The Spoke Bar

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:

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 wet weather has passed, at least for a few days. If you didn’t want to brave the downpour to drop-off a frozen turkey Thursday, then you are in luck. Another frozen turkey drive runs all day at the Max Casino in Carson City or the Sanchez Meat Co. in Minden. The Carson High Craft Show, a long-time locals’ favorite, begins this evening at 5 p.m.

On Veterans Day, we take time to honor those men and women that have served in our armed forces. The holiday is observed today, meaning schools and public offices will be closed. Several locations have something special for Veterans this weekend, go HERE for a list of freebies, specials and discounts good today or tomorrow.

The wind yesterday has blown some winter our way. The snow levels aren’t expected to reach Carson City, but stranger things have happened. November is a month filled with holiday craft shows, and it starts now. Check out what the Young at Heart Seniors Club has to offer at their annual show at the Douglas Community Center. Capital City Arts Initiative celebrates 15 years of bringing arts and culture to our valley: help them celebrate at the Adams Hub on Proctor and enjoy their silent auction featuring the works of several local artists.

Finally, Nevada Day weekend is here. State offices are closed, the kids are off school, and Carson City is hoppin’. Join the Downtown Business Association for the ‘Passport to Downtown’ with live music, a raffle, craft and vendor show, and a family fun center, complete with petting zoo. Stick around for the annual fall Blinky Man Costumed Nighttime Bike Ride Pub Crawl with Lights. Halloween festivities, a carnival in Mills Park, and opening night of the La Ka Lel Be Pow Wow are on today’s list, as well.

Well, that was an abrupt change in weather. Today will definite feel like fall, so bundle up. The Halloween festivities for the over 21 crowd get started tonight with parties at Living the Good Life, Ed's Doghouse, and Jimmy G's Cigar Bar. If your costume isn't ready yet, you'll still have plenty of opportunities between now and Oct. 31. A hypnotic fundraiser for Mark Lindquist takes place at Silver Oak Golf Course this evening.

TedX has returned to the Brewery Arts Center, bringing inspiring speakers, great music, and something special to Carson City. If you can’t make it in person, you can catch it online at www.TEDxCarsonCity.com. Break a leg to the talented members of our Carson High School Theater Program – an updated version of the Greek Classic ‘Eurydice’ opens on the Bob Boldrick stage at the Community Center tonight. Bring a floaty to tonight’s Float and Flick at the Carson Valley Swim Center. Hocus Pocus is family friendly and a perfect Friday the Thirteenth film.

FRIDAY:      

This weekend is going to be packed. Vintage Airstreams will line the streets, a wine walk, the Aviation Roundup in Minden, Virginia City’s Outhouse Races, Oktoberfest at Fandango: and that is just the tip of the iceberg. Get a jump on the festivities tonight with plenty of live music, two artists’ receptions, karaoke, comedy, or the Witchcraft and Wizardry Ball at the Boys and Girls Club. Join in solidarity with our famous city to the south by wearing blue and silver today and attending the Candlelight Vigil at the Capitol Building.

FRIDAY:

Rumble, rumble, rumble. Street Vibrations brings quite a bit of traffic to the area, so please drive safely amoungst the swarms of bikes. Battle Born Harley is hosting one heck of a party, so head down there for bikes, brews, and lots of live music. For something quieter, the final weekend of 'Nightfall with Edgar Allen Poe' at the Brewery Arts Center is a great alternative. Funny lady and local favorite, Kat Simmons, is this week's featured performer at Carson Comedy inside the Nugget - stick around downtown and enjoy Southbound Train at the Westside Pour House.

Go Big Blue! It’s Homecoming night for Carson High School; head over to the football field tonight to see the Carson Senators take on the North Valley High Panthers. The Carson Nugget is a hotbed of activity tonight for the over 21 crowd. Catch Johnny Steele at Carson Comedy or flashback to the eighties in ‘The Loft’ as New Wave Craze takes to the stage. Break a leg to the cast of ‘Nightfall with Edgar Allen Poe.’ The Proscenium Players’ newest production opens tonight in the Brewery Arts Center’s Black Box Theater.

FRIDAY:

Autumn is coming. It seems our days of 80+ degree weather is over, but so are rainy days we’ve seen this week. The Carson Aquatic Center welcomes everyone to a ‘Dive-in Movie’ on their new LED screen: Finding Nemo is a perfect flick for the whole family. Funnyman Adam Stone headlines this week’s Carson Comedy inside the Carson Nugget for those needing a good laugh. The Carson Area Chapter of the Vietnam Veterans of America will gather to honor those who have given their all and have yet to come home during a POW/MIA Recognition Ceremony at the Veterans Memorial on the Capitol Grounds.

One might think that after Labor Day, it starts to get quiet around here. They would be mistaken. September is chock-full of adventure, starting with this weekend’s Virginia City International Camel Races and the Great Reno Balloon Races. You won’t want to miss the last of the Third Street Stage Concerts in McFadden Plaza: Shane Dwight is tonight’s featured performer. It’s the last day to see the Photography and Regular Art Show at the Nevada Artists Association Gallery, they’ll have their new Autumn Show on display Sunday.

FRIDAY:

Labor Day weekend usually signifies the end of summer. Give it one heck of a send-off: the downtown Carson wine walk, rib cook-off in Sparks, Virginia City's Civil War Days, and the Heavenly Days carnival, music festival and car show in South Lake Tahoe are but a few of your options. Tonight, Improv at the Brewery Arts Center will get the belly laughs going. Unwind with some live music at Living the Good Life or some karaoke at the Spoke Bar and Grill. Artisan Gail Rogers is the featured guest at tonight's Carson City Art Gallery reception.

FRIDAY:

Make this weekend something special. School starts up on Monday and it will be Halloween before we blink an eye. The Carl Howell Memorial Music Festival at Battle Born Harley boasts a full day of live music, vendors, activities and family fun. Bowers Mansion plays host to the annual Bluegrass Festival – bring a picnic and enjoy. Downtown Carson City will see the first of three monthly Beer Crawls; if you get there early, head over to Remedy’s to witness their yearly Bloody Mary Competition. There is something for everyone this weekend, so keep reading and find your fun.

The valley is alive with the sound of music: the Jazz and Beyond Music Festival, to be specific. Just about everywhere you go, you’ll be treated to something to soothe the soul or get the toes tapping. Get the kids up early for the Young Eagle Flights at the Carson City Airport – they’re free, but you need to be on time for registration. Keep reading and you’ll find a number of ways to enjoy this sunny summer weekend.

SATURDAY: Jazz and Beyond Music Festival

• -- Hot August Nights

Summer weekends make me wish I had a clone. With all the hustle and bustle in town, there is just no way to do and see it all. Start the day at the Silver Dollar Car Classic and you can get your fill of shiny chrome and breakfast, too; the Kiwanis will be serving up pancakes until 10:30 a.m. The Downtown Carson City Wine Walk has been infiltrated by the Jazz and Beyond Music Festival. Several of the stops will be hosting musicians, in addition to vino.

A sunny summer weekend has arrived and it brings numerous fun ways to seize the day. You can always head out hiking or spend the day at the pool, but the Carson City Fair is just here until Sunday. Farm animals, great exhibits, live entertainment, a carnival, and a bull-riding rodeo can be found at Fuji Park. Park your car at the Super Walmart on Topsy and you’ll be treated to a free shuttle. Go a little bit country at the Brewery Arts Center tonight; they are bringing back the Southern Drawl Band to the Minnesota Street Stage for this week’s free concert.

SATURDAY:

It’s almost like Christmas Day for some of us locals: the long awaited Taste of Downtown has finally arrived. Food, drink, live music, rubbing elbows with friends and neighbors, and a new wine-tasting add-on make this one of the best parties of the year. The morning brings an unparalleled opportunity: you’ve got one chance to walk, run, or bike right down the middle of the freeway before the new bypass is open to vehicle traffic alone. Grab your favorite four-legged friend and head to Adele’s: Dining for Dog Town is a delicious way to help out this amazing rescue organization.

What to do, what to do? That’s the question that starts most every weekend. If you’ve got kids, test their mettle at the annual Capitol City Triathlon. Open to kids of all ages, they will bike, run, and swim their way to the finish line. The third annual Sassabration event kicks off with a multi-colored, costume bike parade from the Brewery Arts Center to the celebration at Sassafras Eclectic Food Joint. Multiple bands, vendors, non-profit booths, free swimming at the Carson Hot Springs, not to mention the yummy food and drink available make this a not-to-be-missed festival.

What are you in the mood for? The Third and Curry Farmers Market is always a great place to start off your weekend. Kids won’t mind getting up early for the Young Eagle airplane flights at the Carson City Airport – they are free of charge for kids 8 – 17, you just need to be on time for registration. The Annual Chili Cook-off returns to Glen Eagles this weekend; with live music, a craft fair, and lots of yummy stuff to eat, raising money for Honor Flight has never tasted so good. Keep reading, there is plenty more in store.

SATURDAY:

What started as a small bit of hope 24 years ago, the annual Taste of Downtown has transformed into one of the most anticipated events of summer.

‘We hold these truths to be self-evident…’ With those few powerful words, the Declaration of Independence set a few east coast colonies on a path to becoming ‘the land of the free, and the home of the brave.’ Less than 100 years later, the great ‘Battle Born’ state of Nevada would join the fold. Let us celebrate our great country today with family, friends, and neighbors. You’ll find fireworks displays in Carson City, Virginia City, Reno, Sparks, and both the North and South shores of Lake Tahoe.

It’s wine walk weekend, and depending on what kinds of days off you get, potentially the beginning of a four-day weekend. We will be celebrating the birthday of the United States of America on Tuesday, but there are some fun events to enjoy now. Catch the Parade of Trains at the Nevada State Railroad Museum or the RSVP Carnival at Mills Park. Keep reading for all the exciting options in Carson City and beyond.

SATURDAY:

Let the good times roll, Carson City. Cars, chrome, choppers, and kruzers are in abundance. Run Whatcha Brung at Fuji Park is open to any and all cars that can get themselves there. The Rockabilly Riot and T Bucket Alliance at Mills Park is an American Graffiti flashback. Cheer on our local motorcycle cops at the Extreme Motor Challenge, or hop on your own bike and go on a poker run with the Lords of Iron Motorcycle Club.

SATURDAY:

The weekend hasn’t even started, and I’m already exhausted just trying to decide what to do first! Live music, races, activities, and much more await you downtown as part of the Carson City Off-Road. Stewart Indian School is awash in bright colors, beadwork, and dancers from all across the country during their annual Fathers’ Day Pow Wow. Congratulations to the Show Tree Brewing Company by the Carson Hot Springs; their big grand opening bash includes multiple bands. Keep reading – this weekend has a whole lot to offer.

SATURDAY:

Planes, trains, and automobiles take over Carson City this weekend. Steampunk ‘N’ Trains at the Nevada Railroad Museum features train rides, fun costumes, food trucks and more. You’ll find two car shows in town – the Party at the Pavilion as part of the Nevada State Fair and the Carson City Downtown Revival Car Show at the Carson Nugget. The Carson Airport Fly-In and Open House has plenty of aeronautic fun in store. You’ll have to keep reading for all of the fun options in Carson City and the surrounding valleys.

SATURDAY:

As the thermometer approaches 90, remind yourself that snow fell a few weeks ago and the heat is well overdue. We bypassed spring and lept right into summer. Enjoy a bluesy morning in Silver City as local musician, Mylo McCormick, takes the stage for a free acoustic concert. Bad man, John Wayne, tussles with an angel at tonight’s Classic Cinema Club offering at the Brewery Arts Center. Bring plenty of water, sunscreen, and a friend on today’s Conditioning Hike up Goni with Muscle Powered.

TUESDAY:

If you happen to be up very early on Saturday morning, you may just see some runners in the pre-dawn hours. The Reno-Tahoe Odyssey, a 178 mile relay, passes through Carson City on its way to Virginia City. A huge congratulations goes out to the Class of 2017; the Carson High graduates will get their diplomas today. It’s wine walk weekend, so downtown will be hopping with sippers, strollers, and plenty of summer fun. Keep reading, and you’re sure to find something to make this weekend special.

SATURDAY:

Memorial Day weekend is finally upon us. Unless there is some freak weather phenomenon on its way, it should be gorgeous. See what Tempest the students of Carson High Drama have stirred up as they perform their annual ‘Shakespeare in the Park’ at the Capitol Amphitheater. The GE Family Concert Series in Minden kicks off tonight with Garratt Wilkin and The Parrotheads; you’ll want to bring a jacket, it’s still gets chilly once the sun goes down.