Nevada 150 celebrates statehood with events through July

Many celebrations are scheduled statewide in the month of July. These Nevada 150 celebrate all things Nevada and bring awareness to the 150th Anniversary of Statehood. The following events are held July 18 through July 31.

Support local artists for the month-long festival Artown in Reno, NV from July 1 to July 31. This year’s festival will bring 32 days of events including: musical and theatrical performances, interactive presentations, workshops, clinics, art exhibits, children’s events and more. For additional information on event times, visit www.renoisartown.com or call 775-322-1538.

For the month of July the Always Lost: A Meditation on War Exhibit will be proudly on display at the East Ely Railroad Depot Museum in Ely. Called “a national treasure” by one viewer and “Nevada’s gift to our nation” by Vietnam veteran/Carson City Mayor Robert Crowell, Always Lost has become a sacred space in which to contemplate the personal and collective costs of war. For more information or to see a video about this exhibit please visit www.wnc.edu/always_lost/ or call 775-289-1663.

The annual Silver State Young Chautauqua Festival will take place July 15-17 at Rancho San Rafael Regional Park in Reno. In honor of Nevada’s Sesquicentennial, all of the young scholars are portraying characters with a Nevada connection. All the performances are free and open to the public, for additional information visit www.ssyc.info or call 775-623-7792.

The American Century Championship will celebrate 25 years in the Silver State July 15-20, at the beautiful Edgewood Tahoe Golf Course in Stateline. The six day golf tournament attracts a field of over 80 top-name professional athletes, tv and entertainment personalities and takes place on the shores of Lake Tahoe. For additional information, visit www.tahoecelebritygolf.com or call (775) 588-5900.

Artown’s Movies in the Park is teaming with the Wild River Grille for “Martinis and Misfits: Food and Film in 60s Nevada” Starting at 6 p.m. on Friday July 18th. The Grille will be serving food and drink specials from the early 60s (think Veal Marsala, Trout Almondine, Mint Juleps, Dirty Martinis, etc) in addition to their regular menu. At 7 p.m., popular jazz singer Erika Paul will feature songs from the era. Then it’s a five minute walk to Wingfield Park to watch “The Misfits” under the stars, starting at 9 p.m. Dining reservations are recommended by calling 775-284-7455. For additional information please visit www.bestrenorestaurant.com/music-events/martinis-misfits-food-film-60s-reno or call 775-233-2789.

The 6th Annual Sacred Visions Powwow will be held at Big Bend Ranch in Wadsworth, NV on July 18- 20. The theme for this year’s pow-wow is “Te Nanumu Magodyuku” which means “Bringing the People Home”. The events are all-age and free to the public. Free parking and admission to the Dry Camping on Powwow Grounds and at Big Bend RV Park are also available. The Sacred Visions Powwow is an alcohol and drug-free event. For additional information call 775-686-3257.

Musicians and artisans, burners and bards come together to celebrate music and community at the Morris Burner Hotel Folk Festival, July 18 - 20. There will be bands on the outside stage all through the day and the evening as well as jam sessions. Artists will be showing their works and the burner hotel will be open for guided tours. This festival comes on the heels of the loss of a great cultural and musical Icon Pete Seeger and there will be tributes to Pete throughout the festival by each band. A portion of our proceeds will go to benefit Reno’s homeless. For additional information please visit www.morrisburnerhotel.com/folkfestival or call 775-686-3257.

The “Home Means Nevada” Show will take place at Brewery Arts Center Performance Hall in Carson City, NV at 7:30 p.m. on July 19. The production shares a humorous account of Nevada as told by Mark Twain (McAvoy Layne) and accompanied by Nevada bluegrass music from Shiloh, (Julie Machado & Tim Gorelangton). Tickets are $12 General, $8 Student/Senior, $6 BAC Members. For more information on ticket purchase, visit www.breweryarts.org or call 775-883-1976.

Learn about the history of the rail city and its influence on Nevada with the Downtown Sparks Historical Walking Tour on Saturday July 19 from 9 a.m. to 11 a.m. The tour begins and ends at the Sparks Heritage Museum located at 814 Victorian Avenue and is designed to show how this area has transformed itself from a railroad hub, to a vibrant commercial district, to a rundown urban area and finally to a successful redevelopment area that has changed the future of Sparks. Ticketed $10 per person or free to HRPS and Sparks Heritage Museum members. For additional information or purchase tickets visit www.historicreno.org or call 775-747-4478.

High Desert Steam and the Wilbur D. May Museum present the 3rd Annual Biggest Little Steampunk Expo from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday, July 19 at Rancho San Rafael Park, Reno. The Expo will include vendors, workshops, panels, contra dancing and Steampunk art. Activities at the event will include games, raffles, and a silent auction. A variety of food truck vendors will serve Expo participants throughout the day. Costumes are admired but never required. For more information, call 775-378-0931 or visit www.highdesertsteam.org.

Don’t miss the Steam Punk Tavern Stroll in downtown Reno Saturday July 19 starting at 8 p.m. Sponsored by the City of Reno, the event will be set in Midtown/Cal Ave- there will be premium specials, premium mugs, actors representing Reno’s Victorian-era history, art cars, parlor games and only 500 mugs will be sold. For additional information or to purchase tickets please visit www.steampunkstroll.com or call 775-342-9565.

The 35-hour Tahoe Rim Trail Run in will occur in Lake Tahoe, NV starting at 5 a.m. on July 19 and continue through July 20. Participants from around the world will run a 100-mile trail along the lake’s Eastern ridgeline. Runners who complete the course will receive a Nevada 150 Sesquicentennial medallion. For more information about this event, visit www.tahoemtnmilers.org.

The Nevada Pioneer Art Camp is at Lake Mansion in Reno, NV from 9 a.m. to noon on July 21-25. Children ages 6-10 years old can participate in exploring Nevada’s history with visual art, theater, creative movement and music each day. At the end of the week, children can tour the historic Lake Mansion once owned by the founder of Reno, Myron Lake. For more information, visit www.vsanevada.org or call 775-826-6100 ext. 3.

Visit the Creative Artists of Lincoln County’s Annual Art Show at the Panaca Senior Center in Lincoln, NV from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. July 23-27. The four-day event will feature the art exhibit: Nevada’s Sesquicentennial – Past, Present or Future and the People’s choice awards ceremony. Artists can submit up to three pieces to participate in the show for a $25 entry fee. For more information on daily hours or art submissions, please call Dixie Tienken at 775-728-4408 or e-mail die62@yahoo.com.

The town of Panaca in Lincoln County was founded 5 months before Nevada became the 36th State to join the Union. The town hosts a Pioneer Day Celebration and this year’s will be bigger celebrating the Nevada and Panaca Sesquicentennial, July 24 - 26. Planned events include; a rodeo, parade, dance, hot air balloons, an original theatrical production, crafts and skills. For more information please call Debbie Bradfield at (775) 962-1648 or e-mail dbradfield@lcsdnv.com.

Explore the fascinating history behind “Pathfinder of the West” at the John C. Fremont Symposium at the Nevada State Museum in Carson City, NV all-day on July 25- 26. The two-day series of lectures and presentations will examine the life of the explorer. Presenters include Andrew Menard, New York author of “Sight Unseen: How Fremont’s First Expedition Changed the American Landscape.” Richard Francaviglia, professor emeritus at the University of Texas, Arlington, and author of “Go East Young Man: Imagining the American West as the Orient,” will join Paul Rosewitz, a leading expert on mountain howitzers.

The symposium includes dinner in the Nevada Room of the Governor’s Mansion. Two-day admission tickets cost $100 or $40 for the single Saturday dinner with limited seating. For more information and registration, visit http://museums.nevadaculture.org or call 775-687-4810 ext. 237.

The Northern Nevada Pride Festival and CommUNITY Parade will have a country fair vibe and will kick off the day with a parade at 10:30 a.m. on July 26. This is an event for LGBT community and their friends to celebrate and come together in PRIDE! There will be music and entertainment on two stages, lots of food, vendor and educational booths, faith booths and midway games hosted by local businesses and non-profits. For additional information please visit www.northernnevadapride.org or call 775-298-1479.

Visit Bowers Mansion for the Nevada Proud Pioneer Picnic at Bowers Mansion Regional Park in Washoe Valley from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Saturday, July 26. Enjoy appearances by Civil War re-enactors and Civil War Women, Nevada Humanities Young Chautauquans, Renowned Paiute Storyteller Ralph Burns, Western Acoustic Music, and Carson Sierra Spinners & Weavers.

At high noon on the steps of the historic Bowers Mansion, Nevada Pioneer Families will line up to recreate a historic photograph from the 1860’s. Throughout the day there will be games, dancing, self-guided tours of Bowers Mansion, BBQ Picnic lunches available for purchase in the Comstock Pavilion and admissions is free throughout the day. Visit the “Family History” table and document your ancestry with the Nevada Historical Society. For more information, call 688-1190 ext. 22. or visit www.washoecounty.us/parks.

Explore Burning Man culture at the Compression Art and Fire event at ReTrac Plaza in Reno, NV on July 26. The free admission activities will include: art cars, fire sculptors, large-scale flame effects, fire performance troupes and other alternative and youth performance groups. There will also be workshops in object manipulation, arts activities, flame effects, a parade, vendors, and series of performances. For more information on times, visit www.compression.controlledburnreno.com or call 775-686-9608.

See a variety of postal art at the Greater Reno Stamp and Cover Show at the National Bowling Stadium in Reno, NV from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. on July 26-27. The exhibits will be critiqued for story, originality, rarity of material and presentation. A special award will be presented for the “Best Nevada Themed” exhibit. Entries for the 2014 Nevada Jr. Duck Stamp contest will be on display. A special sesquicentennial souvenir envelope with an USPS exhibit station pictorial will be offered. . Ron Spears, the artist of the Nevada Sesquicentennial Commemorative Stamp will be in attendance at the show on July 26th. For additional information, visit www.renostamp.org or call 775-246-4769.

Celebrate the birthday of Nevada’s official locomotive at the 104th Birthday Celebration of the Nevada Northern Railway Locomotive #40 in East Ely, NV on July 26. Nevada Northern Railway Locomotive 40 is the Official Locomotive of the State of Nevada as recognized by NRS 235.135. and champagne & birthday cake will be hand to celebrate its 104th Birthday. For information on specific event times and ticket purchase, visit www.nnry.com or call 775-289-2085.

In honor of Nevada’s Sesquicentennial the students of Sage Ridge School in Reno have developed an original play about Nevada statehood. Don’t miss the world premiere of “Nevada: It Ain’t Just Vegas, Baby!” on July 27 at the Sage Ridge School in Reno. Who says history is no fun? Join us for this hysterical and historical theatrical joyride as characters from Nevada’s colorful past reveal the story of the 36th state. Elvis, Abe Lincoln, Mark Twain, Sarah Winnemucca, Comstock miners, a few nukes, an alien and a bunch of other characters along with a very eccentric host reveal the truth about Nevada in a series of comic twists and turns sure to entertain the entire family. Admission is free. For additional information please visit www.renoisartown.com or call 775-852-6222.

The Barracuda Championship, July 28 – August 3, is an annual PGA TOUR professional golfing event that swings through Reno each summer. 132 of the world’s top golfers will compete for a $3 million purse and 300 FedEx Cup points at gorgeous Montreux Golf & Country Club. As one of two PGA TOUR events in the Nevada, the Barracuda Championship is very excited to be an official event of the sesquicentennial celebration. In 2014 the Barracuda Championship will celebrate its Sweet 16th birthday, enjoying bringing international acclaim to the Reno/Tahoe area to an audience of millions worldwide. Furthermore, the Reno-Tahoe Open Foundation has been proud to give back over $2.5 million to area nonprofit organizations to-date. To purchase tickets please visit www.RenoTahoeOpen.com

Celebrate the 150th anniversary of our statehood in the Capitol City at the Nevada Sesquicentennial Fair in Carson City, NV July 30 to August 3. The five-day event at Fuji Park will feature: agriculture, a carnival, evening entertainment and community showcase. There will be a 4H/FFA livestock show with an auction, various animal shows, baking and crafts. For more information, visit www.nv150fair.com or e-mail nv150fair@gmail.com.

About Nevada 150
Nevada’s Sesquicentennial, the 150th anniversary of Nevada’s admission to the Union, will provide opportunities for celebration and reflection as we come together statewide to commemorate our shared history and build a foundation of cultural appreciation for generations to come. Nevada’s one of a kind and diverse history will be celebrated throughout the state for an entire year in order to promote pride in the shared heritage of all Nevadans. Nevada’s Sesquicentennial celebration commenced on Nevada Day 2013 and will conclude with an expanded Nevada Day celebration October, 2014. For more information, please visit www.nevada150.org.