuit and also maintaining a constant road schedule, Derek can be seen at comedy clubs, casinos, corporate events, entertaining U.S. troops, and also on stage as the founding member of The Irish Comedy Tour.

ONGOING:

— Pets of the Homeless fundraiser in downtown Carson City. This time of year, the Nevada state capital is filled with traditions. One that has grown especially endearing to the Carson City community is the annual Pets of the Homeless fundraiser presented by Carpa Nevada, LLC and Downtown Coin. Chef Don Pepe Paz, "The Paella King" and owner of Carpa Nevada, is once again donating the profits made from sales of his fine Portuguese olive oils and balsamic vinegar to Pets of the Homeless, a Carson City-based 501(c)3 registered non-profit with a nationwide outreach. The fundraising sale began Thursday, Nov. 1 and runs through Jan. 31, 2019. Olive oil and balsamic vinegar products can be purchased individually or by the case at Downtown Coin, 111 W. Telegraph in downtown Carson City.

— Gift wrapping by the Rainbow Girls Carson Assembly No. 7 at the Carson Mall, 1313 S. Carson Street in Carson City near the north entrance, from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. daily through Christmas Eve and 10 a.m. to Noon on Christmas Eve. Donations are accepted in return for the wrapped gifts. Money raised will be used to support the group's annual service projects, which have included supporting the Veterans Guest House, Carson City Animal Services and Alzheimer's organizations.

— Scoup's Ice Cream and Soup Bar 12 Days of Christmas, now through Dec. 21. Scoup's Ice Cream and Soup Bar has purchased 12 gifts from some of our local businesses, each one to be gifted to 12 lucky individuals. Items to be gifted come from Rocking And Rolling, Artsy Fartsy Art Gallery, The Purple Avocado, Gather, The Bike Smith, Touched by an Angel, Carson City Culture and Tourism Authority, Carson Jewelry and Loan, Rustically Divine, and Kaleidoscope. Drawing tickets will be given to our customers with each purchase. The drawing will continue as long as we have tickets (7,654 tickets) or until Dec. 21, at closing, one day prior to the last drawing. Anytime you purchase a menu item from Scoup's Ice Cream and Soup Bar, you will receive a drawing ticket! Drawings will begin on Dec. 11. Come by the shop and view the amazing gifts from local businesses. As an added bonus, on Dec. 1, anyone who takes part of and is wearing a wine walk wrist band will receive a single drawing ticket. Those who take part in the Holiday Crawl and are wearing the wrist band will receive two tickets.

— Toys for Tots Carson City and surrounding counties offers hotline for toys. Toys for Tots will be offering gifts to families in Carson City, Douglas, Storey and Lyon counties for Christmas. The hotline is available today and runs through Dec. 21, 2018. Call in times are 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday through Friday. For more information, call Ron Wood Family Resource Center: 884-2269. ENGLISH Speaking families call - (775) 800-3123. SPANISH speaking families call - (775) 800-3583.

— Christmas tree permits available on Carson, Bridgeport ranger districts. Permits to cut Christmas trees on the Carson and Bridgeport Ranger Districts of the Humboldt-Toiyabe National Forest will be available for purchase now through Dec. 25. The U.S. Forest Service Christmas Tree Program is designed for families, businesses, and institutions wishing to cut their own trees for decorating. Christmas tree permits must be purchased in person and are issued on a first-come, first-serve basis for $10 each, with a limit of two trees per household. Permits are nonrefundable and nontransferable, and only valid through Dec. 25, 2018. The Ranger Districts have a limited amount of Christmas tree permits available, and once those allotted permits are sold, no more will be available.

— Carson City Parks, Recreation and Open Space is currently seeking individuals and pairs interested in leading interpretive programs in one of our many parks and open spaces. Interested individuals and pairs are encouraged to apply. If interested, go here.

— The Capital City Arts Initiative presents its exhibition, Americana with Cadmium Orange, by artist Gig Depio at the CCAI Courthouse Gallery, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. daily. Depio is an artist and an advocate for public art in Las Vegas, Nevada. He was awarded the 2016 Fellowship Grant in Painting by the Nevada Arts Council (NAC). He has worked on various exhibitions and projects with the Nevada Museum of Art, Nevada Arts Council’s OXS Gallery, and UNLV Marjorie Barrick Museum, among others. Depio graduated from Ateneo de Manila University in the Philippines. He lives in Las Vegas with his family. Carson City Courthouse Gallery, 885 E. Musser Street in Carson City.

— Meals on Wheels Carson City will be participating in the 2018 Subaru Share the Love Event as a member of Meals on Wheels America, one of four national Share the Love charitable partners supported through the promotion. From Nov. 15 through Jan. 2, 2019, Subaru of America will donate $250 for every new Subaru vehicle sold or leased to the customer's choice of participating charities.
For more information on Meals on Wheels Carson City, email Courtney Warner at CWarner@carson.org, or call the Center at (775) 883-0703. The Carson City Senior Center is located at 911 Beverly Drive in Carson City. Visit www.mealsonwheelsamerica.org/sharethelove for more information on Subaru Share the Love event.

This calendar is updated throughout the day as information becomes available.

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