Reno-Tahoe

An exhibit memorializing the 50th anniversary of the 1960 Winter Games at Squaw Valley will go on display at today at the Reno-Tahoe International Airport, four days before the start of the 2010 Vancouver Winter Games.

The exhibit will allow passengers to position themselves on the very platforms used during the awards ceremony at the Squaw Valley Winter Olympics just 50 years ago, with the American flag hanging above the gold podium, providing for a great photo opportunity.

The museum will feature flags from all countries represented at the 1960 Games,  photos,  magazines, uniforms and more.  As well as two television monitors will run and display videos about the 1960 Winter Games.

The Olympic History Museum will be on exhibit at the Reno-Tahoe International Airport, through the spring of 2010.

A group of 150 Megabucks fans from across the U.S., $100 each and Silver Legacy Resort Casino make for what one man calls “one of the biggest and happiest families…” On Thursday, February 11, that family-Richard “Frosty” Frost and his comrades- will make their 10th annual trip to Silver Legacy Resort Casino for a chance to win Millions. The group will pull the handle of the Megabucks machine from 10am-12pm.

The avid Silver Legacy fan says this tradition makes the trip from Berlin, Wisconsin worth taking.

“Silver Legacy treats me and my constituents like real people. They have been very, very nice to me and they take good care of our group,” said Frost. “Everybody there has been just great; from casino hosts to gaming directors… it’s just a tremendous place to be…I wouldn’t want to be any other place.”

Frost’s group of gamblers started with six or seven people each throwing $100 into the pot and pulling the handle for a piece of the Million-dollar Megabucks pie. Now, a decade later, 150 people put in $100 and run $15, 000 through the Megabucks machine. The event has become so popular; there is a waiting list to join the group.

“They like the interest, they like the thrill of the idea that $100 might get them $50,000 a piece for a hundred dollar investment,” said Frost.

The Megabucks progressive jackpot is already over $10 Million.  Click here to see!

Top Ten Reasons the Roaming Gnome should should have broken his Cabin Fever in Tahoe rather than Utah in Travelocity’s Top Ski Destination contest.

1.     Ski in two states at the same time at Heavenly while looking at the deep blue of Lake Tahoe, even with your narrow gnome stance

2.     Go on a blind date with Tahoe Tessie (Lake Tahoe’s mythical resident “sea creature”).

3.     Depending on how the date goes, perhaps a quick wedding and an even quicker divorce in Reno.

4.     50 Tram laps at Squaw Valley USA to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the first televised Winter Olympic Games.

5.     Tempt fate with a visit to the Donner Party museum,  just hope they don’t think you’re a chocolate filled gnome.

6.     Our drinks have personality with drinks like the ‘Wet Woody’, the ‘Scorpion’ and the ‘Flaming Kava Kava’. Gnomes keep your beards away from the flames!

7.     Forgot your skis?  No problem, where else but in Sparks can you get your skis, ride a Ferris Wheel and drive a NASCAR simulator in one mega sports store?

8.     Follow in the footsteps of Ol’ Blue Eyes and Marilyn Monroe in the tunnels at the historic Cal Neva Lodge

9.     Spend a little downtime at the spa before heading out for a long night in Reno

10.    Satisfy a late night hunger at what has been heralded as one of the best burgers in the country, the Awful Awful, awfully big, awfully good, don’t be scared my friend, you can do it.

Almost every casino resort in Reno is sportin’ party bling this year for the Big Game between the New Orleans Saints and the Indianapolis Colts. The fun is not just limited to game-time, but non-stop fun and entertainment will be happening all weekend long.

Come spend the weekend in Reno and enjoy yourself during the Big Game, and if the ladies don’t want to watch, remind them we have great spas here as well to fulfill all their needs. Also, don’t forget to wager a few bucks on your team, just to show how much of a Superfan you are.

Parties throughout Reno include:

Circus Circus Reno: Big Game Bash – Big Screens, big food and big fun… Make sure to sign-up for our great raffle prizes!

John Ascuaga’s Nugget: Big Screen, Big Game Giveaway – Watch the Big Game at the Nugget on February 7th and get a chance to win one of four (4) Panasonic 42″ HDTVs!

Eldorado Reno: Big Game Weekend – The Big Game…Two Parties to Choose From Eldorado Convention Center with Viewing on 5 Giant 30′ HD Screens and 50-Yard Line Buffet or Eldorado Showroom with Viewing on a 20′ Giant HD Screen, Stadium Style Food & Souvenir Hat

Silver Legacy: Big Game Party and Buffet – Be sure to catch all the game action and fun at the Reno Ballroom, as Silver Legacy throws one of Northern Nevada’s best game day parties. Party-goers can watch the game on multiple giant screens throughout the ballroom while indulging in an all-you-can-eat buffet.

Peppermill Reno: Super Stadium Bash – Complimentary Bud & Bud Light Draft Beer at every table, meet the Budweiser Girls, door prizes every quarter, large HD format screens, all-you-can-eat buffet and a complimentary gift.

Atlantis Casino Resort Spa: Big Bowl Bash 2010 – You won’t want to miss a minute of the hard-hitting action at the Atlantis Big Bowl Bash XLIV! You will enjoy fabulous food and fun Casino wide as you watch pro football’s premiere game on our massive high definition screens in the sports bar! The beautiful Raiderettes will be on property to help you cheer your team to victory!

Grand Sierra Resort: Lombardi Party – Get up close and personal when you watch the Big Game at Xtreme Sports Bar & Lounge. With over 40 high-def screens and one giant mega-view projection screen showing all of the game and all the action. Its just like being at the game. Their sexy Xtreme girls will be serving kegs of beer and a menu that can’t be beat. Find out what attitude is all about!

Painted nearly 500 years ago, Raphael’s La Donna Velata or La Velata (The Woman with the Veil) traveled nearly 6,000 miles across land and sea to get to Reno, Nev. – and wow, was it worth the trip!

One of only three American cities to be graced by her enchanting  beauty, Reno proudly features the painting through March 21, 2010 at the Nevada Museum of Art and presented by the E.L. Wiegand Foundation’s Arte ITALIA. The attraction of the Woman can be explained in many ways: her idealized beauty and mysterious smile, the legend of the mistress believed to be the model for the image, and the sheer talent of the painter himself.

One of the most important – and certainly among the oldest – works of art to grace the Museum walls, Raphael’s The Woman with the Veil provides audiences of all ages a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to experience a distinctive and renowned work by a High Renaissance master and contemporary of such icons as Leonardo da Vinci and Michelangelo.

Three gallery spaces have been dedicated to showcase the single painting, including an interpretive area and screening room. Unique programming and guided tours are also available. The exhibition continues at Arte ITALIA, located at 442 Flint and California Ave., where additional information and film are on display.

Cost: FREE for Members / $10 adults / $8 seniors and students / $1 ages 6 to 12 years / FREE children under 5.

Hours: Wednesday through Sunday, 10 am to 5 pm, late on Thursdays until 8 pm.  Galleries, Museum Store and Café Musée are closed Mondays, Tuesdays and national holidays.  For more information visit: www.NevadaArt.org

Reno’s National Bowling Stadium will be open to the public for bowling from 12 p.m. until 9 p.m. Saturday, Jan. 2, 2010.  The facility is typically reserved for international bowling tournaments, and is closed to the public.

The National Bowling Stadium in Reno is the only facility of its kind in the world dedicated to the sport of bowling. The National Bowling Stadium opened in 1995 and was dubbed the “Taj Mahal of Tenpins” by the Los Angeles Times.

• Cost: Admission is $10 per person and includes shoe rental and two bowling games.
  Additionally, the I-Werks Theatre will be open to the public. Cost to view “Ring of Fire” a film about volcanoes is $5.
• Why: This unique fundraiser will benefit the Reno Tahoe Choral Ambassadors (RTCA), three local choirs that plan to attend the World Choir Games in Shaoxing, China, in July 2010.  Local choirs participating in the project include Bella Voce Women’s Ensemble, the Sierra Nevada Children’s Choir, and “Core Jazz” from McQueen High School.
  The RTCA will act as ambassadors to encourage choirs from countries worldwide to visit Reno in May 2011, when Reno Tahoe USA hosts the American International Choir Festival. This Festival is designed to attract several thousand singers and their families to Northern Nevada.
• When: Saturday, Jan. 2 from 12 p.m. until 9 p.m.
• Where: The National Bowling Stadium, 300 North Center Street, Reno, NV 89501-1129, (775) 335-8800
• Parking: Parking is available in the National Bowling Stadium Parking Garage located at Center and 4th Streets in downtown Reno.

The sheetrock is just getting hung, the sound of grinders and hammering and drilling fills the room. It’s hard to imagine that Reno’s newest concert venue, the three-story Knitting Factory, is slated to open for business in less than two weeks.

There’s a lot of chaos as General Manager Dean Hanson goes over final touches, inspects work and helps fill the bill for January, February, March and the rest of 2010. But Hanson has the excitement of a kid who’s ready to open presents on Christmas morning.

“Nobody has ever seen something like what we are doing in Reno,” he said. “This is going to be the premier venue for entertainment and we think we have a great opportunity to give some new life to the music scene in Reno.”

So what’s the Knitting Factory all about?

Since it’s start in New York, the company has opened concert houses in Hollywood, Boise, Spokane and, now, Reno. The business plan is a midsized club that holds 1,000-1,500 guests, offering a variety of entertainment that ranges from mainstream popular acts, to local garage bands. Hanson said the company’s goal is to have entertainment at the Reno club 20-25 nights a month, all in a smoke-free, all ages atmosphere (with a restricted bar area in the top level).

“Our model is to help the music scene grow,” he said. “As the music scene grows, the partnerships grow. It’s good for up-and-coming bands, and it’s good for us.

“And Reno is going to be the pinnacle venue in our company.”

The investment is big. The Knitting Factory is taking over a building in the center of downtown Reno that used to be home to Rocky’s sports bar (and the old Levi’s factory). The top-to-bottom renovation includes a 20-foot stage and general admission area on the main level, VIP, and 21-plus on the balcony level (with seating Hanson calls “The best seating and view you can have at a concert.”), and lounge areas in the basement areas. The main entrance/exit will be through Fulton Alley.

Hanson said a premium has been placed on the sound and lighting systems to create a first-class concert experience.

So far, concert promoters have responded favorably to the concept. Here are some of the shows lined up in the opening months:

• Dec. 31 Sounds of Seattle
• Jan. 1 The Roots
• Jan. 7 Gloriana
• Jan. 8 Switchfoot
• Jan. 9 Ultimate Reno Combat
• Jan. 10 Reel Big Fish
• Jan. 15 Candlebox
• Jan. 16 AFI
• Jan. 17 Umphrey’s McGee
• Jan. 22 George Clinton and Parliament
• Jan. 23 Lil’ Rob
• Feb. 5-6 The Fab Four
• Feb. 10 Alice in Chains
• Feb. 11 Badfish
• Feb. 19 Five Finger Deathpunch
• Feb. 26 The Blind Boys of Alabama
• Feb. 27 Black Rebel Motorcycle Club
• March 6 Andrew Nickatina
• March 7 The Young Dubliners
• March 15 Brandi Carlile
• March 16 New Found Glory
• March 27 No Quarter

Follow the Knitting Factory on Twitter at Twitter.com/knitreno.

Flights have been grounded, cars are stalling, power-lines are down and Reno Tahoe is all but buried under record low temperatures and snow, but all that won’t make a difference to this year’s Reno Santa Crawl which is expected to draw nearly 5,000 Santa-clad visitors this year for the weekend-long events.

In fact, the blizzard makes for an improved event and another surge in attendance if the pass remains open, says Matty Goedert, event founder and San Francisco based tax-attorney-by-day. “In our eight-year history we’ve lived through two huge snow storms, and the crawlers love it. This is the first year we’re doing Santa Skiing so if conditions continue, it will be the best fresh powder to kick off the season.”

Dubbed “Reindeer Games,” the weekend of Dec. 11-13 kicks off Friday night with a Santa Crawl Pajama Ball at Reno’s National Bowling Stadium. Then, all day Saturday, discounted Santa Skiing at Mt. Rose ski resort for those dressed as Santa.

The games come to head on Saturday night when more than 45 bars, pubs and casinos within a half-mile radius in downtown Reno host a flurry of Red, White and Beards for the eighth annual Reno Santa Crawl into the wee hours of the morning.

Beginning with only a handful of participants, the crawl has steadily grown each year. At the onset of the recession in 2008, organizers experienced a significant and unexpected surge when attendance doubled from 1,500 to 3,000 participants. This year, they are expecting close to 5,000.

In true holiday spirit, proceeds from the event go to the Hashimoto Widows and Orphans Fund for the families of fallen law officers of the Reno-Sparks area.

Created with Admarket’s flickrSLiDR.

The Eldorado Hotel Casino plays host to a celebration of the holiday season with the Holiday Ice Spectacular playing through Dec. 29 on the Showroom Stage.

This dazzling show is a thrilling combination of skillful ice-skating and theater. Dozens of charismatic, world-class figure skaters will lift, turn and twirl to the tune of a modern mix of classic holiday favorites. The Holiday Ice Spectacular is produced and directed by Jeb K. Rand, a former U.S. National figure skating competitor who has been featured in the Ice Capades, Disney on Ice and the famous Radio City Christmas Spectacular in New York City. Event Details

Reno Pops Orchestra presents its fourth annual holiday concert at Rock Church, 4950 Vista Blvd in Sparks on Friday, Dec. 4 at 7:30 p.m.

Guest conductor Joel Munc will lead the orchestra in an assortment of holiday music including: Polar Express, White Christmas, Winter Wonderland, Carol of the Bells, Jesu Joy of Man’s Desiring, and LeRoy Anderson’s Sleigh Ride.

A vocal ensemble will join the orchestra for Alfred Burt’s Christmas Carols.  The orchestra will play Coirelli’s Christmas Concerto.

In keeping with the annual holiday concert tradition, members of the audience will be invited to sing along with the orchestra. Vocalists will lead the audience in favorite carols and the words will be projected on a screen to make it easy for those who want to join in.

This uplifting holiday concert is free, but donations are always appreciated.

For more information call 775-673-1234 or visit www.renopops.org.