Solar flower power
There aren’t many plants that symbolize the warm and sunny vibes of summer quite like sunflowers. Soak up the sunrays as you stroll through the fields at Ferrari Farms’ annual Summer of Sunflowers. Cut your own flowers; go on a hayride; visit the farm animals and more during your visit. Hours are 4 to 8 p.m., Monday through Friday; and 10 a.m. to 8 p.m., Saturday and Sunday, through Aug. 24. Entry is $5, and free for kiddos age 2 and younger. Sunflower prices are $2-$4. (Bring your own pruners.) Plan for a full day of fun next weekend when Ferrari Farms holds its Barn Dance with DJ music and line dancing by Vaquera Vikki. The hoedown starts at 7 p.m.. Saturday, Aug. 16. Tickets are $10 in advance and $15 at the door. Ferrari Farms is at 4701 Mill St. Visit www.ferrarifarms.org.
Rockin’ boats
Some of the world’s best-preserved and restored wooden boats will be on display this weekend when the Lake Tahoe Concours d’Elegance returns to the west shore of Lake Tahoe. This year’s event showcases wooden boats made by American inventor, motorboat builder and racer Garfield “Gar” Wood. Presented by the Tahoe Yacht Club Foundation and Tahoe Luxury Properties, the 51st annual event celebrates Lake Tahoe’s maritime tradition and its connection to vintage watercraft. The boat show is open from 10 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., Friday, Aug. 8, and 9 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., Saturday, Aug. 9, at Obexer’s Boat Company, 5300 W. Lake Blvd., Homewood. Tickets are $45 for a one-day pass and $60 for a two-day pass. Admission is free for kids age 12 and younger. Upgraded passes include access to the wine village, a guided tour of the exhibitor boats and a spot on the Olson Bridge for the Roar-Off & Concours finale on Saturday afternoon, among other perks. A portion of the proceeds go toward the Tahoe Yacht Club Foundation’s efforts to preserve the environment and history of the Tahoe Basin. Go to laketahoeconcours.com for more information.
Going, going, gone
Collectors with an interest in Western American memorabilia and related ephemera will want to check out the Wild West Wonders live auction this weekend. The penultimate event is one of the last live auctions that Holabird Western Americana Collections will hold before president and founder Fred Holabird retires at the end of the year. Numerous items will be up for auction—antique stocks and bonds, mining collectibles, numismatics, Native American jewelry, Civil War and World War II ephemera, among many other rarities. Some highlights include mineral-ore specimens and stock certificates from the collection of mining geologist Dave Shaddrick; Western saloon photographs from Alaska, California, Nevada and other areas; and California and Nevada scrip and choice Western mining stocks, and documents from the collection of Nevada historian and author Douglas McDonald. The auction starts at 8 a.m., Friday through Sunday, Aug. 8-10, at Holabird Western Americana Collections, 3555 Airway Drive, Suite 308. Bids can be placed in person, over the phone with an agent, or online. Check out www.holabirdamericana.com for more details.
Take a bow
The 14th annual Classical Tahoe music festival wraps up this week with a handful of concerts, ranging from some of opera’s most famous arias to popular chamber music compositions. Principal guest conductor Eric Jacobsen will lead the Classical Tahoe Orchestra in a program titled “Dazzling Voice, Dynamic Dvořák,” featuring guest soprano Sharleen Joynt (pictured) on Friday, Aug. 8. The performance will feature selections from operas by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, Giuseppe Verdi and Jacques Offenbach, as well as Antonín Dvořák’s Symphony No. 7 in D minor, Op. 70. Jacobsen and the orchestra conclude the Classical Tahoe Festival Orchestra Series on Saturday, Aug. 9, with a program titled “Contrast in Color” featuring guest artist Érik Gratton on flute. Gratton and the orchestra will perform Igor Stravinsky’s Concerto in D, Carl Nielsen’s Flute Concerto and Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky’s Symphony No. 5 in E minor, Op. 64. Both concerts start at 7 p.m. at the Classical Tahoe Ricardi Pavilion on the campus of the University of Nevada, Reno, at Lake Tahoe, 291 Country Club Drive, Incline Village. Tickets are $55-$200. The festival’s Ron and Maureen Ashley Oasis Chamber Music Series series will culminate with its Brass and Strings concert featuring Viktor Ewald’s Brass Quintet No. 3 in D-flat Major, Op. 7 and Dvořák’s String Quintet No. 2 in G Major, Op. 77. The concert starts at 7 p.m., Sunday, Aug. 10, at the lakefront estate of Ron and Maureen Ashley in Incline Village. Tickets are $90-$130 and include a wine and hors d’oeuvres reception. Go to classicaltahoe.org for more info and tickets.
Things they do in the dark
While some animals wind down at the end of the day, others are just waking up as the sun sets. Discover the nighttime world of wildlife at Ark at Dark, an evening event that highlights the nocturnal behaviors and adaptations of the Animal Ark Wildlife Sanctuary’s residents in a serene, starlit setting. The evening begins at 7 p.m. with glow-in-the-dark face painting and a special meet-and-greet featuring one of the sanctuary’s reptiles and a charismatic American kestrel. Later that evening, guests will be welcomed into the park to experience guided nighttime tours, where educators will share how different species thrive after sunset. Advance-ticket purchases are strongly encouraged as attendance is limited to 120 guests. Ark at Dark starts at 8 p.m., Saturday, Aug. 9, and again on Saturday, Sept. 13, at Animal Ark Wildlife Sanctuary, 1265 Deerlodge Road, about 25 miles north of Reno. Tickets are $22 for adults, $20 for seniors and $16 for kids under the age of 12. Entry is free for kids age 2 and younger. Call 775-475-9626, or go to www.animalark.org.
Positive force
The Levitt AMP Carson City Music Series continues with the genre-bending sounds of Sinkane. The Sudanese-American band, led by multi-instrumentalist Ahmed Gallab, creates uplifting music mixing elements of Sudanese pop with krautrock, prog rock, electronica, free jazz and funk rock. Gallab, born in London to Sudanese parents, moved to the United States at a young age, eventually settling in New York City. While some of Sinkane’s songs explore the challenges Gallab experienced growing up feeling like an “outsider,” the band offers a message of hope and unity in the face of adversity. Sinkane and opening act, Night Talks, will perform on Saturday, Aug. 9. at the Brewery Arts Center Outdoor Stage, 449 W. King St., Carson City. The free show starts at 7 p.m. Call 775-883-1976, or go to breweryarts.org for more info.
There’s a starman waiting in the sky
Lake Tahoe Shakespeare Festival’s Showcase Series continues with a tribute to one of the most innovative figures in rock music and pop culture. David Brighton’s Space Oddity: The Ultimate David Bowie Experience transports audiences on a musical journey through the ever-evolving career of David Bowie. Brighton and his band will re-create Bowie’s most electrifying moments—from his space-age rock persona to his reign as a mainstream media icon. The show starts at 7:30 p.m., Monday, Aug. 11, at the William Edward Trepp Stage inside Sand Harbor State Park, 2005 Highway 28, Incline Village. Tickets range from $40-$125. A Nevada State Parks Entrance Pass ($10-$15) is required to gain access to and park at Sand Harbor. Visit laketahoeshakespeare.com.
Follow the piper
You’ve gone on beer runs and wandered on wine walks. But have you tried a Whiskey Waddle? This weekend, Sons and Daughters of Erin of Northern Nevada will bring back its jubilant procession through the Riverwalk District that blends a bit o’ Irish music and humor with the “water of life.” A bagpiper will lead whiskey-seeking wayfarers with commemorative shot glasses in hand to participating pubs and restaurants where they can enjoy a tasting (each location offering a different whiskey blend), as well as food and drink specials. The fun starts at The Brewer’s Cabinet, continues to Sierra Tap House and Old Bridge Pub, and culminates at Shim’s Tavern with a raffle and lively Irish music. You must be 21 or older to participate in the tastings. Early registration ends Sunday, Aug. 17. The Whiskey Waddle takes place from 2 to 5 p.m., Saturday, Aug. 23, in downtown Reno. All proceeds from the event support the educational and cultural programming of the Sons and Daughters of Erin of Northern Nevada. Tickets are $25 for SADOE members and $30 for non-members. Call 775-378-0931, or go to irishnevada.org/events-2/event/whiskey-waddle.
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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