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.

The Western Athletic Conference men’s and women’s basketball tournament starts next week (March 10-14), so it’s time to get your tickets.

In addition to single-game and full-session passes, the tournament is offering a WAC Three-Pack so attendees will receive the same seat for the men’s quarterfinals (afternoon or evening session), semifinals and championship.

Fans who purchase the Three-Pack get a discount of $10 to $15 depending on whether they are attending women’s or men’s games.

To purchase a WAC Three-Pack or tickets to any of the WAC tournament games, call the Lawlor Events Center Ticket Office at (775)348-7225 or visit online at www.tickets.com.

The Lake Tahoe Shakespeare Festival is gearing up for its 37th season at Sand Harbor in Incline Village on Lake Tahoe’s North Shore, and tickets are now on sale.

For the first time, the festival will be showing the Bard’s classic “Measure for Measure,’ along with the classic “Much Ado About Nothing.” Other programs, including dancing on Monday nights, featuring a variety of world music artists, offer attendees the opportunity to see multiple shows and get a unique experience each time.

The festival’s stage is set amphitheater-style on the sand, with Lake Tahoe as a backdrop. Moderate evenings and a near-guaranty of perfect Tahoe weather, make it one of the premier Shakespeare festivals in the country. The casual atmosphere allows for picnics – as well as on-site catering – on the beach so festival goers can sit back and enjoy Shakespeare as it was meant to be enjoyed.

A new baseball stadium is rising in Downtown Reno at the Truckee River redevelopment district, home to the Reno Aces, a Triple A affiliate of the Arizona Diamondbacks. With the first pitch set for April 2009, the team announced that season ticket packages are finally on sale.

Five different packages are available, ranging from $8 to $25 per game. Season ticket holders are guaranteed seats for all home dates during the 2009 season, including games on Memorial Day, Fourth of July and Labor Day.

For more information on the Reno Aces, including ballpark updates and ticket reservation information, log on to www.RenoAces.com or call 775-334-4700.

Also, check out the live Web cam to view progress of the ballpark construction.

• Also check out Play ball!

Last weekend’s snow in Reno-Tahoe reminded us of the reason for the season – skiing and boarding! Hopefully the early season flurries are indicative of a snowy winter ahead.

For regular, even semi-regular, skiers and boarders a season pass is a worthwhile investment. Here’s a breakdown of pass prices at local resorts (adult). Drop a few coins on a pass now … it will pay off when the big dumps come this winter!

• Alpine Meadows: $599-$1,074
• Boreal Mountain Resort: $199-$329
• Diamond Peak: $109-$567
• Donner Ski Ranch: $249
• Heavenly Lake Tahoe: $379
• Homewood Mountain Resort: $349-$499
• Kirkwood: $439-$569
• Mt. Rose Ski Tahoe: $599
• Northstar-at-Tahoe: $299-$749
• Sierra-at-Tahoe: $299-$749
• Soda Springs: $199
• Squaw Valley USA: $1,889
• Sugar Bowl: $299-$839
• Tahoe Donner: $270

* Prices may reflect early season specials/online discounts.