Reno-Tahoe

Short of delivering presents the world over, it’s the most fun you’ll have in a Santa suit.

The annual Reno Reindeer Games returns the weekend of Dec. 11-13 with an expanded slate of events highlighted, of course, by the Reno Santa Pub Crawl, where visitors flock to the watering holes of downtown Reno for a night of holiday revelry.

This year, the charity event gets even bigger with a holiday pajama party, discount skiing at Mt. Rose Ski Tahoe and discounts for attendees who book a hotel room. In 2008, event organizers estimate as many as 3,000 Santas crawled Reno’s pubs, and 2009 is expected to be even bigger. There is NO EXCUSE to miss a party this fun.

Reno Reindeer Games Events:

• Santa Crawl Pajama Ball, Dec. 11

Bowling + Pajamas = Fun. The party starts Friday evening at the “Taj Mahal of Tenpins,” the National Bowling Stadium, with the Santa Crawl Pajama Ball. The mammoth facility usually plays best to 100 lanes of world-class bowling, usually aired on ESPN – Not tonight. Festivities include pictures with Santa, raffle prizes, holiday drink specials and a best dressed in holiday pajamas contest. The cover charge for party revelers dressed in pajamas or holiday flare is $15, which covers bowling and a donation to the Reindeer Charities. For those not dressed in pajamas or holiday flare the cover charge is $20.

• Santa Crawl Skiing Extravaganza, Dec. 12

Dress festively & get a $39 all-day lift ticket at Mt. Rose Ski Tahoe with $5 dollars going to Support the Claus during the Santa Crawl Skiing Extravaganza! Join other Reindeer Game revelers for holiday drink specials and the best-dressed contest. Added bonus: watching hundreds of Santas shredding pow. That’s worth the price of admission.

• Reno Santa Pub Crawl, Dec. 12

The magical anticipation of St. Nick dropping down the chimney on Christmas Eve may be long gone, but that doesn’t mean the adults can’t have fun. The highlight of the Reno Reindeer games, the Reno Santa Pub Crawl, brings the whole event home. Basically, several thousand Santa crawlers hit the streets and more than two-dozen participating watering holes of downtown Reno, showing off their best Santa-inspired costumes – the party reaches a crescendo when revelers meet under the legendary Reno Arch.

• Hotel deal

Event organizers have teamed up with the Silver Legacy Resort Casino to create a killer package: Rooms start at $59 and include a $35 coupon book, $5 food voucher, 2-for-1 drinks at Aura Ultra Lounge, health spa admission, 20 percent Silver Legacy Shopping Discount, $4 off ticket to Catch a Rising Star comedy club and one free ace-in-the-hole.

Cinematography is the medium. Action sports and adventure is the subject. Well known as a breeding ground for elite athletes and year-round adventurers, Lake Tahoe is the stage for the 7th Annual Tahoe Adventure Film Festival to be held Dec. 12 at Montbleu Resort Casino & Spa in South Lake Tahoe.

Designed to capture the intensity and passion of adventure, the Tahoe Adventure Film Festival (TAFF) showcases 10-minute clips from the best action sports films of the year in one evening. TAFF organizers spend months pouring over footage from every corner of the globe to narrow down the film submissions to the top 10. Films cover the full spectrum of adventure by the action sports world’s best talent, featuring sports like skiing, snowboarding, kayaking, rock climbing, surfing, skating, mountain biking, BASE jumping and other heart-pounding sports. The high-energy films are amplified by live acts including special guest speakers, action sports photography by Aurora Photos, go-go dancers, DJs, and always a few special surprises to keep the audience entertained.

“The festival’s fast pace and action-packed films keep us on edge; that fine line that defines world-class athletes and fuels our passion for adventure at any level,” says Todd Offenbacher, TAFF founder and event host. “We put together a line-up of the best films of the year and showcase them in one night of energy, excitement and fun that appeal to all audiences.”

A highlight of the festival is the Golden Camalot Award which recognizes one athlete or filmmaker for their athletic prowess, achievements and leadership role in action and adventure sports. Past TAFF Camalot recipients include snowboard pioneer Jeremy Jones, 86-year-old mountaineer Fred Beckey, extreme skier Glen Plake, world-class rock climber Tommy Caldwell, and legendary climber/kayaker Royal Robbins.

This year TAFF has partnered with the Sierra Avalanche Center to host the biggest raffle in the festival’s history. Prizes include Lake Tahoe resort season passes, a trip with Points North Heli Adventures, an afternoon with Pacific Crest Snowcats, and enough gear and swag to stock any adventure enthusiast’s garage.

The festival starts at 6:30 p.m. with an action sports photography display from award-winning Aurora Photos followed by the main event at 7:30pm. For festival details, visit www.LakeTahoeFilmFestival.com. Tickets are available at the Montbleu Resort box office or www.ticketmaster.com.

The rumble of motorcycles has officially filled Reno Tahoe as 25,000 of the region’s friends on two wheels pour in for Street Vibrations, the area’s annual celebration of bikes, bikers and the people who love them. Throughout the weekend, there will be events, contests, cruises and tons of food and live music (events calendar), but the highlight may come Saturday evening at Grand Sierra Resort when daredevil rider Ryan Capes attempts to smash the world record for a ramp-to-ramp jump.

Capes, who was recently featured on the ESPN FMX blog in preview of the jump, said the jump harkens back to the glory days of motorcycling.

“Well, about three years ago at Evel Knievel Days, I went for the ramp-to-ramp world record and I jumped 246 feet — seven feet short of the record,” he told ESPN’s Ryan Leyba. “I would’ve broken it back then, but I didn’t due to the fact that the wind was whipping badly and I had to shut it down — so I’m coming back to Reno and I’m going for the record again. I’m on a bigger takeoff ramp and a bigger landing ramp, and I plan on being the first guy to jump 300 feet ramp-to-ramp. The record right now is 253 feet, set by Jason Rennie, and I will beat that.”

The attempt is no joke. Construction shows a take off ramp that stretchs more than 20 feet off the ground, and a huge landing ramp — the largest ever built according to Capes — that rises approximately 30 feet. The event is all part of the grand opening celebration of the Xtreme Sportsbar + Lounge at the hotel-casino. The evening will also feature a performance by MiniKiss, a Kiss tribute band headlined by the most rockin-est little people this side of the Rockies.

When: Saturday, Sept. 26

• 6 p.m. Livfast freestyle demos and record-breaking attempt by rider Ryan Capes.
• 8:30 – 9 p.m. Performance by MiniKiss in the Grand Sierra parking lot.
• 10 p.m. Afterparty in Xtreme Sports Bar + Lounge with a special grand opening performance by Mini Kiss.

Where: Grand Sierra Resort parking lot, and inside the casino

Video: Capes’ previous world-record jump:

Galena Fest 2009 is bringing competitive mountain biking to the hills of Reno Tahoe on Sept. 27, taking advantage of one of the region’s best-kept secrets – the Galena Creek Regional Park – and giving enthusiast’s another reason to visit the region.

The race takes place 7 a.m.-2 p.m. with tons of events for mountain bikers of every age and skill level, and plenty of fun for spectators. Read More

The past is alive in historic Virginia City. The preserved western frontier town was once the center of commerce and culture during the gold and silver booms of the late 1800s. The old buildings, wooden boardwalk, museums, steam train and shops bring that history to life for families seeking a taste of the Wild West. Watch the Video:

The Great Reno Balloon Race is a beloved event, which has decorated the Reno sky for 28 years. The early hours are all worth it once 100 balloons ascend into the early morning sky for a spectacular show of bright colors and fun shapes.

To make this year’s event an easy and worry free experience, follow some of these simple tips provided by the event organizers:

Stay in your pajamas on Saturday, Sept. 12 for The World’s Largest Pajama Party, sponsored by momslikeme.com and Farmers Insurance! Hang out in the pajama party tent and get your photo taken by the Pajamarazzi. Come in your best (or worst) bed-head to enter in the Bed-Head competition. Register at www.renoballoon.com.

• September mornings tend to be a little chilly and the weather can be unpredictable, so be sure to dress in layers.
• Please leave your pets at home. Large of crowds of people, strange surroundings and weird noises may scare them and make them act out of character.
• Smoking is prohibited on the launch field. Dry grass, propane and sparks do not mix.
• Bring a camera with you so you can capture every moment of this incredible event.
• Admission is free, but make sure you bring money for tethered rides, souvenirs or food and drink from a variety of vendors.
• Parking is limited at the event so make sure to arrive early. You can also use RTC RIDE, which will have both pick-up and drop-off at three different locations: CITICENTER in Downtown Reno, Reed High School and Meadowood Mall. Also, many local hotel sponsors provide transportation, so be sure to ask when you check in.

For more information about this year’s Great Reno Balloon Race and a complete schedule of events, visit www.renoballoon.com.

- Provided by the Great Reno Balloon Race

La Tomatina en Reno brought America’s Biggest Food Fight to Reno on Saturday at the Reno City Plaza. Nearly 5,000 participants threw 50,000 pounds of tomatoes in the inaugaral event, raising thousands for cancer research. Check out these photos and be sure to catch next year’s event:



Created with Admarket’s flickrSLiDR.

Videos of the event have also been popping up:

They snort. They spit. Sometimes they bite. They may be the most ornery animals on four legs – at least any animal you would consider riding. And they’re coming to Northern Nevada’s Virginia City to race.

The Virginia City International Camel Races celebrate its 50th running Sept. 11-13 in this Wild West town, offering high drama in the high desert hills outside of Reno. While the dromedaries are not known for their speed – some even choose to go the wrong way on occasion – the awkward gallops, jockeys hanging on for dear life, and the whooping of the crowd is a spectacle worth seeing.

A piece of Nevada history

The camel races started as a lie, when Virginia City’s Territorial Enterprise newspaper in 1959 made up a story about camel racing on the Comstock. The story found its way into other newspapers, and eventually the San Francisco Chronicle and the Phoenix Sun challenged each other to a race.

So the races were on, the year that the “Misfits” starring Clark Gable and Marilyn Monroe, and directed by John Huston, were in Virginia City filming the movie. Huston, riding for the Chronicle, won the first camel race.

While you’re here

Virginia City’s roots go deep. The onetime commercial and cultural center of the West was borne out of the silver boom in the mid-nineteenth century. Much of that history, from the boardwalks, museums and preserved saloons, to the fully functional V&T Railroad, lives on today, offering visitors a true Wild West experience.

For more information about Virginia City and the International Camel Races, call 1-800-718-7587 or go online to VisitVirginiaCityNV.com.

Sept. 10

• 6 p.m. Jockey Party at the Red Dog Saloon

Sept. 11

• 1:30-5 p.m. Media Races

Sept. 12

• Noon C Street Parade featuring camels, floats, marchers, hot rods, llamas and equestrian teams
• 1:30-5 p.m. Camel Races, including a children’s fun zone with a bounce house, fast draw competition (ages 12 and up), pony and camel rides
• Evening Camel Hump Ball at the Old Freight Depot

Sept. 13

• 1:30-5 p.m. Championship Races
• General Admission is $10; VIP tickets are $40; Family Pack is $25; Junior/Senior/Military $8

There are few guarantees in life, but when it comes to Lake Tahoe summers, you can pretty much count on 1) consist sun 2) warm, moderate temperatures 3) and breezy afternoons. And there may be no better way to capture the essence of Tahoe than aboard a sailboat.

Several charter companies throughout the lake offer sailboat rides, complete with cocktails and bonus sunsets. So get on board and experience Tahoe under wind power. Check out this “Reno Tahoe Experience” aboard the Tahoe Cruz, a boat that sails out of Tahoe City on the lake’s North Shore for a taste of what you’ll experience.

For one week a year, some of the best golfers in the game stream into Reno Tahoe, seeking birdies, avoiding bogies and playing on one of the best golf courses in the West.

The Legends Reno-Tahoe Open, a PGA TOUR stop at Montreux Golf and Country Club (Aug. 3-9) in south Reno, offers a unique setting among the pines of the Tahoe forest (just minutes from Lake Tahoe) but is also right at the tree line with the Nevada desert on display in the valley below.

And although the LRTO offers a true PGA experience, this isn’t your father’s – or even grandfather’s – golf tourney. Spectators come out for the laid-back party atmosphere. It’s serious golf without the serious attitudes.

Take the Fiesta Loco-themed hole at #16. Here the margaritas and tequila drinks will be flowing, along with a burrito and taco bar. Oh, and there is also a Mariachi band. What would a PGA TOUR event be without a Mariachi band?

And of course there is plenty of fun for the kids. The Kidz Par Tee Zone offers a bounce house, face painting, putt-putt golf and more. This may be the only tournament where the cheers of the gallery have to compete with the sound of squealing kids having a blast.

If you are a wine lover, the Vino 100 Wine Walk offers the opportunity to enjoy all of the golf action while sampling wines at various tasting stations throughout the course. What could be better than a sunny day, high-level pro golf and wine tasting all at the same time?

On top of it all, the Legends Reno-Tahoe Open is an open invitation to have a great time viewing the game that we all love. Beyond the unique events and attractions – and of course competitive golf (players are competing for a $3 million purse as well as all-important FedExCup points), tickets are reasonable, and transportation from Reno Tahoe hotels is fast and easy.

For more information, visit the LRTO page at VisitRenoTahoe.com.