Welcome to the RN&R’s 2024 Summer Guide!
If you’re new in town, and you just endured your first Reno spring, I feel ya. Remember that glorious 68-degree day in early April, followed three days later by a 28-degree night with a 21-degree windchill factor? Sorry to break it to you, but that was no anomaly. Spring in Northern Nevada is fickle to the core. (Pro tip, new residents: The maxim we live by around here is—if you want to avoid the sting of regret, don’t plant your tomatoes outside until after Memorial Day.)
But for every erratic, tedious, endless-feeling spring, there is a payoff like no other: Reno’s summer, one of my favorite things in this world.
Maybe I love it because, while I can’t get enough of our region’s outdoor adventures in any season, summer is when you can take your pick of swimming holes; large lakes in every direction; an endless list of secret creeks, waterfalls and natural pools scattered throughout the Sierra and the Great Basin; and our crown jewel—the swimmable, floatable, fishable Truckee River.
Or maybe it’s the buzzy, fun community vibe at all of those free concerts Artown puts on for us in Wingfield Park, not to mention the dozens of festivals all over the region, when we gather in our streets and parks to celebrate the things we like—smoked meats, Shakespeare, classic cars, just about any kind of music, food, drink—anything you can think of, you name it.
This month, RN&R writers share details about a long list of events, including lots of family-friendly ones. There’s also advice on where to catch a cold beer on a patio, and news about some of the new facilities and programs at Reno and Sparks parks. Of course, it wouldn’t be our Summer Guide without Bob Grimm’s look at the blockbuster-movie season.
I hope all of this info helps you find a great summer groove.