Silver City
Silver City Welcomes Visitors to Its Free Summer Events
When you’re exploring the Comstock and northwestern Nevada this summer, Silver City has lots to offer, and at an elevation of 5,000 feet, the town is usually cooler in the summer than its valley neighbors. Each summer the historic community offers free public programming in arts and science, with something to appeal to every age group, from toddlers to elders. These events are opportunities to explore one of the hidden gems of the Comstock.
Just one block east of the Silver City Post Office on Main Street (otherwise known as State Route 342) you’ll find the town’s shaded park, which includes a large lawn, new playground equipment, picnic tables, and a basketball court. The park is adjacent to Silver City’s unusual community center, which is based on the town’s original 1860s school house. Silver City is located on the Comstock about 3 miles from Virginia City, 7 miles from Dayton, and 12 miles from Carson City. The park and community center (School House) are located at 385 High Street.
Following is a small sample of some of the free public events being offered this summer at the Silver City School House Community Center and Park. Stop by the Silver City Post Office and check the community bulletin board for additional events:
Reading by Shaun Griffin, Sunday, June 5th at 4pm at the School House, sponsored by Silver City Arts group. Shaun Griffin will read from his new memoir Anthem for a Burnished Land. Shaun is not only one of the West’s highly admired poets, he’s also been a great friend to rural communities across Nevada through his work as director of the Virginia City-based social justice agency Community Chest Inc. He’ll be reading from his memoir, a vivid record of his life in Nevada that describes the state’s spectacular scenic beauty, and efforts by he and his wife Deborah Loesch Griffin to bring about social change. The event will include hors d’oeuvre made with locally sourced ingredients.
Acoustic music jam sessions on the 4th Saturday of each month from 3pm-5pm, hosted by Silver City Arts. This summer, the dates will be June 25, July 23 and August 27. If you like to sing, or you play a musical instrument, or if you simply enjoy music, come to the Silver City School House.
Arts Events for Adults and Teens
Visual semantics workshop with Claire Scully, sponsored by the Resident Artist Program in Silver City, Tuesday, July 12th at 10am, Silver City School House: London-based artist Claire Scully is known for her meticulous, nature-based illustrations. She’s been working as a freelance illustrator since graduating with her Masters in Communication Design at Central Saint Martins in 2006, with an ever expanding client list including theNew York Times, The Guardian, penguin books, Random House, National Maritime Museum, Adidas, etc.
Visual semantics and semiology are the signs and symbols people use to visually communicate an idea.
Embroidery workshop with Stewart Easton, sponsored by the Resident Artist Program in Silver City, Tuesday, July 26th at 10am. Stewart is an illustrator and embroiderer who hails from Coventry in the United Kingdom. He works in thread, ink, paint and digital and is a master of visual storytelling whose work “straddles the lines between Craft, Illustration and Fine Art.” Stewart will offer free workshops for adults and teens this summer in narrative stitching, teaching participants how to design and stitch their own folkloric family stories.
3 Activities for Children
Hosted by Healthy Communities Coalition of Lyon and Storey Counties. Children under age 16 must be accompanied by parents or guardians, who are invited to join in the Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math (STEM) activities.
Fun Fair for Parents and Kids Ages 2 to 6 on Tuesday, June 7th from 10am to noon at the Silver City Park: The semi-annual “Tune into Kids” arts and science fun fair, hosted by United Way, will be held on Tuesday, June 7th. This event for parents and their children ages 2 to 6 includes free books and educational toys and lots of hands-on activities that promote school readiness.
Engineering Fun for Ages 7-12 on Tuesday June 28th and Tuesday July 19th, 10am-noon at the Silver City School House: Hands-on activities that encourage innovation will be provided by some of Nevada’s sharpest engineering minds. Guest teachers from the Society of Women Engineers will teach classes for kids between ages 7 and 12.
Science, Math and Technology Experiments for ages 8-12 on Tuesday June 21st and Tuesday July 5, 10am-noon at the Silver City Park: Back by popular demand, Jim Barcellos of 4-H and the University of Nevada Coopoerative Extension will lead science experiments for kids ages 8 and 12 and their parents. This year the experiments include a fun and messy soil science experiment, and a model rocket building activity that helps children understand concepts like trajectory.
For more information about these free, public programs in Silver City, contact Quest Lakes at quest@theodata.com.
— Quest Lakes
