Sponsored by
The Eighth Annual Silver State Art Festival
The Nevada Gourd Society proudly presents the Eighth Annual Silver State Art Festival, featuring more than 40 award-winning artists from Friday, Sept. 11, through Sunday, Sept. 13. Explore gourd art, paintings, photography, pottery, jewelry, woodworking and other one-of-a-kind creations.
Meet the artists; hear the stories behind their work; and shop early for the holidays. Enjoy wine and live music Friday evening, live music Saturday, and a food truck on Saturday. Admission and parking are free.
Hands-on classes will be offered throughout the weekend, including gemstone wire wrapping, gourd carving, and thunder gourds. All skill levels are welcome. View classes and register at NevadaGourdSociety.org/2026-class-gallery.
A large raffle and silent auction will benefit visual artists and school art programs in Northern Nevada. Thanks to our artists, businesses and community, the festival has raised more than $77,000 for Northern Nevada nonprofit organizations. We hope you will help support us this year. Thank you to our sponsors: Visit Carson City, Nevada Artists Association and Kim Hunter Steed-American West Photography.
The Eighth Annual Silver State Art Festival takes place from 5 to 8 p.m., Friday, Sept. 11; 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., Saturday, Sept. 12; and 9 a.m. to 3 p.m., Sunday, Sept. 13, at Fuji Exhibit Hall, Park and Pavilion, 601 Old Clear Creek Road, Carson City—across from Costco. Learn more at www.nevadagourdsociety.org/2026-art-festival. (Sponsored Content)
High times
September has become quite a busy month for special events—and this week is a doozy. We’ll start things off with the Great Reno Balloon Race, which attracts bleary-eyed (and highly caffeinated) locals and visitors from far and wide. This year, the hot air balloon race and exhibition will open on Thursday, Sept. 10, with the full itinerary of events that, in the past, were reserved for the weekend. The 45th annual festival starts at 5 a.m. with the Super Glow Show, featuring more than 35 glowing balloons lighting up the pre-dawn sky. Dawn Patrol, in which a handful of skilled pilots fly their balloons in the dark, follows at 5:30 a.m. The show continues with the mass ascension of colorful hot air balloons at 7 a.m., and the competition portion of the event taking place shortly afterward. Gates open at 3:30 a.m., Thursday through Sunday, Sept. 10-13, at Rancho San Rafael Regional Park, 1595 N. Sierra St. Festival admission is free. Limited parking is available at the lots on the corner of North Sierra Street and McCarran Boulevard, as well as at Coleman Street, for a cash donation of $10 on Thursday, and $25 on Friday, Saturday and Sunday. Visitors can park for free at the Green and Blue 1 lots on the northwest side of Mackay Stadium at the University of Nevada, Reno, but should be aware that they will have to remove their vehicles by 11 a.m. RTC will also offer free bus rides to the park from 4 to 10 a.m. on its RAPID Virginia Line. Visit renoballoon.com for more information.
Gyro worship
If you drool at the mere mention of the words “feta,” “spanakopita” and “tzatziki,” then you’ve probably already purchased tickets to one of Reno’s most popular showcases of food and culture. The annual Reno Greek Festival offers a variety of authentic homemade traditional Greek food for sale, including gyros, pastitsio, loukaniko and souvlaki, as well as live music by the Helios Greek Band and performances by the Minoan Greek Dancers. Visitors can also join guided tours of Saint Anthony Greek Orthodox Church. The event takes place from 5 to 10 p.m., Friday, Sept. 11; and from noon to 10 p.m., Saturday, Sept. 12, at 4795 Lakeside Drive. Admission is $5 at the door. Go to www.renogreekfest.com or www.facebook.com/RenoGreekFest for more details.
Anime-niacs
Collectors and devotees of anime, fantasy, horror, sci-fi and other pop culture categories just might find a special piece to add to their collections at the Amazing Art Expo this weekend. The three-day event features original artwork, cosplay contests and chances to meet artists, actors and voice actors from anime, TV shows, movies and video games. Expo hours are 6 to 9 p.m., Friday, Sept. 11; and noon to 6 p.m., Saturday and Sunday, Sept. 12 and 13, in rooms D1-D3 of the Reno-Sparks Convention Center, 4590 S. Virginia St. General admission is free. VIP tickets, which allow early admission and other perks, are $15-$30. Go to amazingartexpo.com/collections/amazing-art-expo-free-pop-culture-events or www.facebook.com/AmazingArtExpo for more information.
Pride vibes only
Most of the world celebrates Pride Month in June, but Reno waits until September to hold its official parade and festival. The temperatures should be pleasant enough for this weekend’s Northern Nevada Pride Festival, which kicks off at 10.a.m., Saturday, Sept. 12, with the CommUNITY Pride Parade down California Avenue. Northern Paiute activist, author and community leader Randy Burns will serve as grand marshal for this year’s event. The festivities continue with vendor booths, food trucks and a full lineup of live entertainment on two stages, including drag performers Brooke Lynn Hytes and Jaida Essence Hall. The party starts at noon at Wingfield Park, 2 S. Arlington Ave. It’s free to watch the parade, but there will be a fee to enter the festival. You can skip the line by purchasing a $10 ticket in advance, or if you don’t mind the wait, pay just $5 at the gate. Entry is free for attendees under age 18 and for all volunteers. Visit northernnevadapride.org for more info.
Hump days
Professional and amateur jockeys attempt to race camels and ostriches, as well as zebras and emus, down a track while spectators cheer them on at the 67th annual International Camel and Ostrich Races. The offbeat event and beloved Virginia City tradition kicks off with the Hot Camel Nights show at 5 p.m., Friday, Sept. 11. The wacky fun continues with two shows, at 10 a.m. and 2 p.m., Saturday, Sept. 12, and wraps up with the Family Day show at noon, Sunday, Sept. 13. Tickets are $20 for general admission and $14 for seniors and kids ages 3-12. Shaded seating is $35. Kids age 2 and younger get in free. The races take place at the Virginia City Fairgrounds, 458 F St., Virginia City. Free shuttles will run to and from C Street and the fairgrounds on Saturday and Sunday. Go to visitvirginiacitynv.com/international-camel-ostrich-races-2 or liquidblueevents.com/international-camel-ostrich-races.
Get your hands dirty
Parents are always on their kids’ case about making a mess, but for one day, they’ll get a pass at the inaugural Biggest Little Mess Fest. Squish, splash and explore with STEM-focused activities and demonstrations, including pendulum paintings, blood-slime creation, a water-balloon toss, self face-painting, pie-eating contests and a colored chalk obstacle course. Expect to get messy, so bring an extra set of clothes and shoes. Get down and dirty from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., Saturday, Sept. 12, at The Discovery, 490 S. Center St. The event is free with museum admission, which is $13.95-$17.95. Entry is free for museum members, UNR and TMCC students and kids under age 1. Visit nvdm.org/event/biggest-little-mess-fest for more info.
Ghastly gallimaufry
Need a little something-something for your Halloween display? Get a jump start on the spooky holiday shopping season with the Halloween and Oddities Market. The Menagerie Oddities Market’s second annual event offers an assortment of strange and unusual items handmade by a curated lineup of artisans and makers. General admission to the market is $10 with free entry for kids under age 10. The market is open from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m., Sunday, Sept. 13, in the gardens outside Mackay Mansion Museum, 291 D St., Virginia City. Museum tours are available for an extra fee. Go to www.therealmackaymansion.com for more details.
Take a look in the mural
Local, national and international artists come together for a week of live mural painting, workshops, receptions, talks and more at the Murals and Music Festival in Carson City. The free event kicks off with a talk by Texas artist Rafael Blanco on Tuesday, Sept. 15, and concludes with a screening of Exit Through the Gift Shop, a documentary showcasing the career and work of the British street artist Banksy, on Saturday, Sept. 19. Other highlights include a concert by songwriter Taylor Kingman with special guest Stoneteeth on Friday, Sept. 18, and a guided walking tour led by Eric Brooks, Visit Carson City’s arts and culture program manager, on Sept. 19. The festival takes place at the Brewery Arts Center, 449 W. King St., Carson City. Most events are free. Tickets for the Taylor Kingman concert tickets are $20-$25. Go to breweryarts.org/murals for a schedule of events.
11 Days a Week is written and compiled by Kelley Lang. Want your event included in 11 Days a Week? Email 11days@renonr.com for consideration. Email advertising@renonr.com for advertising info!
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