christmas carols

All Veterans and the community are cordially invited to Veterans Healing Camp for a family Christmas party on Saturday, December 16 from 3:00 to 7:00 p.m. at the Veterans Healing Camp property located at 1775 East US Highway 50 in Silver Springs. The celebration will feature a potluck dinner, live music and singing with Randy Ide, fun games, ugly Christmas sweater contest, white elephant gift exchange, and get your picture taken with Mr. and Mrs. Santa Claus. It will be a great day of fun to benefit a great cause.

Black Friday, small business Saturday, cyber Monday: I didn’t name these, but I can truly get behind Day of Giving Tuesday. Carson City is home to several great charities and non-profits that could use your financial love. Throw a few dollars at your favorite one if you’re able. It’s not warm outside, but a brisk hike will warm you up. Muscle Powered shows off one of Carson City’s great trails every Tuesday afternoon. If you’d rather exercise your brain, DJ Trivia at the Fox Brewpub or the Geeks who Drink Pub Quiz at Sassafras are a great mix of friends and friendly competition.

Let's get this show on the road. The long holiday weekend is behind us, and I hope everyone ate too much. Mondays are a little quiet in our capital city, but that doesn't mean that there is nothing to do. You'll find several changing art exhibits throughout town, so visiting them every few months gives you the chance to experience new art. Monday Night Football is always a fun time to cheer on your team; this week you'll see the Texans and the Ravens battle it out. For family-friendly karaoke, the Fox Brewpub is the place to be.

MONDAY:

Now that Thanksgiving is behind us, you’ll see twinkling lights appearing everywhere. Carson City doesn’t light up our downtown until next Friday, but if you need an immediate fix of holiday decorations, Minden has got you covered. Candy Cane Lane at the Carson Valley Inn is a custom outdoor drive-thru Christmas light display. ‘Nevada Christmas’ is a private home on Chaparral Court, just off Stephanie Way, and puts the holly jollies into the holiday.

SUNDAY:      

Once the turkey has been devoured, all thoughts turn toward shopping. Shop Small Saturday helps to throw a spotlight on our local gems, and the great gifts you’ll find. New this year is Museum Store Sunday with both the Nevada State Museum and the Nevada State Railroad Museum participating. Make time for family and friends at the annual Nutcracker Ballet performed by Pinkerton Ballet at the Carson City Community Center. Keep reading and have a safe and happy holiday weekend.

FRIDAY:

The historic Virginia & Truckee Railroad and Railway Commission in partnership with Rail Events, Inc. through Warner Brothers Consumer Products, Inc. is looking to cast additional actors and actresses for their annual production of “The Polar Express” train ride for the 2017 season.

The historic Virginia & Truckee Railroad and Railway Commission in partnership with Rail Events, Inc. will hold auditions for their annual production of “The Polar Express” train ride for the 2017 season.

Just one last week to go until Hanukkah and Christmas. The Carson Mall is jam-packed full of crafters and unique shops for some of your last-minute gift purchases. Hop in the car and take a tour of the brightly lit downtown and houses throughout the area. Kids will enjoy decorating a cookie at Genoa Candy and Coffee in Carson Lanes; you may as well get there early and bowl a few games first.

SUNDAY:

Oh baby, it’s cold outside. Jack Frost seems to be working overtime this weekend, bringing temperatures that will barely rise above freezing. I suggest some hot cocoa. Join Santa at Adele’s for pictures, cookies, and something warm to drink, just remember to bring an unwrapped toy to donate.

It’s Christmas in March for Tyler Smith, the winner of The Polar Express Ticket Giveaway for tickets to the opening weekend of The Polar Express Train Ride on the historic Virginia & Truckee Railroad this 2016 season.

For the past month V&T conducted surveys for customer feedback about their experience with the railroad. Each survey participant was entered in a giveaway to win four coach tickets to the highly anticipated opening weekend of holiday train, Nov. 17-20.

Hymns and Homebrew is a little bit church pot luck, a little bit pub-culture, and a little bit old fashioned hymn-sing. It's a chance to come as you are and experience traditional music of the church in a new context, and maybe recapture some of the joy of the original composers. In December, we're tossing out the normal hymn books and singing our favorite Christmas carols. Musicians are invited to bring their instruments and join in; song sheets are provided.

The Polar Express on the historic Virginia & Truckee Railroad has sold out for the fifth consecutive year, with more than 15,000 passengers securing rides to the North Pole.

A wait list sign-up is available online here that could offer a last chance to ride the Polar Express in 2015. Tickets for next year’s holiday train go on sale in August 2016.

Two weeks before The Polar Express takes its first ride from Carson City to the completely reimagined North Pole aboard the Virginia and Truckee Railroad 88 percent of tickets have already been sold.

A testament to the popularity of the Polar Express — the train ride has completely sold out each of the previous four years — now’s the time to secure tickets so the kids aren’t disappointed.

Tickets to board The Polar Express train ride via the Virginia & Truckee Railroad, the annual Carson City family holiday tradition, go on sale online beginning August 20.

Now in its fifth season, the all-ages holiday train will depart Carson City for a series of one-hour round-trip journeys to the magical North Pole.

Celebrating 25 years, the Silver and Snowflakes Festival of Lights held at the steps of the Nevada State Capitol Building has become a Carson City Christmas card to the world.

Thanks to big hearts and the spirit of giving, the fifth annual Cookies with Santa, a benefit for Ron Wood Family Resource Center’s holiday fund, takes place Saturday, Dec. 13 from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m., at Café at Adele’s.
Children of all ages are invited to enjoy complimentary hot cider, hot chocolate, coffee and cookies, visit with and have their picture taken with Santa, while helping provide Christmas for children in need.

The Silver and Snowflakes Festival of Lights will officially kick off Friday evening, Dec. 5 beginning at 5:30 p.m. at the steps of the State Capitol in Carson City.

Now in its 25th year, the annual event is sponsored by the Carson City Redevelopment Authority as part of their efforts to showcase the downtown core and to bring families together to enjoy the advent of the holiday season.

Seventy-five budding artists from kindergarten through grade 12 entered their art work into an annual contest recently as part of Carson City's annual Silver and Snowflake Festival of Lights.

Each year, the teen board of the Carson City Library chooses a theme to coincide with the Christmas holidays. This year’s theme was “A Novel Christmas,” asking children to draw what Christmas would look like in their favorite novels.

Only 660 tickets remain for the family favorite trip to the North Pole aboard the 2014 Polar Express train, Nov. 20 to Dec. 22, 2014. Select coach seats aboard the all-ages holiday train into a winter wonderland and the world of imagination.

Because of the demand, more trips and passenger cars were added to the month-long event, which has consistently sold out since debuting four years ago and is expected to draw record numbers again this holiday season. Last year more than 16,000 passengers rode the train.

Less than two months from departure, tickets aboard the 2014 Polar Express train are on the fast track countdown, with 60 percent of the coach seats and 91 percent of the VIP Parlor Car seats sold. Even with the addition of more trips and passenger cars, the month-long event has consistently sold out since debuting four years ago and is expected to draw record numbers again this holiday season.

More than two dozen Seeliger Elementary School first graders helped spread the good cheer Thursday morning among staff at the Carson City Sheriff's Office.

Led by local musician, singer-songwriter Duane "Beans" Sousa, the children did song and dance-in-place routines, introduced individual medleys and belted out several carols in front of the Christmas tree.

Among the favorites, judged by the enthusiasm of the kids were the Christmas standards "Up on the House Top," and "Rudolph the Red Nose Reindeer."

Thanks to big hearts and the spirit of giving, the fourth annual Cookies with Santa, a benefit for Ron Wood Family Resource Center’s holiday fund, takes place Dec. 21 from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m., at Café at Adele’s.

Children of all ages are invited to enjoy hot cider, hot chocolate and cookies, visit with and have their picture taken with Santa, while helping provide Christmas for children in need.

Being the capital city of Nevada, Carson City once again shines brighter and bucks the rest, turning the lights on Friday to not one but two Christmas trees during the kick-off of the two-day Snowflake Festival of Lights.

Perched on the State Capital steps, some 300 voices of the Carson City 5th Grade Singing Ensemble sang Christmas carols to a crowd of hundreds (if not thousands) of parents, siblings, dignitaries, retirees, state workers and locals who swelled onto Carson Street in good measure.

Well over a thousand people were in downtown Carson City tonight to ring in the Christmas season with the Silver and Snowflake Festival and Christmas tree lighting at the Nevada State Capitol grounds.