Skip to Content24 history events in Reno and Lake Tahoe: heritage festivals, living-history days, museum seasons, railroad rides and guided tours. Next up: Dia de los Muertos Celebration at the Nevada State Museum, Nov 6, 2026. Dates are the organizers’ own; where only a month is published we say so.
- 24history events
- 11with confirmed dates ahead
- 3reenactments and living history
- 13held every year (month known)
Coming Up, by Month
November 2026
| Event | Kind | Where | When | Price | Organizer |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dia de los Muertos Celebration at the Nevada State Museum | Cultural heritage | Carson City | Nov 6, 2026 to Nov 7, 2026 | Not listed | Visit Carson City listing for the Nevada State Museum |
| Historic Reno Preservation Society speaker program: History and Architecture of the W. M. Keck Museum | Talk | Reno (South Valleys Library, 15650-A Wedge Parkway) | Nov 8, 2026 | Not listed (registration link on page) | Historic Reno Preservation Society |
| Veterans Day Parade, Virginia City | Civic heritage | Virginia City | Nov 11, 2026 | Not listed | Virginia City Tourism Commission |
| Haunted Ghost Tour at the Gold Hill Hotel | Ghost & history tour | Gold Hill | Nov 12, 2026 | Not listed | Virginia City Tourism Commission |
| V&T Candy Cane Express At our page | Railroad heritage | Virginia City | Nov 29, 2026 to Dec 20, 2026 | See official site | Virginia & Truckee Railroad Co. |
| V&T Electric Holiday Train of Lights At our page | Railroad heritage | Virginia City | Nov 29, 2026 to Dec 19, 2026 | See official site | Virginia & Truckee Railroad Co. |
December 2026
| Event | Kind | Where | When | Price | Organizer |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Christmas on the Comstock | Seasonal heritage | Virginia City | Dec 1, 2026 to Dec 31, 2026 | Not listed | Virginia City Tourism Commission |
| Parade of Lights and Magical Christmas Fireworks Show | Seasonal heritage | Virginia City | Dec 5, 2026 | Not listed | Virginia City Tourism Commission |
May 2027
| Event | Kind | Where | When | Price | Organizer |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bowers Mansion 2027 touring season At our page | Museum season | Washoe Valley | May 29, 2027 to Sep 6, 2027 | Adults $10; seniors and ages 6-17 $7; 5 and under free | Washoe County Regional Parks |
July 2027
| Event | Kind | Where | When | Price | Organizer |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hot August Nights Virginia City classic cars | Classic cars | Virginia City | Jul 30, 2027 to Jul 31, 2027 | Not stated | Hot August Nights |
September 2027
| Event | Kind | Where | When | Price | Organizer |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Donner Party Hike weekend | Guided walking tour | Truckee and Donner Summit | Sep 18, 2027 to Sep 19, 2027 | Not stated | Donner Party Hike (Donner Summit Historical Society listed as partner) |
Held Every Year: Dates Not Announced Yet
The organizer gives only the usual month or season. We add the exact dates when they are posted.
| Event | Kind | Where | Usually | Price | Organizer |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Coin Press Saturdays at the Nevada State Museum At our page | Living history | Carson City | Every Saturday 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. | Included with admission: adults $10; 17 and under and members free | Nevada State Museum |
| Genoa Candy Dance Arts and Crafts Faire At our page | Festival | Genoa | Late September; 2026 edition was Sept 26-27 | Not listed | Town of Genoa |
| Hellman-Ehrman Mansion tour season | Museum season | Tahoma | Summer season; the 2026 season has ended and 2027 dates are not yet announced | Separate tour fee, See official site | Sierra State Parks Foundation |
| Historic Truckee walking tours (summer series) | Guided walking tour | Truckee | Summer; 2026 dates listed on the Chamber page: Jun 5, Jun 12, Jul 13, Jul 27, 4:00 p.m. | Free, gratuities welcome | Mountain Town Walking Tours (contact on Chamber listing) |
| Hot August Nights Reno/Sparks classic car event | Classic cars | Reno and Sparks | Late July to early August (2026: July 31 to August 9; 2027: July 30 to August 8, per the organizer) | Not stated | Hot August Nights |
| Mark Twain Days Literary Festival | Festival | Carson City and Virginia City | Usually October; 2026 edition Oct 13-17 (Visit Carson City); 2027 dates not listed | Many events free; ticketed events vary | Brewery Arts Center with Visit Carson City |
| Nevada Day At our page | Festival | Carson City | Last weekend of October; 2026 celebration schedule ran through Nov 1; 2027 dates not found on nevadaday.com | Not stated | Nevada Day, Inc. |
| Nevada State Railroad Museum Santa Train At our page | Railroad heritage | Carson City | Dates not stated on the page read (see museum’s 2026 schedule page) | Ride prices: See official site | Nevada State Railroad Museum |
| RailZephyr railbike tours launch At our page | Railroad heritage | Carson River Canyon | Spring 2027 (operator wording) | Introductory price advertised, amount not stated | Virginia & Truckee Railroad Co. |
| Tallac After Dark living-history night tour | Living history | South Lake Tahoe | October (2026 schedule announced in June per the operator page) | Adults $30; ages 12-18 $15 | The Great Basin Institute |
| V&T Comstock diesel train returns At our page | Railroad heritage | Virginia City | Memorial Day weekend 2027 (operator wording; exact days not stated) | See official site | Virginia & Truckee Railroad Co. |
| V&T Heritage Days and Battle Trains At our page | Living history | Virginia City | Dates not listed on the operator page read | See official site | Virginia & Truckee Railroad Co. |
| Vikingsholm tour season | Museum season | Emerald Bay | 2026: Visitor Center May 23 to Sept 30; tours ended Sept 30 | See official site | California State Parks |
Looking for every event, not only history? See all Reno and Lake Tahoe events.
What We Could Not Verify
- No forward-looking history event dates were confirmed for Nov 2026 to 2027 other than the Bowers Mansion 2027 tour schedule and Hot August Nights history; the history-events agent should confirm others on organizer pages.
We re-check these when the source pages change. Spot something we missed? Use the corrections page.
Frequently Asked Questions
When did Hot August Nights start?
August 1, 1986 at the Reno-Sparks Convention Center, with the Righteous Brothers, Wolfman Jack and Jan & Dean and about 10,000 spectators. Dates for future years: see the official site. Source: https://hotaugustnights.net/history-of-hot-august-nights/
Is there a Nevada Day history event?
Nevada statehood is dated October 31, 1864; Bowers Mansion lists a tour on Nevada Day, Friday October 29 (2027 schedule). Sources: https://jic.nv.gov/About/History_of_Nevada/ and https://washoecounty.gov/parks/specialty_facilities/bowers_mansion.php
Is Bowers Mansion open in winter?
The Washoe County page read on 2026-11-03 says the museum is Closed for Winter; the 2027 tour season starts Memorial Day weekend. Source: https://washoecounty.gov/parks/specialty_facilities/bowers_mansion.php
Is there a current public comment on Stewart Indian School?
The NPS comment period on the draft National Historic Landmark nomination ran July 29 to October 1, 2026 and is now closed. Source: https://parkplanning.nps.gov/document.cfm?parkID=596&projectID=135449&documentID=152620
Last checked November 3, 2026 by the It’s Reno editors against each operator’s, agency’s or organizer’s own page.
Sources
- Historic Reno Preservation Society speaker program: History and Architecture of the W. M. Keck Museum
- Dia de los Muertos Celebration at the Nevada State Museum
- Veterans Day Parade, Virginia City
- V&T Candy Cane Express
- Nevada State Railroad Museum Santa Train
- Coin Press Saturdays at the Nevada State Museum
- Bowers Mansion 2027 touring season
- Historic Truckee walking tours (summer series)
- Tallac After Dark living-history night tour
- Hellman-Ehrman Mansion tour season
- Vikingsholm tour season
- Donner Party Hike weekend
- Genoa Candy Dance Arts and Crafts Faire
- Hot August Nights Virginia City classic cars
- Mark Twain Days Literary Festival
- Nevada Day
On The Map
Cite this page: It's Reno, “History Events in Reno and Lake Tahoe: Reenactments, Living History and Candlelight Tours”, itsreno.com/history/events/ (updated ). By the It's Reno editorial team. Free to quote with attribution and a link to this page; data and tables are licensed CC BY 4.0.