Saddle up for some riding at Squaw Valley!

Giddy up, it’s time to bring the wild, wild West back into the Sierra!  Throw on your best pair of cowboy boot, and saddle up for a rustlin’ afternoon at High Camp!  This event is a mountain top Western-style celebration for the whole family!

You’ll enjoy events ranging from pony rides to a petting zoo and even live music by Forget the Roses.

Free entrance to Wild Wild West Weekend with the cost of an Arial Tram Ticket. 12pm to 4pm, High Camp, Squaw Valley.

August 10 to 12 | All Day

If you’re a lady with an athletic passion, then don’t miss this all-women sports camp at Northstar Resort! Choose from over 22 clinics in road cycling, x-country mountain biking, triathlons, running, downhill mountain biking, stand up paddling and rock climbing! This camp not only offers top-notch clinics but ladies will enjoy yoga, group runs, group rides, and much more fun! Led by top female endurance athletes and coaches who train the pros. Tickets start $199/One Day, $380/Two Days, or $555/Three Days.

For more information, click here!

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Bring your little ones for some creative face-painting time!

July 7 | 7am to 4pm 

Truckee-Tahoe Air Fair and Family Festival is a FREE inaugural event, complete with live music, kid-friendly activities, a food court and beer garden, aircraft fly-bys, static aircraft displays with pilot docents, free FAA Chapter 1073 Young Eagle flights for kids ages 8 to 17. You can even ride your bike and park at the free Truckee Trails Foundation Bike Valet, from 7am to 4pm.

Opening Ceremony kicks off at 11am. Kids fly for free 8am to 12pm.

Presented by the Truckee Tahoe Airport District.

We bet you already have plans for the July 4th holiday. You’ve created the menu and prepped the grill. You’ll host your annual Independence Day soirée. Perhaps travel to the lake house or rough it in the great outdoors with other campers. Spend the afternoon on water; kayaking, boating or paddleboarding. You’ll top off the holiday with tradition: fireworks. If that’s not the case, and you’re in the Lake Tahoe-Truckee area, here’s what you can find for the whole family!

Beth Weber Arts & Crafts Festival

July 1 to 4

Enjoy the fair along the cobblestone Kings Beach Plaza – just 50 yards from the water – which has been running for more than 30 years. All work and masterpieces created by participating artisans. Shop nearby shops and choose from an array of local restaurants. 10am to 5pm, 530.546.2768 for details or questions. 

Full Moon Rising Party

July 3

Watch the full moon rise over Lake Tahoe at this stunning lakefront location! Drink in the romance while being serenaded by a solo violinist. 5pm to 11pm, reserve your table or choose a bar seating, West Shore Café & Inn. 

Peter Joseph Burtt Live Concert

July 3

Enjoy the spectacular view on the lawn at West Shore Café & Inn with this live performance. A lifelong drummer, Peter Joseph Burtt, attributes his musical influence to time spent in Africa. Much of his music is played on traditional instruments: the lute like Kora, the Mbira, or thumb piano. 2pm to 5pm, free, West Shore Café & Inn. 

Fireworks Show & Deck Party

July 3

Watch the fireworks over Lake Tahoe from the sandy beaches of Kings Beach, CA. Make it an evening by purchasing tickets to North Tahoe Business Association’s Deck Party, and enjoy premium seating, food vendors, live music and a no host bar. 6:30pm, Kings Beach, CA, 530.546.9000 to purchase tickets.

Run to the Beach

July 4

Run to the Beach 5k and 10k starts at the North Tahoe Regional Park.  From the park you have the option of participating in the 5K or 10K trail run, both of which finish on the “big” beach in Kings Beach, CA. 8am, registration cost varies $30-$55, Tahoe Vista, CA.

Firecracker Mile Run

July 4

Start off the 4^th of July with a bang and race the one mile fun run from Tahoe Forest Hospital to Historic Downtown Truckee, through the crowds waiting for the parade to star. Registration opens at 9am, run starts at 10am, $20/adults, $15/children, benefits Auburn Ski Club Nordic Programs, Truckee, CA.

Tahoe City Fourth of July Fireworks

July 4

Celebrate Independence Day at Commons Beach for a spectacular fireworks show! 9:30pm, Tahoe City, CA.

Truckee Fourth of July Fireworks

July 4

Enjoy Independence Day fireworks over Donner Lake from West End Beach. The West End Beach event is just for Truckee Residents and Homeowners, but the public can view the fireworks from anywhere around the lake. Dusk, $6.00/advance entry fee, 530.582.7720, Donner Lake.

Truckee Fourth of July Parade

July 4

Independence Day festive parade traveling 1.5 miles on Donner Pass Road from Truckee High School Track parking lot into Historic Downtown Truckee, 10am to 12pm, $50 parade entry fee, Truckee Chamber of Commerce, Truckee, CA, 530.587.2757.

What’s on the agenda for your July 4th holiday?

The Best Pies team at the 3rd Annual Truckee Chili Cookoff

Sunday, June 24, 2012 | 11am-4pm

Truckee River Regional Park, Truckee, CA

A sponsored fundraiser for the Truckee-Tahoe community by the Truckee Sunrise Rotary Club, the 4th Annual Truckee Chili Cookoff  is a spicy way to turn up the heat on the local community! Local contestants compete to claim the title of “Best Chili in Truckee.” Join celebrity MC KCRA’s, Teo Torres, for an afternoon of chili tasting, sip on cold beer, and cool down your palate with sweet ice-cream.

This event also features a battle of the bands between The Deck Heads, Jo Mama, and Dancing with Clowns!

Check out the 2012 chili contestants! Are your taste-buds ready for some hot eats?!

• Old Farts making Chili and Their Trophy Brides
• Truckee Police Department
• Summit Bar & Restaurant
• Poets on Payday
• Hey Chef
• Truckee Fire Department
• Michael Stark
• Slow Food Lake Tahoe
• Jax Truckee Diner
• Best Pies
• Full Belly Deli
• Dragonfly
• Plumpjack’s Restaurant
• Wild Cherries
• Porter/Simon
• US Forest Service
• Tahoe Mountain Brewing Company

Tickets are $15/Adults, $3/Children under 12; and available online here! Tickets may also be purchased at the event day of.

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It’s that time of year again!  Girls on the Run Sierras (GOTR) has finished another active spring season, encouraging young girls to move forward by teaming them up with local volunteers: walking, jogging and running their way toward healthy self-esteem! To celebrate the end of season, GOTR hosts a 5K/10K race for the participants, and any other runners looking for a fun 5K/10K in Truckee!

So grab your running shoes, and get ready for a super fun run on Sunday, June 10th in support of an organization changing the lives of girls in our local community!

The Lowdown:

What: GOTR Fun Run 5K/10K

Where: Truckee River View Sports Park, 12200 Joerger Drive, Truckee, CA 

When: Sunday, June 10th. Registration begins at 8:30am. Race starts at 10:00am. 

Cost: $15-40, depending on age and race length. Click here for details! 

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We can think of a fun way to celebrate Dad on his special day, and benefit a tremendously powerful cause: Truckee Rib Fest!

The Truckee Father’s Day RibFest & BBQ is a FREE event open to the public, and a fundraiser benefiting the American Cancer Society’s Relay for Life of Truckee Tahoe.  Many local businesses are supporting the fundraiser for Relay For Life of Truckee Tahoe by providing tasty for guests to enjoy: Auburn Barbecue Company, PJ’s Bar & Grill, Resort at Squaw Creek Six Peaks Grille, Smokey’s Kitchen, Taco Station and Truckee Pizza.

In addition to licking your chops, the event also includes classic cars on site to lust after, live music from local Rock-n-Roll bands, a thirst quenching beer garden, children’s activities and craft vendors!

The Lowdown:

When: Father’s Day, June 17, 2012 | 12pm-4pm

Where: Tri Counties Bank Plaza, 12047 Donner Pass Road, Truckee, Ca

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You won't be short of ale options at this local brew fest!

In a beautiful Lake Tahoe park setting, kick off the summer with refreshing libations from over 20 breweries and cider distributors at the 7th Annual Truckee Optimist Brew Fest on June 9th from 1-5pm! Enjoy live music by “Drop Theory” while diving into brats and sausages fresh off  the barbecue. Place your bid for the silent auction and be sure to purchase a souvenir t-shirt on your way out!

The cost of your ticket, $25 pre-sale or $30 at the door, also includes a commemorative beer tasting glass. Must be 21 or older to attend. Click here for ticket locations, and to find out more!

If you’re wondering if your favorite microbrewery will be on site pouring a frothy one just for you, check out the list of past participating breweries:

Fifty Fifty Brewery, Great Basin Brewing, Lagunitas Brewing, Big Sky Brewing, Sierra Nevada Brewing, Anchor Brewing, Full Sail Brewing, Hoppy Brewing Co., Firestone Walker Brewing, Wyder’s Cider, Rubicon Brewing, Lake Tahoe Brewing, Sam Adams, Fox Barrel Cider, Buckbean Brewing, Mendocino Brewing, Anderson Valley Brewing, Mad River Brewing, New Belgium, and more.

What’s your ale of choice?

You may love the great outdoors of Lake Tahoe, the virtually untouched back-country of the Sierra Nevada, but that doesn’t mean you’re always prepared. If you’re wondering what the latest is on gear, and how you should prepare for hiking this summer, then look no further!

REI-Reno is pleased to partner with the Tahoe Rim Trail Association for the return of the April Speakers Series; every Wednesday this April. The presentations this year will give special attention to hikers and mountain bikers. The TRTA will also give insightful local tips on the best places to go, what the bring, and what to expect from the trails and conditions.

“The Properly Equipped Hiker,” Wednesday, April 18, 6:30 to 8pm.

This presentation is essential for both segment and thru-hikers. REI hiking experts will discuss gear, clothing and back country skills that will help you enjoy your time on the trail. They will also help you to distinguish between essential gear versus what gear is nice to have. Gear and clothing selections will also be reviewed for weight, cost, durability and ease of use considerations. This session will also serve as an unveiling of the newest in 2012 gear. Backcountry skills will focus on hydration techniques, navigational skills and Leave No Trace principles. Combine this class with the first class and you will be ready to hit the Tahoe Rim Trail this summer, dressed and outfitted for success.

Admission to each presentation in the series is FREE!

Location:

REI Reno

2225 Harvard Way

Reno, NV 89502

Click here for more information and to learn about the Tahoe Rim Trail Association!

If the cold Truckee-Tahoe evenings are getting to you, then join others for an early evening of tea at Cedar House Sport Hotel on Thursday, February 9th from 6pm-8pm [Tweet This!].  Tahoe Teas will host a dynamic evening of their proprietary certified organic teas and herbal blends. Learn about Tahoe Teas’ origins and the Slovenian cultural influence on its founder, Alenka Vrecek. Relish in freshly baked scones from Stella and dive into the first official Truckee-Tahoe showing of “All in this Tea,” a film by Les Blank and Gina Leibrecht.

“All in this Tea” follows American tea importer David Lee Hoffman to remote regions of China in search of the finest handmade teas. Not since Robert Fortune clandestinely made his way through China in 1843 (to steal plants and seeds for the British Empire!) has a westerner attempted to gain access to the world where farmers have been making tea for generations. Hoffman introduces the west to one of China’s finest cultural gems—the artistry and exquisite taste of fine, handmade tea.

The film is 70 minutes, and Gina Leibrecht will be on site to introduce the film and answer any questions by viewers.

Purchase your tickets ($18) here!