Plan Your Visit
Events & Festivals
Shakespeare on a beach, a ten-day snow party, salmon running red — Tahoe's calendar is an attraction of its own.
Shakespeare on a beach, a ten-day snow party, salmon running red — Tahoe's calendar is an attraction of its own.
The North Shore's beloved winter carnival, running for more than 40 years — ten days and 50+ events of parades, fireworks, polar bear swims, snow golf and skijoring across Tahoe City, Kings Beach and Incline Village. Most events are free.
Resort tree lightings, torchlight parades and New Year's Eve fireworks at the ski villages — Heavenly, Northstar and Palisades all stage family-friendly celebrations, and Diamond Peak keeps it local.
As the season winds down (April, snow permitting), the resorts throw costume-heavy pond-skimming contests and live-music closing weekends — spring skiing at its silliest. Check each resort's calendar.
Professional theater on an outdoor stage at Sand Harbor, with the lake glowing behind the actors as the sun sets. One of the great summer-evening experiences in the Sierra — bring layers and book tickets well ahead. Full festival guide →
Free live music on the lawn at Commons Beach in Tahoe City on Sunday afternoons — blankets, kids, dogs and the lake for a backdrop. Arrive early for grass real estate.
The South Shore's Lights on the Lake is among the biggest fireworks shows in the West, best watched from a beach or a boat; Kings Beach and Incline Village host their own July 4 festivities on the North Shore. Book lodging months out.
Historic downtown Truckee becomes a summer street fair on Thursday evenings, and the region's farmers markets rotate through the week — Tahoe City on Thursdays, Truckee on Tuesdays.
NFL, NBA and Hall-of-Fame athletes trade the field for the fairway at this celebrity pro-am on the South Shore's Edgewood Tahoe course — spectator-friendly and a fun excuse for a South Shore day trip.
One of the toughest, most scenic trail races in the country tears through the high alpine terrain above Palisades Tahoe — free to watch from the base area or along the course if elite trail running is your thing.
When the kokanee salmon turn crimson and surge up Taylor Creek to spawn, the Forest Service celebrates with a family festival of interpretive walks and hands-on activities — formerly the Kokanee Salmon Festival, and still Tahoe's best free wildlife spectacle.
The Great Reno Balloon Race fills the dawn sky with hot-air balloons (free to attend), while Virginia City runs its gloriously absurd International Camel & Ostrich Races. Both are easy day trips.
Not an event, but treated like one locally: the aspen groves at Spooner Lake and Marlette peak in mid-October, and the crowds are a fraction of summer's.
Tastings, chef demos and wine pairings pop up around the North Shore and Truckee as the summer crowds thin — a relaxed, foodie-friendly way to enjoy the shoulder season.
Anchor your dates to an event, then fill the days with beaches, trails and long dinners.
See itineraries