opera

Hold on to your hats, Carson City, summer isn’t ready to quit us just yet. An aviation air show at the Minden Airport, the coin show and fair at the Nevada State Museum, and a fishing derby for the kids at Little Washoe Lake are only the tip of the iceberg. The Pavilion at Mills Park is where you’ll find the annual Carson High Football Boosters Fundraising BBQ. The Quicksilver Dog Agility Trials are always fun to watch, and they’ll be at Fuji Park all weekend. Carson Lanes has family fun indoors and out all day long during their Bowling Blast-off.

A portion of the extraordinary art collection of Wally Cuchine, former director of the Eureka Opera House, is featured in "Wally's World" at the Nevada Arts Council’s OXS Gallery through Sept. 18. The public is invited to join the council from 5 to 7:30 p.m. Monday, Sept. 14 for an exhibit reception and collector's talk. Cuchine's discussion of his art collection begins at 6:15 p.m. The exhibit and reception are free.

Jimmie Ray’s Black Train – A Tribute to Johnny and June, Trains, America and some friends – A Musical Journey Back in Time – The Man, The Music, The Memories - Is coming to the Piper’s Opera House for the third year; this time as part of a fund raiser for the Kiwanis Club. Theater.

This show is designed to more than a concert but an experience. In 2003 the world has lost both American roots legends, Johnny Cash and the beloved June Carter Cash.

I apologize, Carson City. You have some decisions to make. There is quite a bit going on whether you want something family friendly, adults only, indoors, outdoors, or a combination of it all. The weekly Farmers Market at Third and Curry St. is always a good way to start the weekend. Yummy food, a bounce house for the kids, and beautiful flowers are hard to argue with. Keep reading for enough fun to make your head spin!

SATURDAY:

• Back to School at Carson Hot Springs (Free 17 and younger admission per paid adult; outdoor pools only; 7am-10pm)
• 21st Annual Silver Dollar Car Classic at Mills Park (8am-4pm show and shine, music, and vendors; Registration 8am-11am; Pancake Breakfast 8am-10:30am; Judging until 4pm)

Classical music of Spain and Hollywood’s most celebrated movie scores will highlight a weekend filled with Latin-fused flamenco and string symphony as world renowned guitarist Ana Vidović, opens and famed double bass player Jeremy McCoy closes the second weekend of Lake Tahoe SummerFest, Aug. 7-9 in Incline Village, Nev.

Building on its June “Go for Baroque” kickoff series, TOCCATA-Tahoe Symphony Orchestra will continue its 21-concert Summer MusicFest with a series that celebrates the 10th Anniversary of Tahoe’s own Symphony Orchestra and Chorus.

The solstice couldn’t come at a better time: we need some long days to get through all the fun stuff Carson City has crammed into one weekend. The annual Powwow at the Stewart Indian School runs Friday through Sunday, so you’ll have plenty of time to see the dancing, peruse the crafts, and eat an Indian Taco. Don’t miss the Fly-in and Open House at the Carson City Airport: fun for the whole family. And I would be remiss if I didn’t mention one of Carson City’s favorite events: the Taste of Downtown. Music, food, and more from Carson Mall to Williams Street. Have a great time, and be safe.

First things first. Saturday afternoon could be expecting some wet weather, so be prepared. I can’t predict what events may be affected by it, or if the rain will even show up. No worries for you wine walkers, though, downtown will be hopping: rain, shine, or blizzard. Head over to Artsy Fartsy Art Gallery and wish them a happy fourth anniversary, Jeffery will be serving up one of his signature Sangrias. St. Peter’s Episcopal Church won best wine walk stop last month and will have live music. Don’t forget to spend some time inside Westside Pour House: ARTistically INKlined pop-up gallery returns and proves that tattoo artists are first, and foremost, artists.

SATURDAY:

• Street Vibrations Spring Rally: Downtown Reno
• Reno Tahoe International Film Festival – go to www.RTIFF.org for schedule and locations
• Sierra Lutheran High School's 13th Annual Golf Classic at the Silver Oaks Golf Course (7am Check-in, Shotgun start at 8am; $125 for a single player or $400 for a team of four)

Nevada is the seventh-largest state in the Union. There are 109,781 square miles to explore, from the basin-and-range landscape on the northern end to the scenic desert panoramas in the south. This summer, discover your Nevada on a road trip to Tonopah or Valley of Fire State Park, or maybe drive the U.S. 50-Interstate 80 loop from the Reno-Tahoe area.

Virginia City, Genoa and Incline Village on the shores of Lake Tahoe have been selected among Nevada's 10 most unique towns in the online publication the culturetrip.com.

Noting Nevada is the seventh largest state by area, the website describes the Silver State comes with a "great deal of open space, varying landscapes, and many small towns dotting the terrain." The CultureTrip.com website has previously featured Carson City and Virginia City area landmarks, museums and restaurants as unique or must-see stops for travelers.

Today is Denim Day. Get the blue jeans out and help raise awareness for Sexual Assault Awareness Month. Thanks to Advocates to End Domestic Violence, custom, handmade denim coffee sleeves will be placed on the cups of coffee purchased throughout the day at local Carson City coffee houses: Comma Coffee, Carson Coffee, San Rafael Coffee Company, the Roasting House in Virginia City, and the Pony Espresso in Dayton. For more information on AEDM go here.

WEDNESDAY:

• Denim Day for Sexual Assault Awareness Month
• Customer Appreciation Month: free glazed donut with medium drink at Dunkin Donuts

Lake Tahoe SummerFest’s fourth season, “Passport to a World of Music,” will bring Mozart, Beethoven, Mendelssohn to audiences July 31 – Aug. 16. The three weekend series of nine different concerts will transport attendees through masterpieces translated by renowned artists and a nationally acclaimed orchestra of 40 players.

Just remind yourself that these April showers bring May flowers, and the balmy spring weather is returning in just a few days. This weekend has indoor and outdoor activities aplenty, so you can choose the degree of wind and rain you want to deal with.

Friday at last! Are you ready for live music, dancing, and comedy? Check out the list below to get the low down on all that Carson City has to offer today.

FRIDAY:

• Last Day: ‘The Observation and Conclusion’ by artist Joseph Watson at the LXS Gallery in the Legislature Building
• ’The Driest State: Nevada Watersheds’ by artist Nolan Preese at the CCAI Gallery in the Courthouse: 885 E. Musser (8am-5pm)
• CCAI Exhibit: BRIC Art 5 at the BRIC: 108 E Proctor Street (8am-12pm and 1pm-5pm)
• Everything Half-off at Browser's Corner Book Store: 711 E. Washington (9:30am-6pm)

Mary Bennett first went on the Carson City Ghost Walk as a reporter for the local radio station 23 years ago. With a theater background and storytelling instincts, she was immediately drawn to the historic production.

“I loved it so much,” she recalled. Bennett joined the cast right away, becoming one of the characters from Carson City’s history to give a tour of the city as it was in its early days. This year, the Carson City Ghost Walk and Ghost Walking Tours kicks off May 23 with six tours to follow throughout summer and fall.

What gorgeous weather we have this weekend! Head over to Eagle Valley Middle School for a rummage sale benefiting their LEGO Robotics Team; you may find something fun for your patio. The Spring Fling Stop and Shop at the Plaza Hotel will help you spruce up your wardrobe. Or head up to Silver City for the big closing sale at Doodad’s Emporium. If you find yourself in Gardnerville, the First Annual Summer Splendor Showcase and Expo features vendors galore.

SATURDAY:

• Last Day to buy tickets for High Sierra Swing Dance Club Spring Ball Dinner and Dance on April 25 ($35; To reserve a will-call ticket, call Rika at 530-307-8937 or Idie at 775-443-8870 by; no tickets will be sold at the door.)
• Escape From Prison Hill Half Marathon and 10K begins at the Silver Saddle Ranch (8am-12pm; Half-Marathon: Packet Pickup/Race Day: $50, 10K: Packet Pickup/Race Day: $40)

Are you looking for a good time tonight? You’ve come to the right place. Whether it’s live music, comedy, karaoke, swing dancing, or the monthly World Dance Open Floor performance, Carson City has something for everyone. The inaugural Cinderella Father-Daughter Dance is at Carson High School tonight, so grab your favorite princess(es) and enjoy a night of magic.

FRIDAY:

• Capital City Farm Days Celebrates All Things Agriculture at Fuji Park (8am-2pm; free, open to the public)
• Final Day of ’Second Skin’ by artist Sarah Lillegard at the Nevada Arts Council: 716 N. Carson St. (8am-5pm)
• Last Day to get $12 Vouchers for the Reno Aces vs. Albuquerque game Sunday at Mark Twain Elementary School, 2111 Carriage Crest Drive

We are now 100 days into the year 2015; where does the time go? Hopefully, with help from my list, you've spent it exploring the food, drink, music, theater, art, museums, and outdoor fun stuff that Carson City has to offer. Let me tell you, there’s plenty of fun to come! Tonight, you can check out Mo’z Motley Blues at the Brewery Arts Center or the Whitehats at Westside Pour House. It’s also opening night for the kids of Youth Theater Carson City: Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat is at the Community Center at 7 p.m.

FRIDAY:

• Carson School District Spring Break
• CCAI Exhibit: BRIC Art 5 at the BRIC: 108 E Proctor Street (8am-12pm and 1pm-5pm)
• ’Second Skin’ by artist Sarah Lillegard at the Nevada Arts Council: 716 N. Carson St. (8am-5pm)

I hope everyone is feeling okay this morning; lots of fun was had throughout town yesterday. Please be aware that schoolchildren are celebrating Nevada Moves Day today, and there will be several little ones walking or biking to school.

Enjoy a nice dinner tonight, complete with live music, if you head to Sassafras Eclectic Food Joint, Glen Eagles, or Living the Good Life. The Carson City Symphony is looking for bassoons, French horns, and violas to join them at rehearsals tonight.

If you have the kind of luck that brings rain as soon as you wash your car, please drive over to Squeaky’s Car Wash at the corner of Highway 50 E and Lompa Lane. It’s their opening weekend and they are offering free car washes and raising funds for the Carson City Community Counseling Center.

If you consider yourself adventurous, then the Rocky Mountain Oyster Fry in Virginia City is for you. It’s not nicknamed the Testicle Festival for nothing! If you need some liquid courage, take part in the Ball Breaker Saloon Crawl. The annual St. Patrick’s Day Parade heads down C Street at noon.

Keep up the snowy thoughts, Carson City. We desperately need the water, the ski resorts need visitors, and those mountains are so much prettier with a blanket of white. Wildcat Softball on Saturday is weather pending, so it’s too early for me to call it canceled.

It’s a great day for the arts in Carson City today. An artist reception honoring Sarah Lillegard will be held at the Nevada Arts Council where her exhibit ‘Second Skin’ is on display. Sande Rowan will share knowledge about baskets around the world in the first of six ‘The Work of Artists’ SENarts events. The Galaxy Theatre brings the Metropolitan Opera back to Carson City this week with an Encore showing of Duke Bluebeard’s Castle, the live showing occurred Saturday morning.

Where to start? This weekend is chock-full of options. The local 4-H club is hosting their annual Fabric and Rummage Sale at Fuji Park. The Annual Feast of Chocolate, hosted by AAUW, is Saturday afternoon at the Plaza Event Center. The Vagina Monologues and One Billion Rising are both raising awareness this V-Day weekend for women’s issues.

Wonderful Wednesday is upon us, and one way to get over the hump is to head out for a good meal. If you haven’t heard yet, Sassafras has returned and is serving up its Eclectic fare in its new location right next to the Carson Hot Springs. Downtown, the Lake Tahoe Brewing Co. will be hosting the Chamber of Commerce for its Grand Opening Ribbon Cutting. Capital Eats inside Westside Pour House (former home of Mo and Sluggo’s) always has some tempting dishes. A little further north on Carson St., Living the Good Life Nightclub and Bistro has live music this evening and a delicious array of options on its menu.

There are a few big questions to ask yourself this weekend. Patriots or Seahawks? Where are you going to watch the game? And who is going to have the best commercial? Just remember to be safe on game day and have a designated driver handy.

Speaking of sports, sign-ups are going on Saturday for Little League, AYSO, and the Sierra Nevada Football League. Spring is almost upon us without ever really giving us a decent taste of winter.

Let’s call this Roller Derby Wednesday. Carson’s own Victory Rollers are looking for fresh meat and are holding a six week class (off roller skates) to show everyone the ropes. They hope to see you tonight at Bordewich Elementary School. Just down the street, the Brewery Arts Center has an Improv workshop starting at 6:30 p.m. If you’ve wanted to attend the First Friday Improv, but have been a little shy, this is a great chance to learn about what goes on and how to jump in the fray. Be warned, you will probably have some fun.

The weekend returns, and with it a new chance to do something fun. The Brewery Arts Center is hosting its annual ‘Winter, Wine, and All That Jazz’ fundraiser, and it promises to be better than ever with performances by Le Cirque Vagabond, Starr Nixdorf, a live Jazz Orchestra and more.

There is always fun to be had in Virginia City. Shops, saloons, dining, ghost-hunting, history, and arts await you when you take the short trip from Carson City.

The Nevada Department of Agriculture has updated its organic program forms for the state’s organic producers and handlers and is hosting statewide workshops about the new changes.

All NDA organic certified operations are required to use new forms starting with the 2015 renewals due March 31, 2015.

Virginia City, Nev. is offering dads the opportunity to make their daughters feel like a Victorian-era princesses with a special day in the historic town. The Father-Daughter Day & Dance, Feb. 28, 2015, features a “day on the Comstock” which includes a flower for daughters, old-time photo portraits, lunch for two, a hot cocoa or coffee and tickets to the Father-Daughter Dance at Piper’s Opera House.