Tree lighting

This photo was taken by a Carson Now reader after the Silver and Snowflakes Festival of Lights state Christmas tree lighting ceremony earlier this month.

The Carson City area is awash in entertainment, shopping, and family-friendly options this weekend. Santa Claus is popping up all over, including at Benson Feed for the annual CASI Pet Photos with St. Nick and aboard the train at our Railroad Museum’s Santa Train. The musical ‘Honk, Jr’ for the young ones and Love/Sick for the older crowd are on the stage at the Brewery Arts Center. Spend the day at the Silver Saddle Ranch: their annual Holiday Open House is the perfect time to explore their trails and learn more about the working ranch’s preservation.

‘Tis the season to both give and receive. I am so grateful, having come back sick from my trip to see family in Texas, that I am surrounded by such a loving and supportive community. Carson City, words cannot express how grateful I am for you – as individuals, as a community, and as a place I proudly call home.

With December arriving we are counting the days until Christmas. So deck the halls, get some jingle bells and wassail away this holiday season. Here's what's happening now through Christmas around Carson City, Carson Valley, Dayton and Virginia City areas.

Even Santa Claus enjoys his time aboard Carson City's famed trains. With appearances at the Brewery Arts Center, Santa can be found throughout the area, including the Nevada Railroad Museum. Elsewhere, let the arrows fly during the Clearcreek Bowmen’s Holiday with a Hero fundraising 3-D shoot. Enjoy a Small Town Christmas in Dayton this evening. The festivities take place in ‘Our Park,’ at the western edge of town. An ugly sweater contest, hot chocolate, caroling, tree lighting and home-town fun are on the menu. Keep reading, there’s even more in store for today.

The Silver and Snowflakes Festival of Lights tree lighting celebration was a cheerful spectacle. In a flash the lights came on and the capitol grounds bursted with color and sound.
Scroll the photos and watch the video below to see and hear a very special carol performed by Carson City area fifth grade choir students.

With the flip of a switch, the Nevada State Capitol and downtown Carson Street came alive with bright lights and festive colors, ushering in the Christmas season during the annual Silver and Snowflakes Festival of Lights and annual tree lighting ceremony at the Capitol building Friday night.

The rumors of Santa Claus coming to town are true. The jolly old man is making several appearances today, and is feeling photogenic. Take a ride with him at the Nevada State Railroad Museum, join him on the ‘Elf Crawl’ from the Capitol to the Carson Mall, or tell him your wish list at Debug Computers. Adults have a hard choice to make: the monthly downtown wine walk and the Holiday with a Hero Pub Crawl both take place today, and I’m not sure I’d recommend attempting both.

December has arrived, and all things holidays are on the way. The annual Silver and Snowflakes Tree Lighting Celebration tonight will shut down traffic on Carson City for a little while. Sleigh rides, caroling, the Empty Bowls Soup Fest, and a performance by the Youth Theater Carson City Showstoppers are just some of the planned festivities. Stay downtown for comedy at the Carson Nugget, Improv at the Brewery Arts Center, or a live DJ at Jimmy G’s Cigar Bar and at Battle Born Social. Keep reading, though, that’s just the tip of the Friday happenings iceberg.

FRIDAY:

Today we say goodbye to November, and in just one month we’ll be ringing in the new year. The weekend promises to bring a plethora of fun times to our town, but you can get the party started tonight. Verbal Kint, the acoustic incarnation of Keyser Soze, takes the stage at Sassafras Eclectic Food Joint; get there early for a good seat and great food. Kids will love meeting Santa, singing carols, and watching the fireworks at Gardnerville’s Kickoff to Christmas in Heritage Park this evening.

THURSDAY:

We are days away from a winter wonderland: halls will be decked, and everything will be merry and bright. On Thursday, Gardnerville will flip the switch on its holiday lights, with help from Santa. Friday, the capital city hosts the Silver and Snowflakes Tree Lighting Celebration, as well as the very yummy Empty Bowls Soup Fest. Saturday, in addition to Carson City’s monthly downtown wine walk and the annual Holiday with a Hero Crawl, Minden holds its annual Christmas Parade.

Tis the season for visits with Santa, holiday twinkle lights, and craft fairs and festivals. In order to make your December planning a little easier, take a look at what is coming up in the Carson City, Carson Valley, Dayton, and Virginia City area. Go deck the halls, get some jingle bells, and wassail away.

The Silver and Snowflakes Festival of Lights annual tree lighting celebration outside the Nevada State Capitol Building in Carson City is scheduled for Friday, Dec. 1. Activities are planned throughout downtown from 4:30 p.m. to 8 p.m. and listed below.

With substantial early season snow coverage, Tahoe South is looking to double down on a second consecutive winter of remarkable conditions packed with its renowned 24-hour vibe and hospitality.

The annual Dayton Christmas Tree lighting is today, Sunday, Dec. 4 beginning at 5 p.m. at Our Park. Festivities include pictures with Santa, a Civil War Christmas display, cookies and hot drinks, music, carols, an ugly sweater contest, plus if you donate a non-perishable food item, you have a chance to be the official tree lighter.

Don’t think that Sundays are just for rest, there is plenty to coax you out of your pajamas today. Take a trip with Santa at the Nevada Railroad Museum. Search for treasures and do your Christmas shopping at Fuji Park today, one of the multiple craft shows in town. Enjoy a free concert at the Community Center courtesy of the Capital City Community Band. Dayton is celebrating a small town Christmas tonight; bust out your best ugly sweater and join the fun. Keep reading and have a great day.

SUNDAY:

Following weeks of preparation on the grounds of the Nevada State Capitol and around downtown Carson City, the Silver and Snowflake Festival of Lights flipped the switch on the 2016 holiday season.

Tonight’s the night! With one flip of the switch all of downtown joins in the Christmas Spirit. The Silver and Snowflakes Festival includes carols, sleigh rides, hot chocolate, and of course, the lighting of the Capitol. Don’t forget to head to the First Presbyterian Church for the Annual Empty Bowls Fundraiser. You’ll get a handmade, hand painted ceramic bowl to keep and lots of yummy food to keep you warm. The talented kids of Wild Horse Children’s Theater hit the stage for opening night of ‘Elf Jr.

December has arrived and it brings a plethora of holiday cheer. Gardnerville kicks off the weekend of lights with their Heritage Park Tree lighting, caroling, and fireworks. Carson City, Genoa, and Minden follow suit Friday with their own lighting festivities. Karaoke at Living the Good Life and Jimmy G’s Cigar Bar are the perfect place to bust out your rendition of ‘Santa Baby’ or ‘Rockin Around the Christmas Tree.’ Bundle up if you’d care to join Muscle Powered on their easy hike around Riverview Park. Read on for all of today’s happenings.

THURSDAY:

It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas in downtown Carson City.

Especially at the State Capitol, where grounds crews are working hard to complete the holiday display in preparation for Friday's annual Silver and Snowflake Festival, a Carson City tradition for 28 years.

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.

It finally feels like winter out there with a new blanket of snow, the downtown ice rink opening, and Thanksgiving under our belts. Bundle up and watch for the occasional icy patch on the roads.

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.

Visitors sat down at the Empty Bowls booth Saturday morning during the Third and Curry Farmer's Market to paint blank, unfired ceramic bowls for charity.

Empty Bowls could use a creative hand or two Saturday. More than 500 bowls need to be decorated for this year’s event that coincides with the Silver and Snowflake Tree Lighting event.

Stop by the Empty Bowls booth at the Third and Curry Farmers Market and make your artistic mark on an empty, unadorned bowl from 8:30 a.m. until they run out of the 50 bowls they bring.

As we are starting another year of Empty Bowls in Carson City, we wanted to take a minute and ask for help ... early on.
We are currently collecting bisquited, unglazed and undecorated handmade bowls. We are also seeking cone 6 white clay, kiln firings and other materials.

Happy Sunday. There’s still plenty of weekend left. Craft fairs at Carson Lanes and the Carson Colony are sure to have something for that hard to buy for person on your list. Fight the chill with chili at the Carson Bulldog Wrestling Club’s Chili Cook-off at Yogurt Beach. Sing some holiday songs at the Holiday Karaoke Sing-along Party at the Carson City Library. Dayton lights up its tree tonight at ‘Our Park,’ so dress in your ugliest sweater and enjoy some hot chocolate and cookies at their ‘Small Town Christmas’ celebration.

SUNDAY:

Have you been naughty or nice this year? You’ll have no problem finding Jolly Old St. Nick this weekend. At Debug Computers where, in exchange for a donation to Holiday with a Hero, you can get a photo with the man in red. The Santa Train at the Nevada State Railroad Museum is a good place to grab a candy cane, some hot cocoa, and tell him what you’d like to find under the tree. Photographs with Santa are available at the Carson Mall Wednesday through Sunday. Genoa’s annual Breakfast with Santa has three seatings beginning at 8:30 a.m.

SATURDAY:

I love Carson City. Our downtown makes every season special: flower baskets in the summer, daffodils in springtime, the changing leaves of autumn, and winter means the Nevada Christmas tree at the Capitol. Tonight is the night when the light switch gets flipped. Join Santa and our community tonight at the annual Silver and Snowflakes tree lighting. Enjoy carolers, hot cocoa, and more in Telegraph Square during the Christmas Faire. Don’t miss the talented members of Wild Horse Children’s Theater: they’ll be singing at 4 p.m.

What a weekend in store for us: the Silver and Snowflakes Tree Lighting, the wine walk, Holiday with a Hero crawl, and more. First things first, though, Thursday fun stuff. Bundle up and head to Gardnerville for the Christmas Kick-off at Heritage Park with Santa, a tree lighting, and fireworks if the weather cooperates. Empty Bowls is hosting a preview night at the First Presbyterian Church; for a donation of $25 or more you get first pick of the handmade bowls that members of the community have made and decorated over the past year, and that includes admission to the soup fest tomorrow.