All aboard! Escape to Reno Tahoe in the heart of the Sierra’s winter season aboard the Reno Fun Train! Party and dance your way through the snowy mountains to a weekend of fun and games.

Treat yourself to a weekend of winter fun with a live-music Dance Car, Piano Lounge, Smoking Car with Cigar Lounge, available chair massage and Elvis tribute artist, there is no other train like it in the world! The journey includes roundtrip charter train with reserved seats; including, meals served at your seat, entertainment, hotel and more.

FUN TRAIN Departure Dates & Themes:

• Feb. 8 (Mardi Gras)
• Feb. 22 (Rock n’ Roll w/ Chocolate & Wine Tasting)
• Mar. 1 (Soul Train best of the 70’s & 80’s)
• Mar. 8 (1960’s Murder Mystery – Featuring Elvis)
• Mar. 15 (St. Patrick’s)

For pricing and more information please visit: http://keyholidays.com/ft.html

Passengers must be 21 or older to ride this party train.

Get the party rolling!

Barrett-Jackson, the world’s premier collector car event company, announced a new Reno Tahoe auction starting in August 2013,

The World’s Greatest Collector Car Auctions™ will be coming to the base of the Sierra Nevada’s to join the world’s premiere classic car and nostalgia festival, Hot August Nights. The inaugural Hot August Nights Auction Presented by Barrett-Jackson will take place in Reno Tahoe, Aug. 8-10, 2013. This event marks a historic partnership between two of the most recognized names in the classic and collector car industry.

The new partnership between Barrett-Jackson and Hot August Nights will offer fans and customers of both the classic car event and collector car auctions a weeklong opportunity to celebrate and revel in some of the most recognizable and historic automobiles in the world. Not only will buyers be able to bid on and purchase from Barrett-Jackson’s famous selection of collector cars, but now they can take them right from the auction block to the streets of Reno Tahoe to participate in one of Hot August Nights’ famous cruises or Show-n-Shines.

For more information, please visit Barrett-Jackson.

The Chinese New Year is upon us, marking the time when we transition from the Year of the Dragon to the Year of the Snake. While the Dragon brought us a year of excitement, unpredictability, exhilaration and intensity, the Snake is believed to bring prosperity, gracious morality and great wisdom. To usher in the New Year, beginning February 10, Reno Tahoe USA is celebrating with a week of dining specials, dances and concerts!

Eldorado Hotel Casino

Ring in the Year of the Snake at the Eldorado with dozens of specialty dishes and magnificent White Crane Lion Dances. From February 10-17, enjoy the variety of changing options at The Buffet, including Chinese five spice head on shrimp with chili sauce, roast duck and cashew chicken. Feast on the all-you-can-eat selections for $17.99 from February 11-14, and $24.99 on February 10 and February 15-17.

From February 16-18, the Eldorado is carrying on the ancient Chinese New Year tradition of the White Crane Lion Dance. Watch as the spectacular display begins on the mezzanine and winds down through the casino. Saturday performances begin at 5, 8 and 11 pm. Sunday dances will start at 4, 7 and 10 pm, followed by a final dance on Monday at 1 pm.

Silver Legacy Resort Casino

Celebrate the beginning of the new Chinese Lunar Calendar with the legendary ritual of the Lion Dance, performed by international award-winning members of Leung’s White Crane Dance Association. Catch the Lion Dance on Silver Legacy’s mezzanine level near the Mining Rig on:

• February 16 at 1, 4, 5 and 10 pm
• February 17 at 12, 3 4 and 8 pm
• February 18 at 12 pm

In addition to the dazzling performances, enjoy Chinese delicacies at two delicious dining spots from February 10-24. Flavors! the Buffet presents an endless assortment of Chinese favorites, including baron beef with Asian rub, crab leg clusters and pork pot stickers for $22.99. And at Café Sedona, enjoy authentic dishes such as Hunan beef, stir fry rice cakes and Fat Choy.

Mt. Rose Ski Tahoe

Hop on the chair lift and welcome in the Year of the Snake with a little “snaking” of your own down the slopes of Mt. Rose. In between runs, take advantage of fantastic food and drink specials, exciting activities and catch the one-of-a kind Lion Show behind Base Lodge at 11:30.

Reno Ballroom

For an exciting evening filled with live Chinese music, join Tavia Yeung Yi, Ron Ng and Sean Lin on February 17 at 8 pm. Tickets are $88.

While celebrating the Year of the Snake, be sure to keep up on the latest trends in Reno Tahoe USA by checking out The Hive – the month’s 10 most “buzz worthy” things to see and do.

Roses are red, violets are blue, if it’s planning Valentine’s Day you dread, let Reno Tahoe help you! Wow the socks off of your Valentine this year with these lovable ideas you’ll only find in Reno Tahoe USA:

1. Last Tracks Wine Tasting

From Diamond Peak’s mid-mountain Snowflake Lodge, guests enjoy the beautiful views of Lake Tahoe while tasting fine wines and tasty appetizers. At the end of the event, after the lifts are closed, guests ski, telemark or snowboard down a freshly groomed corduroy run to the bottom.

Last Tracks is held on Saturdays starting in February, until the end of the season. Events start approximately at 4:00pm, but you can pick up your Last Tracks ticket at 2:00 pm to get some runs in before the event starts. The event ends around 6pm or at sunset, whichever comes first. All guests must stay until the end of the event and go down as a group. Space is limited, so reserve your spot today!

Single event tickets are $29. Includes a ski lift ticket valid from 2:00 pm until 4:00 pm.  Reserve Online!

2. Spa Atlantis Valentine’s Day Spa Packages

Treat your sweetheart to a romantic day of wellness at Spa Atlantis, insides Atlantis Casino Resort Spa in Reno, Nevada. Spa Atlantis offers guests complete serenity in an award-winning spa. For the month of February, guests can choose from the following Valentine’s Day spa packages.

Sparkling Mimosa Pedicure

Raise a toast to soft and silky feet.  Champagne bubbles and raw sugar cane granules create sparkling skin.  Relieve roughness, as the healing properties of orange and grape essential oils seal in the moisture benefits from a warm paraffin wrap.  Your feet are then massaged with Mimosa Champagne lotion.  60mins $80

Sweethearts Escape

Our jetted tubs and effervescent bubbles are the perfect way to start your romantic escape.  Slip into the warm waters and experience the true ambiance of love.  Next fall even deeper into relaxation with a side by side couple’s massage.  90mins $310

Evening Primrose Wrap

Your blissful experience will begin with a hydrating rose sugar scrub. Relax while tired and dull looking skin is gently buffed away to reveal new, refreshed skin.  Your body is then deeply moisturized with a rose petal infused moisture cream and essential oils.  Float blissfully away as you relax in our weightless floatation bed, while enjoying a scalp massage.  You’ll leave with glowing, healthy skin as soft and delicate as a rose petal. 60mins $145

To make a reservation, please contact Spa Atlantis at 775.954.4315.

3. Crazy in Love… with Sports

Archie, the Reno Aces loveable mascot, is ready to help you ace this Valentine’s Day with the perfect gift – an Archie Gram! The package includes a $15 gift card, flower arrangement and two Outfield Reserved tickets (with an option to upgrade) to the Reno Aces home opener on April 12! Archie will deliver the packages between Feb. 7-14, and delivery is FREE to those in the Reno/Sparks area. I want to get in the game.

4. Turn Up the Heat

Keep the heat going into the weekend. Feb. 15, the #1 male revue in the world, Chippendales®, hits the stage at the Silver Lagacy’s Grande Exposition Hall with their exclusive “Ultimate Girls Night Out” tour. Capturing the perfect balance of sex appeal and tasteful teasing, this full production show portrays everything from men in uniform to dusty cowboys. Ok, I’m interested.

5.  Romantic Serenades

Listen to the chords of harmony and love at Artown’s Encore Performance of Violinist Itzhak Perlman with pianist Rohan De Silva at the Pioneer Center, Valentine’s Day, Feb. 14. Friends of Artown receive 10% off ticket prices, contact Artown at 775-322-1538 for code. Click to tune into more info.

6. Indulge in Decadent Treatments at Stillwater Spa in Tahoe

Throughout February, Stillwater Spa offers a pair of luxurious spa treatments for individuals and couples seeking blissful relaxation:

o    “I Love Me” special treatment features a 50-minute Stillwater massage, 25-minute Lushly scrub, a Moroccan Oil™ Blowout, a complimentary champagne toast, and a $25 resort credit when guests spend $50 or more. Price: $225.

o   “I Heart You” special treatment for couples includes a 75-minute Couples Escape, 25-minute Moroccan Oil™ scalp massage and conditioning treatment, complimentary champagne toast, and $25 resort credit when guests spend $50 or more. Price: $425.

No time is ever enough to take on all that the Reno Tahoe area has to offer, but how’s a three-day weekend for starters? Whether you’re looking for a snowy, high-adventure escape, or a relaxing getaway with friends, we have 7 reasons you should use this 3-day weekend to visit Reno Tahoe USA:

1. Downtown Reno Wine Walk

Every third Saturday of the month (including Jan 19!) from 2pm – 5pm, Riverwalk merchants host the popular Wine Walk along the Truckee River and neighboring streets in downtown Reno. Wine-tasting fee of $20 allows you to sample wine at any participating locations.

2. Ski and Board a new resort in Tahoe

There are 18 ski resorts within 90 minutes of downtown Reno. Chances are you haven’t hit all of them. So find some slopes you haven’t shredded! It just might become your new go-to.

3. Get cozy in Midtown

Grab a local brew, split a bottle of specialty wine, or sip a latte to quench your thirst between shopping sprees and games of pool. It’s all walking distance in the new hip Midtown District!

4. Fish in the middle Downtown Reno

Yes they’ll bite! Wilderness flows right through the downtown area, bringing all sorts of cuddly critters, and hungry fish under our city lights.

5. Rink on the River

Delight in an afternoon at Rink on the River, located along the Truckee River in downtown Reno.

6. Relax!

Sit back, relax, and enjoy the scenery. Donner Lake is a must-see hidden gem in the Sierra.

7. Cheers to the three-day weekend

Grab a brew and play a game of shuffleboard at one of the hip bars along the Riverwalk, like Ole Bridge Pub.

While The Big Game is in New Orleans, the real party is in Reno Tahoe USA!  Big screens, beer, buffets and the Budweiser Girls. What more could you ask for?

Peppermill Resort Spa Casino

For an experience packed with hard hitting action on massive screens, stadium food and Budweiser Girls, the Peppermill’s Super Stadium Bash XLVII is the place to be. Tickets are $60 per person in advance, and $65 at the door. Admission to the party includes:

• Complimentary Bud & Bud Light at every table
• Three drink tickets per person
• Meet and greet with the Budweiser Girls
• All-you-can-eat stadium food buffet
• Door prizes every quarter
• Complimentary gift

The party kicks off at 2:30 pm.

Eldorado Hotel Casino

Enjoy the game while lounging in Eldorado’s award winning showroom. With stadium style seating, you’ll have the best seat in the house – no matter where you sit. Tickets for a reserved seat are $25 and include a special souvenir hat, beverage and your choice of a hot dog, nachos or sandwich. You’ll also party with former NFL stars, such as, Frank Hawkins of the Oakland Raiders and Glenn Carano of the Dallas Cowboys. Doors open at 2:30 pm.

Silver Legacy Resort Casino

Join the Big Game Party hosted by Silver Legacy at the Downtown Reno Ballroom where you won’t miss a single snap, hit, touchdown or hilarious commercial while watching the game on multiple giant screens. In between plays and high-fiving your buddies, enjoy the all-you-can-eat buffet, along with a complimentary drink and commemorative hat. The party starts at 2 pm.

Atlantis Casino Resort Spa

Catch all the exciting Big Bowl Bash drawings at the Atlantis Race & Sports Book, including a chance to win $100,000 if the opening or second half kickoff is returned for a touchdown. Receive one drawing entry for every $25 sports or race wager made from noon through the end of the game. For great food and drink specials, head over to the Sports Bar & Lounge where you’ll also have a shot at Bud Light giveaways throughout the game.

With the Atlantis Big Bowl Bash Getaway Packages, NFL Championship excitement and Four Diamond luxury go hand-in-hand like Colin Kaepernick and record rushing yards. Choose from the following packages and enjoy Luxury Tower accommodations for two, along with two tickets to the Big Bowl Bash.

• 1 night package – February 3.  $240
• 2 night package – February 2 & 3. $390
• 3 night package – February 1, 2 & 3. $540

Circus Circus Reno

To celebrate the biggest football game of the year, Circus Circus Reno is transforming into Super Sunday Central with the grand opening of the newly remodeled Race and Sports Book where you’ll party with the Corona Girls while enjoying Batch 19, 1554 and Big Eddie Stout beer tastings. At Dos Geckos Cantina, the Tequila Girls will kick the party up a notch with tequila tastings, while $2 domestic draft beers flow at every bar across the property. And most importantly, there isn’t a spot in Dos Geckos, the Race and Sports Book or on the casino floor where you won’t be able to see the game with TV screen galore!

Grand Sierra Resort Casino

Earn big bucks while cheering on your favorite team during the Big Game Watch and Win, where 12 lucky winners will pick from suitcases containing $250 – $2,500 cash.

For more information visit our events calendar.

Exhibit opens January 14 with the opening reception scheduled for Friday, January 18, and a special movie premier at the Nevada Museum of Art Saturday, February 2

The Holland Project Gallery will host Built to Weather, a group photography exhibit celebrating eras, pivotal moments and stellar landscapes related to snowboarding. It’s the first time a show of this context and caliber has been exhibited in Reno.

The exhibit opens January 14 and runs through February 8 at the Holland Project Gallery located at 140 Vesta St. between Wells Avenue and Virginia Street in Reno.  The opening reception for Built to Weather will take place Friday, January 18 from 6 p.m. – 8 p.m. at the Holland Project.

Built to Weather will feature eight renowned photographers including: Bud Fawcett, Ian Ruhter, Mike Basich, Jim Zellers with Richard Leversee, Mike Yoshida, Paul Laca, Chris Carnel and Tim Peare.

The exhibit curator Chris Carnel has tracked down prominent works from these diverse globetrotting photographers to form a unique crew of individuals intrinsically involved with snowboarding. This diverse selection of photographs features pinnacle, historical moments involving iconic individuals that have lived and breathed the life of the sport.

In conjunction with the exhibit, the Nevada Museum of Art will be screening Basich’s film Open Space at 1 p.m. on Saturday, February 2. Admission is $5.  The film will be followed by a question and answer session with Chris Carnel and Ian Ruhter. They will speak about their involvement in documenting the sport; Ruhter from both sides of the camera. Ruhter will also elaborate on his cutting edge style of shooting involving a truck and wet plates as well his work in Built to Weather and being an ex-pro in the sport.

Of the group, Bud Fawcett has photographed some of the inaugural moments in snowboarding history. Fawcett moved to Tahoe in the early 1980’s. He came from the Blue Ridge Mountains of North Carolina with a background in photojournalism to document the earliest inklings of what freestyle snowboarding would become. Fawcett also became the photo editor for the legendary International Snowboard Magazine in the late 80’s. His subjects like Terry Kidwell, Shaun Palmer and Keith Kimmel were way ahead of the curve and heavily influenced by iconic vert skaters like Hosoi and Caballero.

Representing a more current end of the spectrum, Richard Leversee photographs of Jim Zellers in the exhibition depict a noteworthy moment in snowboarding history. Zellers, early mountaineer in the world of snowboarding, was documented by Leversee as the first and only person to snowboard the 45 degree cable-route side of Yosemite’s Half-Dome. In 2001, after five years of winter attempts, Zellers and Leversee hiked through the night to arrive in perfect conditions to climb and freeride down Half-Dome unassisted.

Curating these images by Fawcett and Leversee as well as photographs by Ruhter, Basich, Yoshida, Laca and Peare, Chris Carnel is drawing from his own experience within the sport. Having grown up in Reno, Carnel started shooting photography in the mid-80’s. By the end of the 90’s, he had worked with International Snowboard Magazine ISM (ISM), Snowboarder Magazine, Thrasher, Trans-World Snowboarding, Bikini and Heckler. In 2001 he helped publish A Declaration of Independents. Through his early and continued involvement in snowboarding, Carnel brings an authentic knowledge of the sport to the work he has selected for the exhibition.

For more information on Built to Weather, please visit www.hollandreno.org.

It’s that time of year to set New Year’s Resolutions. Make your list, and make it happen!

1. Get Active:

Ski, surf and golf in the same day.

Scale the world’s largest climbing wall in downtown Reno.

Shop the world’s largest sporting good’s store in Sparks (It’s so big, it’s definitely a workout to tour it all.)

Sail, hike, paddleboard, snowshoe, kayak, the list goes on…

2. Learn Something New:

Learn to ski at one of the top ski resorts in the country.

Learn to camel jockey at the International Camel Races.

Learn to play the tables –expert dealers will help you learn the game while cocktail waitresses serve you free drinks!

Again, the list can go on…

3. Save Money:

Reno Tahoe USA boasts the top hotels, spas, ski resorts, and attractions in the world, and we’ll let you enjoy them without emptying your wallet. That’s our small town lifestyle shining through.

4. Help Others:

Most of our events benefit amazing organizations. Whether you’ve joined thousands in the Santa Pub Crawl, raising money for Washoe County Schools, or attended the Reno-Tahoe Open, generating money for their foundation, it pays to come to our events!

5. Enjoy Life:

All seasons ~ 1,000 reasons. Find your passion in Reno Tahoe USA.

Cheers!

A monthly roundup of museum events, exhibits and deals you won’t want to pass by!

Nevada Museum of Art

The Light Circus: Art of Nevada Neon

Through February 10

Celebrate a bygone era during this exhilarating presentation of vintage neon signs that once graced some of Nevada’s most iconic restaurants, casinos, hotels, and business establishments. From flashing incandescent bulbs to candy-colored neon tubes, the nostalgic pieces featured in this exhibition have not been seen publicly since they illuminated street side locales decades ago.

SPECIAL EVENTS

ART BITE — Meet the Artist: Jean-Pierre Bonfort

Friday, January 11 / noon

French photographer Jean-Pierre Bonfort will talk about using a cell phone camera to create the journey documented in his photographs. He will be joined by Denis Bisson, the Cultural Attaché to the French Consulate in San Francisco.

Free for Museum members and with paid admission

Reno’s Mad Men: Celebrating the Oral Histories of Old Reno in Sound, Light, and Image

Thursday, January 17 / 6 – 8 pm

Reno’s “mad men” era was a time of intense interest in Reno as a place, a destination city of gaming, glitz, and glamour, and it kindled a strong advertising sector around the old casinos. Listen to the voices of old Reno’s “mad men” through newly digitized oral histories, and join the conversation to share stories of your experiences of Reno’s past. Colin Robertson, Curator of Education, and Alicia Barber, Director of the University of Nevada, Reno Oral History Program, will facilitate an informal roundtable discussion. Following the program, enjoy a classic cocktail in the gallery, surrounded by the signs in The Light Circus: Art of Nevada Neon.

$10 / $8 Museum members

Film: Ai Weiwei: Never Sorry, a film by Alison Klayman

Saturday, January 19 / 1 pm

Ai Weiwei is China’s most famous international artist, and its most outspoken domestic critic. Against a backdrop of strict censorship and an unresponsive legal system, Ai Weiwei expresses himself and organizes people through art and social media. In response, Chinese authorities have shut down his blog, beat him up, bulldozed his newly built studio, and held him in secret detention.AI WEIWEI: NEVER SORRY is the inside story of a dissident for the digital age who inspires global audiences and blurs the boundaries of art and politics.

$10 / $8 Museum members

The Discovery

The Discovery recently added several new exhibits focused on early motion picture techniques in its Da Vinci’s Corner gallery. The additions include a tabletop praxinoscope and zoetrope and a large, free-standing zoetrope that measures more than six feet in diameter. A humorous animated introduction to the inventors of these animation devices is also featured as part of these new exhibits.

Marvelous Marbling

January 5, 12, 19, 26

Create your own marbled stationary while you learn about the principles of density that make this unique art project possible.

With all due respect, Mayan calendar creators… it just can’t end Friday! Between Mother Nature DUMPING snow in Tahoe all week – and it’s predicted the best is yet to come on Saturday, and legendary parties – that we all know just get started at midnight… there are too many reasons the world needs to keep turning. Nonetheless, Reno Tahoe USA will still be partying like there is no tomorrow!

End of the World Party at EDGE

If the world ends on 12/21, we’re going out with a bang! Join EDGE for Last Call. They’ll have Ciroc drink and bottle specials all night, and models serving tastings of complimentary champagne.

End of the World Party at Grand Sierra

Will the world end on 12/21/12? Will it be Zombies? Aliens? Asteroids? A terrible storm? If so, wouldn’t you want to go out in style? Come see Anthony Cools, win Apple products, and enjoy great drink specials before the world ends. This will be the party to end all parties!

End of the World Party at Tahoe Biltmore

Party like there is no tomorrow. The Tahoe Biltmore is throwing an “End of the World Party,” complete with “Last Supper” dinner deals, and a “Survive the Apocalypse” Bilty Breakfast. Bass Heavy will be providing tunes through the night.

Ugly Sweater Party at BuBinga

The Mayans said the world would end on December 21…The Mayans didn’t know BuBinga was having an Ugly Sweater Party! The Ugliest Sweater wins $500 cash and the great sounds for the night will be provided by DJ Loczi, Romance and DJ Dragon.

Bet on being at Peppermill after Friday with 40% off select room rates!

Peppermill is betting they’ll still be here on December 22, so they’re celebrating a new beginning with an offer for 2013.  Book your stay before midnight on Friday, December 21, and save 40% on select room rates! Book Now

SNOW!!

There is no way the world could end right as Mother Nature DUMPS snow in Tahoe!! M.N. has too much pull…See you on the slopes 12-22!