November is a big month for Sparks as its beloved 13-year mayor Geno Martini retires and Mayor Pro Tempore Ron Smith takes over. Born and raised in Sparks, Martini was appointed to the City Council in 1999, was sworn in as mayor in 2005 after Tony Armstrong died in office, and was reelected to full terms in 2006, 2010, and 2014. He has been the City’s longest serving mayor.
However, while Martini will be greatly missed, he is leaving the City in good hands as Ron Smith prepares to step into the role. Smith has been on the City Council for the last 12 years and has proven himself to be a good leader with his heart in the right place as well, helping propel Sparks’ growth. So as we welcome in a new era, here are some events that encourage you to eat, drink, be merry, and stay active as we ease into winter:
Nov. 10: Great Basin Brewing Company Celebrates Its 25th Anniversary
Nevada’s oldest brewery is tipping its pint glasses on November 10 to celebrate 25 years of delivering delicious tasting craft beers and snacks. Founder and former geologist Tom Young had the idea to start a brewery after travelling the world and digging up fossils, then coming back home to realize that Northern Nevada had no good beer. So he developed the Ichthyosaur IPA, which sold out within three days of its release. Great Basin has just grown from there, creating more than 100 different kinds of beers and continuing to give back to the community. Show your support by joining the party filled with food, live music, commemorative swag, and plenty of beer on November 10!
Insert 25th Anniversary pic
… And It Releases Its Annual Harvest Ale
Speaking of Great Basin and community involvement, stay tuned for the release of its Harvest Ale to come out around Thanksgiving with the help of yours truly. In mid-October, Nevada’s oldest brewing company invited the community to come out and crack pine nuts to brew into the Harvest Ale, compensating participants with a free beer while they do it. It took me 3.25 hours to crack enough pine nuts to fill up a pint glass, equaling to about $1.25 of labor an hour. But it was totally worth it for the good conversation, making new friends, and sneaking a shelled pine nut or two for myself.
Nov. 22: Scheels Turkey Trot
Before stuffing your face full of food this Thanksgiving, get out and get some exercise at the 20th annual Sparks Turkey Trot! Starting at 8:30am on Thanksgiving morning, meet at the Legends Outlets to run 10 kilometers in a timed race or casually walk around the Sparks Marina in a 2-mile untimed race. This is a great way to laugh at funny costumes and hang out with friends and family before gobbling up turkey and tryptophan set in.
Nov. 24: Jay Leno at the Nugget
Longtime comedian and late night TV show host Jay Leno is taking a break from ripping around in high-end cars with fellow celebrities to delight crowds coming to the Nugget Casino Resort on November 24.
Catch the bestselling book author, philanthropist, movie voiceover actor, and recent inductee of the Television Academy’s Broadcast Hall of Fame bring his PG-16 shtick to the Nugget once again and laugh some calories off after turkey day ($57-$97).
— Kayla Anderson
