Ghost walk among the haunted in Carson City on Saturday

By the Carson City Convention and Visitors Bureau
Aberrations await and spirits linger during a two-hour walking tour July 23, Aug. 20 and Sept. 24 through the historic district of Carson City.
History and storytelling are the orders of the day on this tour through Victorian-style homes and neighborhoods, where reality and legend come together, leaving ghost walkers to wonder what is truth and what is fiction.
Tickets are available at the Visitors Center, 1900 South Carson St. or call (775) 687-7410 or 800-NEVADA-1. Tours depart from 3rd & Carson Street next to the St. Charles Hotel (Firkin & Fox Pub) at 6:30 PM. $20 per a person.
Tour guides will tell colorful stories about the buildings and its owners inside the humble and not-so-humble abodes, of yesteryear while walking along the historic Kit Carson Trail featuring 1800s Victorian-style homes. Some of the stops along the tour include:
— Ferris Mansion, home of George Ferris, Jr., inventor of the Ferris Wheel for the Chicago World Columbian Exposition in 1893.
— Orion Clemens House, home Mark Twain’s older brother who served as secretary to Territorial Governor William Nye, was built in 1863 and was called “the Governor's Mansion,” though the real Governor’s Mansion wouldn’t be built until 1909.
—Rinckel Mansion, built by the fortune of Mathias Rinckel, a forward-looking meat magnate who struck it rich supplying Gold Rushers and Lake Tahoe lumbermen.
— Lee House, also known as Judge Clark J. Guild home, Lee, a prominent doctor and surgeon for the Virginia & Truckee Railroad, built the home from the lumber of the razed school on the same sites.
— St. Teresa’s Catholic Church, the first in Carson City, which was built in 1871.

Special events
Meanwhile, special concert and car events are throughout the summer. August in Nevada's capital city has earned the distinction as the place to cool down and mellow out as the Mile High Jazz Band Association and several local businesses team up for the 8th annual August Jazz Festival.

Jazz! Carson City Music Festival 2011 (http://jazzcarsoncity.com)is set for multiple venues in Carson City, and will feature at least 50 performances, with more than 100 musicians in over 35 bands. Main events are scheduled for August 19-21, with lead-in performances starting July 31. All events are free, except for a ticketed event at the Bliss Mansion on Aug. 13.

Get your motor running and rev the engines high on Friday through Sunday, Aug. 5 – 7, with the annual Silver Dollar Car Classic Car Show. Open to all makes, models and years this show provide good times and great oldies, with plenty of food, music and awards all weekend. For registration form or more information: (775) 687-7410 or (800) 638-2321.

With the price of silver, gold and rare-struck coins going to Pluto the past year, the Carson City Mint Coin Show has become a favorite for collectors worldwide. Hosted at the Nevada State Museum, this show runs Saturday and Sunday Aug. 26 – 27 and features 30 dealers, free appraisals, raffle prizes, jazz, gold panning and a kid's treasure chest. See Coin Press No. 1, Carson City’s original working press, in operation and get a commemorative medallion. Admission is $8 adults, with children 17 an under and museum members free. Call (775) 687-4810 x237.

Ongoing Activities
Farm fresh fruits, vegetables, arts and entertainment are available every Saturday through Sept. 17 at the 3rd & Curry Street Farmers Market. The market runs from 8:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. and is a local growers’ market, featuring fresh produce from Nevada Certified Farmers Market growers. Mills Park also hosts a farmers market every Wednesday at the Pavilion, from 3 – 7 p.m., contact Shirley at (775) 746-5024 for information.

The Virginia and Truckee Railroad’s 2011 season continues with round trip and one-way excursions along the historic 14-mile Comstock route between Carson City and Virginia City (www.visitcarsoncity.com).The routes include scenic vistas of the Sierra Nevada and Carson River. Riders will pass through two tunnels and by abandoned mine shafts and old cemeteries, while being treated to occasional sightings of Nevada’s wild mustangs. The V&T travels the same silver path paved by the excesses of the Virginia City mines of the 1860s Comstock silver boom. Call 1-800-NEVADA-1 for details.

A world of culture, history, dining and adventure await in Carson City. For the latest in summer travel deals, lodging, activity information and further details on the destination, visit www.VisitCarsonCity.comor call 800-Nevada-1.