Skip to ContentEvents and Things to Do in Reno and Tahoe
A new guide to Reno, Truckee, Lake Tahoe and the Comstock: ski country, Donner Pass, mining towns, neon and classic cars. Every date is checked against the organizer’s own page.
Greetings From Reno, Nevada
Did You Know?
- 1846 An 87-person wagon train, the Donner Party, was trapped by snow at Truckee Lake, now Donner Lake (National Park Service).
- 1939 Sugar Bowl, on Donner Summit, says on its own statistics page that it has been independent since 1939.
- 1960 The Winter Olympics were held at Squaw Valley, now Palisades Tahoe, February 18 to 28. Not confirmed: this is from Wikipedia only, not an official page.
- 1,645 ft Lake Tahoe’s greatest depth (UC Davis Tahoe Environmental Research Center and USGS).
Checked November 2, 2026. Anything we could not read on an official page says so.
See The Ski GuidePostcard by It’s Reno. Background: the Reno Arch at night, Famartin (CC BY-SA 4.0). Letters: Palisades Tahoe, John M (CC BY-SA 2.0); Emerald Bay, Michael (CC BY 2.0); Northstar, Clyde Charles Brown (CC BY-SA 4.0); Donner Lake, Frank Schulenburg (CC BY-SA 3.0); all via Wikimedia Commons. This postcard is shared under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Explore The Area
Six areas, from downtown Reno and the Truckee River to Truckee, Lake Tahoe and the old silver towns. These are our own groupings, not official boundaries.
Start With What You Love
Skiing, lakes, trails, history or classic cars: type what you are after and the guide finds the pages.
Picks for November
In Season This Month
Three guides that usually fit this time of year, then the live numbers from our checked calendar and place pages.
- 01Conditions NowCheck roads, webcams and avalanche advice before you go.Open the Guide →
- 02Winter Driving to TahoeChain controls are common on I-80 and US 50 in winter.Open the Guide →
- 03Ski and Snow GuideSki season is usually in full swing.Open the Guide →
Counts are read from our checked calendar and published pages each day.
Feature
Truckee, Tahoe and The Sierra
Every Tahoe ski resort, Donner Pass and Donner Lake, the Donner Party story from historical and official sources, and the Comstock mining towns. Start with the ski guide, the Donner pages or the lake shores; each one is written from official pages and says what is not confirmed.
Snow, Shores and Mountain Lakes
Ski areas, chain rules and the beaches of Tahoe and Donner, each read on the resort or agency page.
- SkiSki and Snow GuideWhich ski area is closest, biggest or best for Nordic, with acres, lifts and drive times from Reno.Open →
- RoadsWinter Driving to TahoeCaltrans chain controls explained from the agency page, plus the live road maps to check first.Open →
- CompareNorth Shore or South Shore?Ski areas, public beaches and free sights on each shore side by side, with fees and drive times.Open →
- CompareTruckee or South Lake Tahoe?Skiing, history, rent and drive time from Reno compared, with Census and resort figures cited.Open →
- LakeDonner LakePublic beaches, the boat ramp, the Rim Trail and the lake’s place in the Donner Party story.Open →
- BeachSand HarborTrails, the summer Shakespeare festival and visitor center facts from Nevada State Parks.Open →
Wildlife, Trails and Conditions
Where to hike, what lives there and what the roads and avalanche centers say today.
- WildlifeBears, Deer, Wild Horses and EaglesThe animals around Reno, Truckee and Lake Tahoe, with agency safety advice and sources.Open →
- TrailsTrails Around Reno and TahoeLengths, ratings and rules read from Forest Service, state and county pages.Open →
- WeatherNature, Weather and Scenic DrivesWeather by season from NOAA normals, plus official bear, avalanche and chain-control advice.Open →
- Check FirstConditions NowOfficial road, webcam, avalanche, weather and air quality links, with a last-checked date.Open →
- TrailTahoe Rim TrailThe trail that circles Lake Tahoe, segment by segment, with bike, dog and parking rules.Open →
- History TrailMarlette Flume TrailA historic trail high above Lake Tahoe from Spooner Lake, and what we could not confirm.Open →
History and Legends
Silver mines, the Donner Party and lake monsters, with the record beside every story. Where nothing confirms a tale, the page says so.
- LegendsTrue or Tall Tale?Reno, Tahoe and Comstock legends, each told as a story and checked against the record.Open →
- TimelineReno and Tahoe TimelineDated events from thousands of years ago to today, each with a primary source.Open →
- LandmarksNational Historic LandmarksEvery landmark in the area from the National Park Service list, and which ones you can visit.Open →
- SilverThe Comstock LodeDiscovery, mines, ore figures with their sources, square-set timbering and the 1875 fire.Open →
- LegendTahoe TessieA long dark creature in the lake. The modern name dates to 1975, and no one has produced proof.Open →
- Fact CheckReno Is West of Los AngelesIt sounds wrong. We checked it against Census Bureau coordinates.Open →
- Ghost StorySuzette of The Fourth Ward SchoolA schoolhouse ghost who, by one historian’s account, began as a Halloween tale.Open →
- ToursHistoric Tours and TrailsWalking tours, ranger programs and heritage trails, with prices and schedules as printed.Open →
Big Dates to Plan Around
Festivals, parades and races from the organizers’ own pages. Anything not yet posted is marked that way.
- SeptemberGreat Reno Balloon RaceThe 2027 dates from the organizer, free admission as described, and its history since 1982.Open →
- OctoberNevada Day in Carson CityStatehood on October 31, 1864 and the parade; 2027 details are not posted yet.Open →
- FallGenoa Candy DanceThe crafts faire held since 1919, with parking and shuttle notes from the Town of Genoa.Open →
- SeptemberCamel and Ostrich RacesVirginia City’s races, the 1959 hoax that started them and the rules; 2027 dates are not set.Open →
- All YearWhat to Do by SeasonSki and holiday trains in winter, beaches in summer, balloons and Nevada Day in fall.Open →
- SoonNext 30 Days34 upcoming dates on the calendar, each read on the organizer’s page.Open →
Tools and Open Data
Drive times, a map, a full directory and free datasets, each with its date and source.
- Trip PickerDrive Times and Trip PickerPick a start and a kind of place to see drive times to lakes, parks, museums and ski areas.Open →
- MapOne Map of The Guide AreaEvery place page in Reno, Sparks, Carson City, Virginia City, Truckee and Lake Tahoe.Open →
- DirectoryEvery Place by AreaEach place page by area and kind, with an estimated drive from Reno.Open →
- Free DataOpen Data DownloadsFree CSV and JSON for events, places and drive times, each with a JSON Schema.Open →
- ExplorerData ExplorerFilter the events, places and drive-time datasets, then download the full file.Open →
- CalendarEvery Dated Event34 upcoming dates, each read on the organizer’s page.Open →
Visiting, Moving or Hosting an Event
Timed day plans for visitors, first steps for new neighbors and a free listing for organizers.
- VisitPlan a VisitChoose by experience or interest, then get day trips, arrival and visitor tips.Open →
- Day TripsDay Trips From RenoVirginia City, Carson City and Genoa, Truckee and Donner, and Lake Tahoe, with road times.Open →
- One DayReno in One DayThe river, two museums and a free arboretum, with road times between stops.Open →
- WeekendTruckee, Donner and Tahoe WeekendThe depot, the state park and Donner Lake, then the North Shore beaches.Open →
- FamiliesThings to Do With KidsA discovery museum, a free arboretum and Tahoe snow play, with hours and prices as printed.Open →
- Classic CarsClassic Cars Around RenoHot August Nights, the National Automobile Museum and the railroad museums.Open →
- MovingMoving to The Reno AreaSix towns side by side, and the differences across the state line, with official data links.Open →
- OrganizersSubmit an EventSend us your event page. We check every date on the organizer’s own page before it goes up.Open →
Pick an Area
Areas follow whole county lines, so the shaded edges are approximate and not official boundaries. Each dot is a place page and is also approximate.
Explore Reno and Sparks
10 place pages13 upcoming events in our data
Explore Carson City and Carson Valley
7 place pages
Explore Virginia City and the Comstock
7 place pages3 upcoming events in our data
Explore Truckee and Donner
14 place pages9 upcoming events in our data
Explore Lake Tahoe
20 place pages9 upcoming events in our data
What People Ask Before They Go
A short answer first, then the detail and the official source.
Checked, Dated, Sourced
Calendars change. We read every date on the organizer’s own page, show the day we checked it, and fix mistakes in public.