Artown—Reno’s annual festival of art, music and all things creative, now in its 30th year—runs throughout July.
To help you navigate your way through more than 600 events on the roster, here’s some advice from our very own local culture experts.
For full festival details, pick up Artown’s “Little Book”—available in Spanish and English at Raley’s stores, Nevada State Bank branches, Port of Subs locations and Washoe County libraries—or find the schedule online at artown.org.
Access to the experts
Visual art events where you can pick up some skills
By Kris Vagner, who’s kept an ear to the ground of the local art scene since before the smartphone
In some ways, Artown is a festival in the traditional sense of the word—music on the lawn with a picnic blanket, big acts like Pink Martini in town for a night, that kind of thing. In other ways, it’s a marketing umbrella for a lot of July events that were happening anyway.
Don’t fret about the definitional purity of it all. Just consider July a great time to expand your horizons and try something new.
One thing Artown does really well is build bridges to our local creators. When you peruse the “Little Book” or Artown’s website, don’t stop once you’ve scanned the headliners. Keep reading, and you’ll find opportunities to pick up art techniques from the experts.
One of these experts is Dana Garrett. He served in the Navy and Air Force for almost 40 years, where he trained people in meteorology, oceanography, leadership, communication and other skills. He’s also spent a couple of decades teaching photography to sailors and civilians alike. Now retired in the Virginia Foothills, Garrett lectures and runs workshops on photography basics—analog and digital—and also teaches more advanced skills like portfolio-building and critiquing.
This is the photography instructor you want, folks! And if you’d like a free, easy, low-commitment way to access his expertise, he’ll be hosting the Hidden Nevada Photo Gallery, a pop-up event that takes place every Saturday in July, where he’ll teach one-hour workshops on specific techniques like lighting, composition and digitizing your artwork.
Hidden Nevada Photo Gallery will take place on July 5, 12, 19 and 26 at Reno Public Market, 299 E. Plumb Lane, in Reno. Dana Garrett’s landscape photographs will be on view from 1-6 p.m., and his one-hour workshops will start at 2 and 4 p.m. Admission is free. Visit artown.org.
Copper Cat Studio in Sparks offers one-session workshops in craft techniques like mosaics, stained glass and felting year-round. During Artown, owner Katie Packham speeds things up a bit by adding more workshops, including a few that are special for Artown—like the like the 5.5-hour July 19 class on how to make your own stained-glass kaleidoscope.
Packham said that during Artown, the studio sees a lot more visitors from out of town. She’s had workshop attendees who picked up the Artown book while they were in the region for a few days, noticed Copper Cat’s workshops, made their way to Sparks for an afternoon, and left with something special, like their own handmade soaps or mosaic garden stone.
Artown artisan workshops run throughout July at Copper Cat Studio, 300 Kresge Lane, in Sparks. Class fees vary. Packham recommends reading the class descriptions carefully for safety requirements (for example, no open-toes shoes for classes that use some hazardous materials) and advises that the classes are for adults and older teens only. Prices vary. Visit www.coppercatstudio.com/workshops.
Nostalgic nights
Musical acts that’ll take you back in time
By Lauren Juillerat, music journalist, founder and editor of the Biggest Little Bands digital music magazine, and a host on KWNK 97.7 FM, Reno community radio
I spend a lot of time immersed in the Reno music scene, and these four events stood out for their settings and sounds—be they retro vibes, rootsy Americana, or a dose of pure nostalgia.
The Retro Radio Dolls are a blast from the past, channeling the golden era of the 1940s-’60s with stunning vocals, swing-style harmonies and polished choreography. This is more than just a cover act—it’s a full-on performance that gets everyone from kids to grandparents clapping along. This trio’s style is fashionable, and their witty humor will have you laughing all night long.
The Retro Radio Dolls will play at 7 p.m., Saturday, July 5, at Reno Public Market, 299 E. Plumb Lane, in Reno. Admission is free. Visit artown.org.
Step into a synth soundscape with New Wave Crave, Reno’s ultimate 1980s tribute band. Hear hits from Madonna, Blondie, The Cure and more performed with just the right amount of hair spray and neon. New Wave Crave provides the setting for danceable, theatrical and wildly fun nights! Plus, they’ll perform at one of the prettiest summer venues in town. I had to include this band on this list, because I have heard nothing but rave reviews about them since they played the Prince Tribute Show at Club Underground back in April. Venue manager Brandon Deriso swears by New Wave Crave’s infectious energy.
New Wave Crave will play on Sunday, July 6, at Village Green Park, 4549 Village Green Parkway, in Reno. Admission is free. Visit artown.org.
The legendary folk group The Kingston Trio brings their timeless harmonies to Reno for an unforgettable evening under the stars. Known for hits like “Tom Dooley” and “Where Have All the Flowers Gone?” the group helped define a generation of storytelling through song. With Bartley Ranch’s stunning backdrop, this show is set to be very memorable. I find it incredibly inspiring, and honestly a little mind-blowing, that this band has been around since 1957!
The Kingston Trio will play at 7:30 p.m., Monday, July 7, at Bartley Ranch Regional Park, 6000 Bartley Ranch Road, in Reno. Admission is free. Visit artown.org.
Last but not least, I recommend Kimmi Bitter and the Westside Twang. This band’s 1960s and ’70s-inspired style initially caught my eye, and after listening to “My Grass Is Blue,” I completely fell in love with their sound. In the song, Kimmi Bitter sings about a man whose “talk was sweeter than a mandolin,” but truthfully, her own rich voice and heartfelt storytelling are the sweetest parts. With her signature blend of vintage country, surf rock and soulful Americana, Kimmi Bitter is a rising star with serious stage presence. Her band, the Westside Twang, delivers dusty desert rhythms and swoon-worthy melodies that feel old yet new.
Kimmi Bitter and the Westside Twang will play at 6 p.m., Sunday, July 13, at Reno Public Market, 299 E. Plumb Lane, in Reno. Admission is free. Visit artown.org.
Camp, cabaret and carnivals
Thrilling theatricals
By Jessica Santina, the RN&R’s theater scribe since the last time wide-leg jeans were in style
Sometimes it feels like selecting the shows I plan to cover during Artown is like picking a favorite child. While I’m excited for all this month has in store, what I’m most eager for is the showmanship—the performing-arts companies going for thrills and theatricality. This month, a handful of troupes are attempting daring feats and creating visual spectacles—with some throwing in a dose of camp to boot. I’m here for all of it.
Let’s start with Brüka Theatre’s Ride the Cyclone. This dark-comedy musical sends a group of teens in a Canadian chamber choir to an old amusement park, where they die in a tragic rollercoaster accident. This is no spoiler; it happens within the first few minutes of the play. Longtime set designer extraordinaire Lew Zaumeyer has created an imaginative set that evokes vintage theme park vibes, complete with a Zoltar fortune-teller booth, from which the genie himself (played by Brian Hanson) will determine which performer makes it out of the carnival-like purgatory to get another shot at life.
Ride the Cyclone is onstage at Brüka Theatre, 99 Virgina St., in Reno, with performances through Saturday, July 19. Tickets are $35 in advance, with discounts. Visit bruka.org.
I can’t express how excited I am to see Reno Little Theater’s Xanadu. RLT technical director Chad Sweet fought hard to bring Reno this stage adaptation of the 1980 cult-classic film, about a Greek muse who comes down from the heavens to help create a roller disco in Los Angeles. I’m told the company has formed a partnership with Roller Kingdom, enabling the cast to rehearse on skates every week; it doesn’t hurt that RLT’s executive director, Melissa Taylor, is a former champion skater. Sweet’s set-building talents will be on full display to showcase the skating magic, and with choreography from Keely Cobb—the Los Angeles-based dancer who founded Reno’s Around the Stage dance company—and dance/fitness instructor Eric Ventura, you have to believe it is magic. (See what I did there?)
Xanadu is onstage at Reno Little Theater, 147 E. Pueblo St. in Reno, July 11-Aug. 10. Tickets are $30, with discounts. Visit www.renolittletheater.org/xanadu.
On July 12 and 13, make a beeline to Reno Public Market for Circus Bella’s new one-ring circus show, Hoopla! As company co-founder and ringmaster Abigail Munn explains, this free show will feature thrills, chills and skills such as hoop diving, hula hoop and Chinese bicycle, in which performer Ori Quesada will flip bowls onto his head while riding a bike. Other acts include aerialists, acrobats, jugglers and clowns that, Munn assures me, are funny. A six-piece live band provides accompaniment throughout the show. Did I mention it’s free?
Circus Bella will perform Hoopla! at Reno Public Market, 299 E. Plumb Lane, in Reno, at 3 and 5 p.m., Saturday, July 12; and 11 a.m., Sunday, July 13. Visit artown.org.
Paulina Productions founder Marla Richardson (aka Marla Paulina) has spent her 20-year career dancing in some of our area’s most memorable productions. She’s been in casino shows, with the Reno Bighorns dance team, and with private dance companies. She’s drawn on her impressive background and connections for her new cabaret show, Velvet Moon, running Wednesdays throughout July (with a likely extension into August). Her goal was to assemble the area’s finest casino cabaret performers—including Dana Hatjakes from Eldorado’s Magique a decade ago—as well as other beloved longtime dancers, such as Sami Busey and Heather Houston, and new prodigal talent. She then brought them together for this all-ages, old-Hollywood-style show featuring dazzling dance numbers, vocalists (Paulina herself and Jetta Cole) and acrobats.
Velvet Moon will be performed at 7 p.m., July 2, 16, 23 and 30, at The Alpine at Lake Tahoe AleWorX, 324 E. Fourth St., in Reno. Tickets are $40. For tickets, visit eventbrite.
Stranger than fiction
History happenings (in fun, entertaining ways)!
By Frank Mullen, RN&R editor at large and a Chautauqua performer who has taken the stage as the likes of Henry VIII, Babe Ruth and other historical figures
George and Elia Whittell didn’t plan to shield most of the Nevada shoreline of Lake Tahoe from a century of development, but that’s what happened.
The pair was one of the wealthiest couples on the West Coast during the 1920s through 1950s. They kept an African lion and an elephant as pets, owned more than 25 miles of Lake Tahoe waterfront, built one of the most beautiful estates on Tahoe’s shore, hosted high stakes poker games with the rich and famous—and unintentionally conserved a large portion of Lake Tahoe lands for the public to enjoy today. They weren’t conservationists; they just didn’t want any neighbors.
You can meet the reclusive couple “in person.” Local authors and historians David and Gayle Woodruff will portray George and Elia in a Chautauqua performance, “Lake Tahoe’s Accidental Conservationists,” one of Artown’s many tours, lectures and living-history performances aimed at capturing the perspectives, cultural values and experiences of Nevada’s storied past. Presentations are scheduled throughout July, but don’t delay signing up. Some tours were already at capacity by mid-June.
David and Gayle Woodruff will appear as George and Elia Whittell at the Sierra View Library, 4001 S. Virginia St., in the Reno Town Mall, at 1 p.m., Saturday, July 5. Admission is free. Visit events.washoecountylibrary.us/calendar.
In 1946, a small group of Reno women began soliciting donations of Victorian items from local residents who wished to restore the Bowers Mansion to its original 1864 glory. The collection includes furnishings, paintings, sculptures, quilts and other art pieces dating back to 1860 that make the home seem frozen in time. Docents will give hourly “Art of Bowers Mansion” tours on three Sundays in July.
Tours are scheduled from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m., July 13, 20 and 27, at the Bowers Mansion, 4005 Bowers Mansion Road, in New Washoe City. The cost is $8 for adults, or $6 for seniors and children. To register, call 775-849-1825. Visit artown.org for details.
Many of Reno’s prominent families built generous homes on the bluff overlooking the Truckee River with panoramic views of Peavine Peak and the Sierra. The Historic Reno Preservation Society is offering “Mansions on the Bluff—Court Street,” a slightly shorter, mobility-friendly version of its Court Street walking tour, and a “Truckee River All the Time” walking tour, which will focus on Reno’s floods, its riverside architecture. and the history of the river.
“Mansions on the Bluff—Court Street” will take place at 9 a.m., Sunday, July 13. Visit www.historicreno.org and click on “Walking Tours.” “Mansions on the Bluff—Court Street” will take leave from McCarran Mansion, 401 Court St., at 9 a.m., Sunday, July 13. To register, visit hrps.wildapricot.org/event-6224108. Each tour is $20.
“Death Valley Scotty, Fact, Fiction and Fable” is a Chautauqua performance of Walter Scott, the “greatest con man of West,” whose tales of fabulous gold mines, dangerous desperados and opulent desert castles placed him and Death Valley on the front pages of newspapers for a half-century.
“Death Valley Scotty, Fact, Fiction and Fable” will take place at 2 p.m., Saturday, July 12, at Riverside Artist Lofts, 17 S. Virginia St., in Reno. Admission is free. Visit artown.org.
The Nevada Historical Society’s building is closed for remodeling, but eight Saturday history lectures are scheduled at Nevada Sunset Winery as part of the Nevada Historical Society’s Artown—On the GO! lecture series. Topics include “Nevada’s First Mine, The Mormon’s Potosi Lead Mine” on July 12, and “Miss Wakayama, Nevada’s Friendship Doll: Impostor or Victim?” on July 5.
The Nevada Historical Society’s Artown—On the GO! lecture series will take place at the Nevada Sunset Winery, 415 E. Fourth St., in Reno, every Saturday in July. Admission is free. Free. Visit www.nvhistoricalsociety.org/nhs-artown-2025-on-the-go. http://natalie