Reno / Tahoe Memorial Day Weekend

If you are one of the fortunate people living in or visiting the Reno / Tahoe region, you don't have to go far (or maybe nowhere at all) to enjoy a fine Memorial Day holiday weekend. As a reminder, most government offices will be close on Monday, May 25.

Go To Lake Tahoe

Incline Village on Lake Tahoe's north shore is a mere 35 miles southwest of Reno. Just visiting this part of the lake is outstanding, but if you want to explore further, read my article with directions for driving around Lake Tahoe and other information and facts about this High Sierra scenic wonder and playground. Be prepared to share the road with lots of other drivers if you opt for the circumnavigation; the Lake Tahoe Basin gets plenty of visitors on holiday weekends.

Opening Day at the Lake

Taking place Memorial Day weekend from May 22 through May 25, this Lake Tahoe event features activities like kayaking, biking, big band dance parties, historic tours, and restaurant deck opening parties. The event is sponsored by Tahoe's West Shore Association, so that's where most of the action will be. See the schedule of events to find out what is happening and where.

Black Rock Rendezvous: May 22 - 25

Here's your chance to learn more about the incredible Black Rock Desert, located within the BLM-administered Black Rock Desert High Rock Canyou Emigrant Trails National Conservation Area (or just NCA for short). This is three days of environmental workshops, tours of significant area features, history, camping, food, and live music under starry desert skies. Friends of Black Rock High Rock are the main organizers, with assistance from organizations such as the Bureau of Land Management, Desert Research Institute, Burning Man Earth Guardians, Nevada Outdoor School, and several others.

Everything starts on Friday, May 22, 100 miles north of Reno in Gerlach, Nevada. A schedule of events, directions, and maps are available at the Black Rock Rendezvous website. Basic admission is free, but there is a fee for some activities like tours of Fly Geyser. You can sign up for this tour online. If you plan on doing the campout, be sure to read this information about camping at Cassidy Mine. See some of the fun with my Black Rock Rendezvous pictures.

Things To Do Nearby

Celebration of Heroes Parade in Virginia City
The parade starts at noon on Saturday, May 23 and will travel down C St., Virginia City's main drag. Grand Marshals this year will be the Bolander family, whose son Staff Sgt. Bryan Bolander was killed in Iraq on April 29, 2008. Anyone wishing to be a part of the Celebration of Heroes Parade can download an entry form from the Virginia City Visitor's Center website, call (775) 847-4836, or contact parade organizer Karen Woodmansee at (775) 847-4768. For parade line-up, be at the Fourth Ward School on the South End of C Street at 11:00 a.m. All entries are welcome.

Ride the Virginia & Truckee Railroad
Come ride the Queen of the Shorlines on Memorial Day weekend. The 2009 season of excursions on the Virginia & Truckee Railroad starts on Saturday, May 23. There are steam train departures all day from the depot at F Street and Washington in Virginia City, from 10:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. Adult tickets are $11 for steam and $9 for diesel power. Children 5 to 12 are $4.50 for either, with kids under 5 free. An all day pass is $16. For more information, call (888) 949-9991 x102.

Parks and Recreation Areas

Our Reno / Tahoe region has excellent public parks suitable for everything from a quiet walk to big family gatherings. We are also surrounded by public lands administered by the Bureau of Land Management and U.S. Forest Service, offering a multitude of possible outdoor adventures.

Great Basin Adventure Park
Great Basin Adventure Park is inside Rancho San Rafael Regional Park at 1595 N. Sierra St. in Reno. Great Basin Adventure is open from Memorial Day weekend through the first weekend in September. There is a log flume ride, pony rides, dinosaur play park, and lots more. Park hours are 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Wednesday through Saturday, noon to 4 p.m. on Sunday, closed on Mondays and Tuesdays. For more information, call (775) 785-5961.

Wild Island Family Adventure Park
Wild Island Family Adventure Park in Sparks will be open over the weekend, including on Memorial Day. Hours are 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. For information about rates and all the things you can do, visit the Wild Island Family Adventure Park website. The park phone number is (775) 359-2927.

Memorial Day Services, Memorial Parks, and Cemeteries

These are Reno / Tahoe remembrances to the men and women in uniform who have died serving their communities and country.

Carson City: Memorial Day Service at Lone Mountain Cemetery
The service, in the veteran's section, will be at 1 p.m. on Memorial Day, May 25. The cemetery is located at 1044 Beverly Dr., Carson City, Nevada 89706. Call (775) 887-2111 for more information.

Sparks Memorial Park
Memorial Park is at C St. and Pyramid Way. This park has memorials honoring Sparks residents who died defending our country. There is also a bronze statue in remembrance of fallen firefighters. There will be a Memorial Day Ceremony on Friday, May 22, from 11 a.m. to noon. Call (775) 353-7894 for details.

Powning Park in Reno
Powning Park, in downtown Reno at 150 S. Virginia Street, has a memorial to Nevada service men and women who have died serving our country in the wars in Kuwait, Afghanistan, and Iraq. The park also features a statue of General Jesse Reno, who died in Civil War action and for whom Reno was named.

James D. Hoff Peace Officers Memorial
This memorial is located in a quiet corner of Idlewild Park. Parking is nearby if you enter the park on Cowan Dr. from Idlewild Dr.

Northern Nevada Veterans Memorial Cemetery
This cemetery is about 30 miles east of Reno on I80. It is located at 14 Veterans Way, Fernley, NV 89408. Call (775) 575-4441 for information.