Celebrate Carson Valley's Rich Heritage With Special Events Year Round

The events and celebrations of cuisine, ghosts, history and Nevada's Statehood compliment any Nevada golf vacation. The special events throughout the year across Carson City / Carson Valley are fun for the whole family. Here is a list of the most popular happenings:

January
The Carson Nugget hosts Winter Wine and All that Jazz, an annual wine tasting event with hors d'oeuvres and fresh fruit, raises money for Cancer Advocates for Cancer Care (CACC). The evening includes live entertainment and silent auction prizes paired with more than 40 wineries. The best reds and whites are judged and awarded prizes. CACC provides prescription and other assistance to cancer patients. Call 775-883-7477.

February
During Eagles and Agriculture, birders and nature lovers alike migrate to the Carson Valley to witness birds-of-prey in their element. Raptors travel to the area to feed on rodents and winter calving season afterbirth. The three-day event includes exclusive access to private lands for tours, bird identification workshops, an evening tour of barns to view owls, a photography workshop and contest, and a rafting adventure on the Carson River. Visit VisitCarsonValley.org or call 866-530-3551.

May
The Wild West Ghost Walk along the Kit Carson Trail, a 2.5-mile path through Carson City's famous notable homes district, features Victorian-style homes over 100 years old, museums, historic churches and former residents (played by costumed actors) telling their stories. Call 1-800-NEVADA-1.

June
Carson Valley Days is a time for the community to gather and celebrate. The three-day event centers around a carnival in Lampe Park, and also includes a parade, live entertainment and hot-air balloon launch.

The Carson City Rendezvous, is one of the biggest summer events with 25,000 people attending. The early days of Carson City are re-created with a mountain man encampment, a Native-American village with dancing and crafts, Civil War encampment and re-enactments, gun fighters, and a Hispanic village with dancers, crafts, food court and continuous music on the main stage.

The annual Taste of Downtown combines more than 30 area restaurants, downtown merchants and live music to benefit Advocates to End Domestic Violence. Advocate's largest fundraiser of the year generates revenue for emergency shelter and support services. Every taster receives samples from each restaurant. Merchants provide snacks, drinks and raffle prizes. Tickets are limited for information, call 775-883-7654.

August
One of Carson City's hottest events, the Silver Dollar Car Classic, brings more than 300 show cars to Mills Park each year. The weekend includes a street dance, Show 'n Shines, Kiwanis pancake breakfast and the "Wild West Million Dollar Poker Run". The country's only $1 Million Poker Run gives the best poker hand winner a chance to win $1 million by hitting a hole-in-one at Empire Ranch Golf Course. The Poker Run is from 8 a.m.-noon and is open to the general public. Entry fee per vehicle is $5. The awards ceremony includes categories like "Most Likely to get Busted", "Fat Cat" and "Flamin' Freeway". Visit SilverDollarCar.com or call 775-687-7410.

Carson City partners up with Virginia City each August for train rides along the historic Virginia and Truckee Railway, live music and train-robbing bandits. Railfest is a celebration of the past, present and future of the V&T Railway. Activities include a five-mile, 35-minute trip on the historic V&T to Gold Hill, an old-time mining town, narrated rides aboard the Virginia City Trolley, rides on an authentic steam train and museum tours. For more information, call 775-847-4386 or visit VisitVirginiaCityNV.com.

September
The Genoa Candy Dance Arts and Crafts Faire, began in 1919 as a fundraiser for street lights. Citizens made candy to pass out to couples to entice attendance. After the first year, enough money was raised for lights, but not for the electricity to run them, so the event became an annual occasion. Today the dance includes and arts and crafts faire and exhibitors. Proceeds go towards the town's annual budget.

The Carson City Basque "picnic" celebrates Northern Nevada's rich Basque heritage with dancing, singing, contests and most importantly, food, in Fuji Park. Lunch includes mahogany grilled lamb, turkey and chicken, beans from Carson Valley's three Basque dinner houses, and a mouth watering lamb stew. Basque dancers; bertsolari or verse singer; dog herding demonstrations; and wood-chopping contest entertain picnickers.

October
Every October the Corley Ranch opens for The Harvest Festival. Along with thousands of pumpkins to make the perfect jack-o-lantern, visitors flock to the two-acre corn maze. If the maze isn't challenging enough, Saturday night's brave souls can try the "Night Crawler Maze Event," with a flashlight. There is also live entertainment, hay rides, pig races, an animal zoo and horse drawn carriage rides. Visit CorleyRanch.com or call 721-1047.

The ghosts and goblins of both Carson City and Carson Valley combine their bewitching ways for a haunted weekend, featuring four tours to the netherworld for hauntingly, beguiling good times, fun, and visits from spirits of the past. The weekend activities include the Gardnerville Ghost Walk; Carson City's Ghost Walk, featuring two paths to meet ghouls, ghosts and goblins from the past; nighttime Gardnerville Cemetery tours; and tours through Genoa, Nevada's oldest settlement. Call 1-800-NEVADA-1.

Nevada Day, the state's exaggerated definition of fun – where it takes four days to celebrate one, October 31, 1864, when the 36th state was admitted to the Union. Events during Nevada Day include a parade, golf tournament, carnival, beard contest and much more.

December
Historic homes and buildings along Carson City's Kit Carson Trail bling, sparkle and light up the annual Victorian Christmas Tour. Traditional and contemporary decorations will adorn buildings of historic heritage, with doors open to the general public. This self-guided tour takes place during the day at nine historic homes and businesses. In addition to outdoor festoons, all homes have adorned interiors for viewers delight as well. Call 775-882-1805 for more information.

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