Reno

Arrrrrg maytees! August 13th brings the Reno Pirate Crawl. For anyone who enjoys the night-life, and pirates, this should be a night to remember (or not, but that’s okay because there will be a photo booth for that)! Over 20 bars will be participating, including many dance clubs that “wave” the cover charge for people who are in the Pirate Crawl. For more information visit the Reno Pirate Crawl website.

The Reno Aloha Festival seems like an exciting and fun way to learn about and celebrate Polynesian culture. On August 27th from 10am-6pm at Wingfield park, there will be a variety of Pacific Island style food, unique entertainment, workshops, and many interactive activities for adults, and children.  The entertainment includes live music and dancing by Keanuenue Entertainment, Treedom, HalauHula ‘OLeilani, Calling From the Islands, Poly Nui, Ha Hawaii Pakipika, Blessed Love, and many more artists. For further details go to the Reno Aloha Festival website.

One of my personal favorite parts of summer here in Reno is the Best in The West Nugget Rib Cook-Off. The aroma of juicy, tender BBQ ribs can be detected from miles away. With more than 20 competitors and more than 240,000 pounds of ribs, this is one of the biggest rib cook-offs in the country. In fact, It was voted “Best BBQ Festival” in the country by the readers of USA Today  this year! The main selling point for me, however, is the free live music! Every year, The Nugget in Sparks brings in classic rock bands that people rarely get the opportunity to see anymore. Just in the last few years, I have had the blessed opportunity to be able to see Blue Oyster Cult, Bad Company, Jefferson Airplane (the later version of Jefferson Starship), and Foghat for free at the rib cook-off. This year will be Eddie Money, Jessie James Decker, The Original Wailers, and many more. The cook-off starts on August 31st and continues through September 5th! Visit to the Nugget Rib Cook-Off website for more information.

After growing up in Northern Nevada, the juicy ribs and rock music with my family, year after year, has become one of my absolute favorite childhood memories, and a continued tradition. My advice to any first-timers is to make sure to bring sunscreen, comfortable shoes for walking and dancing in, and maybe even a bib or bandanna, because ribs can be messy if you do it right!

— Charlotte Meeks