Looking for a place to take your little ones this week? Look no further! Here is a list of family-friendly (and fun!) activities and events happening this week around Carson City and beyond.
Multiple Days
Hot Air For Hope in Gardnerville
The third annual Hot Air for Hope balloon festival will be held at Lampe Park in Gardnerville, NV from May 16-18, 2025 and will serve as a benefit for the Center for Hope & Healing’s community programs.
Organized by the Carson Valley Balloon Festival and Presented by Carson Tahoe Health, this event is FREE to the public and will include three public balloon launches from Lampe Park at 6:00am each morning (weather dependent).
On Friday evening, May 16, hot air balloon baskets will fill Lampe Park for “Fire It Up, Carson Valley!” Food trucks and music will start at 6:00pm while pilots set up their gear for one hot night! Be sure to come out and meet the pilots, have a bite to eat, and enjoy some great live music!
In addition to the balloon events, the festivities will include live music, food trucks, live art performances, and local vendors, Friday 6pm-10pm, Saturday 5am-3pm (plus Kid’s Zone), and Sunday (food trucks only) from 5am-10am.
Festival activities will occur rain or shine!
The community is welcome to come enjoy the balloons up-close, take pictures and learn more about ballooning! Plenty of volunteer opportunities are available as well. Follow @hotairforhope on Facebook and Instagram for up-to-date information, and be sure to visit our website, hotairforhope.com!
We’re so excited to be able to bring this amazing event to our area, and we hope to see you there!
Recurring
Toddler Time at the Children’s Museum of Northern Nevada
Toddler Time Tuesday and Friday 9:30 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. Designed for children 1-3 years of age. Play with educational toys, encourage social development, and meet other caregivers.
Monday, May 12
Carson FC Soccer Tryouts at Pete Livermore Sports Complex
From 5:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. for players born 2012-2017.
Recurring:
Early childhood arts activities including imitation and exploration in music, movement, and visual art for children 1 to 5 years old with a participating adult. Free to attend – please register in advance. TWO Class times: 10am – 10:40am and 11am – 11:40am. 801 N. Roop Street, in the art building next to the pool / community center.
Mondays Outside Carson City
Pre and Post Natal Stretch and Strengthen at Biggest Little Baby – Reno
Breathe and move in a way that is designed specifically for the pregnant & postpartum body to prepare for and recover from childbirth. We will have time for a brief community check-in, yoga/pilates based movement to build strength and stretch and end with guided relaxation & imagery. Although class is designed with the perinatal period in mind, class is also welcoming to all levels, ages and stages of life. Babies and children are welcome in class although there is no specific childcare attendant
Tuesday, May 13
The annual Fremont Talent Show Come takes place Tuesday beginning at 5:30 p.m. Watch some of Fremont’s 3rd-5th grade students shine on stage!
Recurring:
Tuesdays Outside Carson City
2’s & 3’s on the go! event by the South Lake Tahoe Library
Burn some energy while learning the fundamentals of early literacy. Join in for this energetic group every Tuesday from 10:30 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. at the South Lake Tahoe Library. Suitable for young children ages 2-3 years old and their caregivers.
STEAM Sensory Toddler Play Group at Biggest Little Baby – Reno
This STEAM Sensory Playgroup is perfect for parents with busy toddlers. Each month there will be a theme such as “rainbows,” and each week the sensory stations will have an emphasis in one or two of the STEAM categories (Science, Technology, Engineering, Art, and Math). The stations will consist of a mixture of sensory bins, art, science experiments, and constructive play all meant to strengthen your child’s fine motor, problem solving, and social skills while being fun and engaging for both parents and kids.
Wednesday, May 14
Recurring:
Thursday, May 15
Join us for our third annual Northern Nevada Giant Student Farmers Market from 10:00a.m. to 1:00p.m. PDT!
Students from 15+ schools across Northern Nevada have been growing their own produce from seed to harvest through Green Our Planet’s STEM garden and hydroponics programs. Along the way, they’ve been exploring nature, food systems, sustainability—and building real-world science and problem-solving skills.
But their journey doesn’t stop at growing! Through Green Our Planet’s Financial Literacy program, these young entrepreneurs are turning their harvests into sellable products while developing and executing their own business plans. Stop by to shop fresh, student-grown fruits, vegetables, and handmade goods while supporting the next generation of Farmpreneurs!
See the market in action:
Recurring:
Whistle Stop Storytime every Thursday at the Nevada Railroad Museum in Carson City
Head down to the Nevada State Railroad Museum, located at 2180 S. Carson Street, in Carson City every Thursday at 9:30 a.m. for story time! The stories visitors can expect include train-based picture books as well as an arts and crafts project associated with the book to follow. The recommended age range is 0-7, but any children of any age can participate.
Thursdays Outside Carson City
Recurring:
Kids Yoga at Biggest Little Baby
This class at Reno’s Biggest Little Baby uses yoga sequences, songs, stories, and games to teach kids aged 5-12 life skills via the fundamentals of yoga. We will incorporate breathing and relaxation exercises and sometimes even create mindful crafts! Located at 7693 S. Virginia St. from 4 to 5 p.m. Register at the link above. $22.50 per class for drop-ins, or $75 per month. Held every Thursday.
Mother Goose on the Loose at South Lake Tahoe Library
Join us at the South Lake Tahoe Library for our in-person Mother Goose on the Loose! Every Thursday at 10:30 AM with Miss Anel. This award winning program combines music, movement, visual literacy and language development to help children get ready to read! Mother Goose on the Loose is a lap-sit story time for little ones aged 0-2 years and their caregiver. 10:30 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. at South Lake Tahoe Library, 1000 Rufus Allen Blvd.
Friday, May 16
Recurring:
Toddler Time at the Children’s Museum of Northern Nevada
Toddler Time Tuesday and Friday 9:30am-11:30am. Designed for children 1-3 years of age. Play with educational toys, encourage social development, and meet other caregivers.
Fridays Outside Carson City
Recurring:
Family Yoga at Biggest Little Baby
This hour-ish family yoga class at Reno’s Biggest Little Baby is a supportive and nurturing space to practice yoga and mindfulness with children. We practice yoga through songs, stories, games, and breathwork in a format that is accessible for all ages and levels. Classes often incorporate seasonal or narrative themes. The intention of this class is to bring peaceful moments of connection to families through yoga and mindfulness. All classes include some form of quiet relaxation time. Adults should plan to participate in classes with their children. No yoga experience necessary! Cost is for adults; children accompanying adult are included. $25 per class. Located at 7693 S. Virginia Street. Register at the link above.
Multilingual Story Time at Biggest Little Baby
Join our multilingual reader Alison for a free weekly story time in the yoga studio at Biggest Little Baby. Children of all ages and their grown ups are invited to acquire language and preliteracy/literacy skills through movement, song, interaction, and stories in English, Spanish, French, and ASL. Alison has years of teaching and child development expertise and speaks multiple languages. Her love of reading and children is both apparent and contagious. We invite you to come learn to love language and reading as much as we do. 11:40 a.m. to 12:10 p.m. at Biggest Little Baby in Reno at 7693 S. Virginia St.
Saturday, May 17
Recurring:
Saturdays Outside Carson City
Spicy, mild or chili verde? Pick your favorite at the 42nd Chili on the Comstock where the International Chili World Qualifier takes over Virginia City with mouth-watering chili. While some of the best chili cooks in the West compete for a spot in the International Chili Society World Finals, they’re also looking for your vote for ‘People’s Choice Chili’. Think you have an award-winning chili recipe? Sign up as a cook.
And what’s chili without beer? Pair those tastings with some frosty brews in our Craft Beer Tour. Virginia City’s famous saloons and the Chili on the Comstock Craft Beer Tents are pouring hand-selected local and regional craft beers all weekend long. Tour tickets guarantee you 12 beer samples and 3 sweet treats.
We are excited to be bringing back our free, family event, Day of the Young Child – now called Kid’s Expo Tahoe!
This outdoor event will have free: community resources, hands on activities, food for kids, face painting, performances, and more!
Truckee River Railroad First Run of 2025
Come ride the train at the Truckee River Regional Park beginning Saturday at 11 a.m. A team of volunteers came out to the park on May 3rd, cleaned the track, tuned up the locomotives, got the crossing gates working, and put up a new fence between the depot and the playground. Come on out and ride the train on May 17!
Sunday, May 18
Donation Yoga Sundays 12pm with Amelia
This Vinyasa flow class is great for all levels and ages. A lovely way to regenerate and get ready for the rest of the week. Each week we will focus on a new theme: heart, opening, anxiety, trauma release, and stress management. This class is FREE to the public, but donations are welcome.
Register for classes at: www.motionyogastudio.com
Recurring:
Family STEAM Sunday at the Nevada State Railroad Museum
Join in every Sunday for science and art programming at the Nevada State Railroad Museum. Family STEAM Sundays is included with Museum Admission: Adults 18 and over are $10 and children ages 17 and under are free. Members are always free!
Sundays Outside Carson City
From 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at Aspen Grove. Join us for a delightful day filled with laughter, food, face painting, bounce houses, and the beauty of the great outdoors in support of FCF! GA tickets: $14; Bearific Ticket: $35 (comes with backpack, teddy bear and more!)
Did we miss any? Send any your event information to krisha@carsonnow.org and be sure to add to our calendar here!
