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The 44th annual Chili on the Comstock
Foodies, unite! Virginia City celebrates the 44th annual Chili on the Comstock on Saturday, May 16, and Sunday, May 17. Enjoy a wide array of tasty chili options, and don’t miss out on the craft brew tour with samples of craft beers from across the area.
Feeling brave? Try your luck at the Hot Chili Pepper Eating Contest and see how far you can go on the Scoville scale. For regular attendees looking for something new, the salsa contest is returning with a variety of salsas to sample.
Saturday is also the season opener for St. Mary’s Art Center during its 2026 Spring Art Reception, featuring the work of Dale Laitinen, a 30-year supporter of the institution and a renowned watercolor artist. Attendees can explore all four floors of the historic art center, enjoy light refreshments, and support art in the Comstock by considering a membership with St. Mary’s.
For more information about events during the weekend and beyond, visit www.visitvirginiacitynv.com. (Sponsored Content)
Made in Nevada
Learn about Nevada’s connection to a fashion staple and more at a new exhibition opening this week. As part of the ongoing America250 commemoration, the Nevada State Museum in Carson City will present “Riveting America: Bringing Together Fabrication, Fashion, and People.” The new exhibition explores how everyday objects and the people who used them helped shape Nevada and the American West. Some of the items on display include clothing and pipe held together with rivets, the minerals used to make rivets, and ranching-themed baskets depicting buckaroos. Guest speaker Tracey Panek, historian and director of archives for Levi Strauss & Co., will discuss the importance of corporate archives, the cultural evolution of denim, and the enduring influence of Levi Strauss & Co. on American identity and fashion at the grand opening event, which starts at 6:30 p.m., Thursday, May 14, at the Nevada State Museum, 600 N. Carson St., Carson City. The program is free with museum admission, which is $10 for adults and free for museum members and children age 17 and younger. Visit www.carsonnvmuseum.org.
Spirited competition
View short films and photography created by high school students across the region at the finalist screening and awards night of Reno FFX 2026—Category X: Paranormal Short Films. The 15th annual competition features work depicting ghost stories throughout history, parodies of ghost hunting shows and other interpretations relating to the “paranormal” theme. The top three finalists in each film and photography category will be awarded after the screening, which starts at 6 p.m., Friday, May 15, at Reno Public Market, 299 E. Plumb Lane. Go to www.renoffx.com or www.renopublicmarket.com.
Grow, baby, grow
The month of May is like Christmas for gardeners and plant lovers. Despite frequent restocking, many nurseries and garden centers can barely keep up with demand as shoppers grab up the latest arrivals fresh off the delivery trucks. If you’re not having much luck finding a particular plant or want to try something new to you, check out some of these upcoming sales featuring plants from University of Nevada, Reno, programs. The UNR Extension Master Gardeners will sell a variety of vegetables, annuals and perennials from 2 to 6 p.m., Friday, May 15; and 9 a.m. to 1 p.m., Saturday, May 16, at the Washoe County Extension Office, 4955 Energy Way.
The Desert Farming Initiative’s organic plants will be for sale at the Great Basin Community Food Cooperative Seedling Sale, from 8 a.m. to noon, Saturday, May 16, at the co-op, 240 Court St. Read more at greatbasinfood.coop/pages/seedling-sale.
The Master Gardener Perennial Native and Adaptive Plant Sale features pollinator-friendly plants from the Washoe Tree Nursery, Nevada’s Own and The Greenhouse Project, among other partners. A pre-sale event “Shop with a Master Gardener” allows attendees who register in advance the first choice of all the plants that are available on Friday, May 15. Limited tickets are $25. The public sale takes place from 9 a.m. to noon, Saturday, May 16, at the River Fork Ranch, 381 Genoa Lane, Minden. Visit extension.unr.edu/master-gardeners/events.aspx.
Finally, stop by the Master Gardener Native Pollinator-Friendly Landscape Plant Sale from 9 a.m. to noon, Sunday, May 31, at the Carson City Community Garden, 1044 Beverly Drive. Learn more at extension.unr.edu/master-gardeners/events.aspx or www.facebook.com/UNRExtensionMasterGardeners.
Name that tune
Revisit some of cinema’s most memorable theme songs at the Reno Phil’s Movies with the Maestro concert. Conductor Laura Jackson will lead the Reno Phil Orchestra as they perform selections from critically acclaimed film scores from movies such as 2001: A Space Odyssey, The Magnificent Seven, Raiders of the Lost Ark and Lord of the Rings, among others. Organizers encourage movie-themed attire, but leave your light saber at home. They will not permit prop weapons. Shows start at 1 and 7 p.m., Saturday, May 16, at the Pioneer Center for the Performing Arts, 100 S. Virginia St. Tickets are $29.50-$165.50. Go to renophil.com for tickets or more information.
Join the craic
The Northern Nevada Sons and Daughters of Erin’s annual Northern Nevada Celtic Ceilidh (pronounced kay-lee) has moved to an indoor location this year, but will still offer plenty of Celtic music, dancing and other entertainment throughout the day, including performances by the Sierra Highlanders Pipe Band and headliners Black Irish Band and O’Connell Street. There will also be a vendor fair featuring kilt vendor Buzz Kidder Originals and family crest vendor History of Names, as well as several local small businesses selling jewelry, baked goods and gifts. The festival is open from 10 a.m. to 11 p.m., Saturday, May 16, at Reno Public Market, 299 E. Plumb Lane. Admission is free. Visit irishnevada.org or www.renopublicmarket.com.
Go for the burn
Whether you like your chili on the mild side or tongue-scorching, you’ll find plenty of the savory, spicy stuff at the 44th annual Chili on the Comstock and Craft Beer Tour. Professional and amateur chili cooks will compete for a spot in the International Chili Society World Finals, as well as votes in the “People’s Choice Chili” contest. Temper that capsaicin tingle with a variety of local and regional craft beers served at participating saloons and craft-beer tents. Craft Beer Tour tickets guarantee you 12 beer samples and three sweet treats. Individual beer and chili sampling packages are also available, as are packages offering a combination of chili and beer tastings and entry to the The Great Fire—Hot Chili Pepper Eating Challenge. Festival admission is free, with tasting and beer tour tickets ranging from $20 to $55. The event takes place from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., Saturday and Sunday, May 16 and 17, along C Street in Virginia City. Go to visitvirginiacitynv.com/chili-on-the-comstock for more details.
Don’t stop the rock
Concert fans will have a hard time not maxing out their credit cards with all the big shows heading to the area this coming week. Here are several shows to consider. UB40, featuring original vocalist Ali Campbell, brings their Big Love Tour to Reno. The U.K. reggae band, with support from Matisyahu and Jesse Royal, hits the stage at 7 p.m., Saturday, May 16, at the Reno Events Center, 400 University Way. Tickets are $66.10-$110.15. Purchase tickets at this Ticketmaster link. Bass guitar wizard and musical maverick Les Claypool will kick off his Claypool Gold tour, bringing together three of his most beloved and sonically adventurous bands—Primus, The Claypool Lennon Delirium and Les Claypool’s Fearless Flying Frog Brigade—who will share the stage all at once in what promises to be a wild show. The concert gets underway at 8 p.m., Wednesday, May 20, at the Reno Events Center. Tickets are $71.15-$134.75 for standard admission. Go to this Ticketmaster link for tickets. Lastly, Brooklyn, N.Y.’s LCD Soundsystem aims to prove they aren’t “Losing Their Edge” with their infectious mix of disco grooves and post‑punk energy which should have audiences up on their feet all night. The dance party begins at 8 p.m., Sunday, May 24, at the Grand Theater inside the Grand Sierra Resort, 2500 E. Second St. Tickets are $117-$194.50. Visit www.grandsierraresort.com.
I’m your man
Experience the songs of a legendary singer-songwriter through movement in Dance Me: The Music of Leonard Cohen. Approved by Cohen during his lifetime, Ballets Jazz Montréal’s critically acclaimed homage to the famed artist evokes the grand cycles of existence in five seasons, as described in his deeply reflective music and poems. The show starts at 7:30 p.m., Friday, May 22, at the Pioneer Center for the Performing Arts, 100 S. Virginia St. Tickets are $17.60-$90.05. Go to artown.org/DanceMe or pioneercenter.com.
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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