The Biggest Little City is coming back to life with festivals, parades, classes, and of course, Artown—all of which are in this July calendar of events in Reno. Keep reading and make a plan to attend all of these fun and exciting events right in your own backyard.
July Calendar Of Events In Reno
Artown
- When: Thursday, July 1, 2021–Saturday, July 31, 2021
- Where: Various locations around Northern Nevada
- More Information
Reno’s citywide, month-long arts festival is back! The big thing to know: the main musical events that you’re used to seeing in Wingfield Park will instead take place at Rancho San Rafael Regional Park. There, event organizers have constructed a 40×40 stage to accommodate the performances this year. In addition, a variety of other venues will host about 300 individual events during July. Another significant change: for most 2021 shows, you’ll need to book tickets in advance. For $15, you’ll get entry for up to four people, and each group will be assigned a designated space on the lawn.
Paint & Sip: Attersee by Gustav Klimt
- When: Thursday, July 1, 2021–Friday, July 2, 2021
- Where: Lake Mansion, 250 Court St., Reno
- More Information
Receive one-on-one creative guidance to paint your own 16″ x 20″ canvas masterpiece in a fun, social environment. This class is perfect for all levels of artistic talent. The class will be taught by Karen Hayes and takes place in the Garden Pavilion.
The Great Basin Murders
- When: Thursday, July 1, 2021–Sunday, July 11, 2021
- Where: Wilbur D. May Museum, 1595 N. Sierra St., Reno
- More Information
This collaborative exhibition of fiber weavings by Lily Martina Lee and photography by Carrie Quinney examines the Great Basin Murders, a loose grouping of unsolved murders spanning the 1970s to 1990s involving women whose bodies were found along the region’s highways.
Lee creates original weavings using data from each case, including height, weight, and age estimates as well as the date and GPS coordinates of when and where each of the unidentified victims was located. While this work attempts to broach the anonymity of unidentified human remains through devotional craft, the resulting woven panels remain visually austere, illustrating the absence of information that characterizes many cold cases. By weaving these shrouds, Lee seeks to give each of the victims a gesture of respect not previously afforded them.
Through digital photography, Quinney documents the woven shrouds at the sites where each victim was found, stylistically bridging crime scene documentation and landscape photography. These images position the shrouds as bodies, contextualizing the series in art historical movements considering violence against women from Renaissance and Baroque paintings to contemporary site-specific work, all against the backdrop of the ever foreboding, mysterious, and beautiful Western landscape.
UnchARTed Waters a Collaborative Exhibition
- When: Thursday, July 1, 2021–Saturday, July 31, 2021
- Where: SAF Main Gallery, 17 S. Virginia St., Reno
- More Information
The mission of the UnchARTed Waters collaborative art project is to empower artists with developmental disabilities to express their creativity through movement, motion, and wonder. The artwork is created with the intention of welcoming a sensory experience during two art labs in the spring. This year’s display includes more than 50 pieces of both collaborative and individual art. Ranging in size from 9′ x 4′ to 6″ x 9″, this year’s show includes painting, framed texture sculpture, resist and dye on fabric, and printmaking.
Virtual Art Discussion
- When: Thursday, July 1, 2021
- Where: Virtual
- More Information
Join the Nevada Museum of Art for a virtual tour and enjoy looking at a selection of art from the comfort of your home. Virtual tours are led by experienced docents that will share interesting perspectives and invite inquiry and discussion. This program will be hosted on Zoom. Please have Zoom downloaded with audio and video features turned on. A Zoom link will be emailed to registered participants the morning of the program.
Virtual Summer Art Festival
- When: Thursday, July 1, 2021–Saturday, July 31, 2021
- Where: Virtual
- More Information
Arts for All Nevada is taking its Annual Summer Art Festival online to share quality art projects. Enjoy several art projects with Arts for All Nevada’s teaching artists and storytime. Videos will be available on the morning of July 3. The Summer Art Festival is an Artown event, free and open-to-the-public, thanks to funding from the Nevada Arts Council, Redfield Foundation, NV Energy Foundation.
Wyld Women in the Arts – July
- When: Thursday, July 1, 2021
- Where: The Virgil, 301 Vassar St., Reno
- More Information
Join Wyld Women Networking for a special night celebrating women in the arts with live music, a gallery display, and a panel discussion from some of the remarkable women leading the charge to promote community investment in Reno’s local art scene.
Galena Campfire Program Series
- When: Friday, July 2, 2021–Friday, July 30, 2021
- Where: Galena Creek Visitor Center, 18250 Mount Rose Highway, Reno
- More Information
Remember the fun we had around the campfire as a kid? The Galena Campfire Program Series is all about sharing that experience with the family! A different presenter is featured each week, including bluegrass, folk music, cowboy poetry, ukulele, and fun educational programs, all outdoors at beautiful Galena Creek Regional Park. Blankets, low-back chairs, bug spray, and flashlights are recommended. Join the Galena Campfire Program for Reno’s 2021 Artown Celebration every Friday evening throughout July!
The programs are free, though donations are welcomed to support the program. Bring your own treats to enjoy around the campfire at 8 p.m.!
Schedule:
- July 2: Cowboy Poet and Entertainer Larry Maurice
- July 9: Ukulele music with Aria 51
- July 16: George Whittell, Jr. as portrayed by Steve Hale
- July 23: Bluegrass music with Sage Creek
- July 30: Stargazing with the Astronomical Society of Nevada
Programs will be subject to current COVID-19 guidance in place at the time of the event. Non-vaccinated individuals should consider wearing a mask and practicing social distancing.
The Galena Campfire Program series is also an Artown event. Washoe County also offers additional events, programs, and other fun activities such as guided hikes. See more at WashoeCountyParks.com.
American Salute: July 4 with the Reno Phil
- When: Saturday, July 3, 2021–Sunday, July 4, 2021
- Where: Rancho San Rafael Regional Park, 1595 N Sierra St, Reno, Reno
- More Information
The Reno Phil returns to celebrate Independence Day with a patriotic concert and fireworks finale!
The last year has kept friends, family, and neighbors apart, but our community has survived and is poised to come back stronger than ever. The Reno Phil, northern Nevada’s largest performing arts organization, is proud to facilitate this return of togetherness, joy, and celebration with two performances of the ever-popular 4th of July Concert at Rancho San Rafael.
In celebration with Artown, the Reno Phil Orchestra, Reno Phil Chorus, and vocalist Kyle Rea will perform patriotic and classical favorites. Conducted by Jason Altieri, this family-friendly performance will begin at 7:30 p.m. each night and end with a fantastic firework finale.
Raptor Talks
- When: Saturday, July 3, 2021
- Where: Animal Ark, 1265 Deerlodge Road, Reno
- More Information
Come learn about Animal Ark’s raptors and their amazing adaptations! Enjoy a special program from Kathleen Tigan with some remarkable guest raptors and see some skull and talon replicas up close! See some of the raptors out of their enclosures with special keeper talks and enjoy other fun activities all day! Regular admission prices with the opportunity to try Animal Ark’s new Raptor Excursion for $10 per guest (children must be at least 12 to attend the excursion)!
July 4th at The Field
- When: Sunday, July 4, 2021
- Where: Greater Nevada Field, 250 Evans Ave., Reno
- More Information
With the Reno Aces on the road, Greater Nevada Field will welcome fans for an evening of entertainment capped off by the annual July 4th fireworks blowout! 4th at The Field festivities will feature rising country star Jackson Michelson as its headline performer. The “Stay Over” singer out of Oregon has opened for many stars in his young career, including Blake Shelton, Frankie Ballard, and Lee Brice (check out his work below!). The event will allow guests to participate in games, races, contests (including eating contests, yum!), and more! Food and drink will be available on the field and concourse, with specials to be released soon.
Star Spangled Sparks
- When: Sunday, July 4, 2021
- Where: Victorian Square, Victorian Avenue, Sparks
- More Information
Enjoy a great day of holiday festivities to celebrate our nation’s independence Sunday, July 4, from 4–10 p.m., when the Nugget will host its 21st Star Spangled Sparks Fireworks Spectacular. There will be food vendors and craft booths on Victorian Square, along with the fireworks.
Event parking fills up fast, so attendees on Victorian Square are highly encouraged to use the free park and ride shuttle service beginning at 6 p.m. The shuttle will pick up in two locations: The Reno-Sparks Livestock Events Center Parking Lot at 1350 N. Wells Avenue in Reno and 510 Greenbrae Drive at the corner of Greenbrae Drive and 4th Street in Sparks. Shuttles will drop off before the fireworks and pick up after the fireworks at the RTC Centennial Plaza station on Victorian Square.
Music will play along the street, and multiple vendors will be set up to provide tasty food and refreshing drinks from 4–9:30 p.m. Local singer Ashley Melendez will perform the National Anthem before the fireworks at the northwest corner of the Nugget. The fireworks show is set to begin at approximately 9:40 p.m.
Evenings on the Ranch series
- When: Wednesday, July 7, 2021–Wednesday, July 28, 2021
- Where: Western Heritage Interpretive Center, Bartley Ranch Regional Park, 6000 Bartley Ranch Road, Reno
- More Information
“Evenings on the Ranch” is back at Bartley Ranch Regional Park in July. Featured performers for the four Wednesday programs include Little City String Band on July 7, Sage Creek on July 14, Bluegrass group Monday Night Volunteers on July 21, and Dom and Friends on July 28. Bring out the entire family! Bartley’s historic ranch buildings will be open for display at 6 p.m., followed by the programs at 7 p.m. every Wednesday ( in July) at Bartley’s Plaza pavilion, located next to the Western Heritage Interpretive Center. The performances are free. However, a $3 donation per person is encouraged.
Lazy 5 Summer Music Series 2021
- When: Wednesday, July 7, 2021–Wednesday, July 28, 2021
- Where: Lazy 5 Regional Park, 7100 Pyramid Way, Sparks
- More Information
It is officially back! Washoe County Regional Parks and Open Space is proud to announce the Lazy 5 Summer Music Series of 2021! Enjoy free, live music under the shade of the elm trees in the beautiful Lazy 5 Regional Park. Food truck and mobile pub present at every show. Arrive early and bring a blanket/chairs, your mask, and good vibes!
- July 7: Nevada 445 (Boot Stompin’ Country)
- July 14: Nick Eng (Britpop & Beatles-esque Indie Pop Rock)
- July 21: Margret’s Funk Band (’70s – Current R&B/Soul Covers)
- July 28: Arizona Jones (Classic and Modern Rock/R&B Covers)
Art Afternoon: Workshop and Social for Seniors
- When: Friday, July 9, 2021
- Where: Nevada Museum of Art, 160 W. Liberty St., Reno
- More Information
Seniors are invited to spend the afternoon at the Nevada Museum of Art. Enjoy a guided tour and a studio art class. Monthly tours and projects are designed for participants of all levels of experience and offer an engaging and interactive experience. These monthly sessions are held on the second Friday of each month. Senior Art Afternoon will be hosted in person in the E.L. Cord Museum School. Advanced registration is required, and space is limited. Sponsored by the Leonette Foundation Seniors and Art Endowment and Renown Health.
Family Art Night: Clay Caricatures
- When: Friday, July 9, 2021
- Where: Lake Mansion, 250 Court St., Reno
- More Information
Join Arts for All Nevada for an evening of fun for the whole family! Each member of your clan will be encouraged to depict a favorite family member or friend using fast dry clay and paints to the best of their ability. Expect messy hands, belly laughs, and some undisguised caricatures of your loved ones. Recommended for ages eight and older. All supplies included. Katie Debrabander teaches this classer. Face coverings are required to attend this class. This is an Artown Event.
Reno Chalk Art & Music Festival
- When: Friday, July 9, 2021–Sunday, July 11, 2021
- Where: Atlantis Casino Resort Spa, 3800 S. Virginia St., Reno
- More Information
Reno’s fastest-growing art event is back and bigger than ever! Artists of all skill levels are invited to participate in this fun-filled celebration of art, music, and life. Join us at the Atlantis Casino Resort Spa for an event that will also feature local arts and craft vendors, various food and drinks, live music, and much more! You can count on the Atlantis to follow the latest health mandates for a safe and chalk-tastic experience!
Breakfast with the Animals: Coffee with the Canines
- When: Saturday, July 10, 2021
- Where: Animal Ark, 1265 Deerlodge Road, Reno
- More Information
Come and watch Animal Ark’s foxes and coyotes getting their breakfast treats while enjoying your own breakfast buffet! Enjoy the quiet morning before any other guests arrive. During this private event, the canines will be active and love their treats, and may even come up to the window to say good morning! Reservations are required due to limited availability. RSVP by emailing animalarkedu@gmail.com.
Family Paint Your Pet
- When: Saturday, July 10, 2021
- Where: Lake Mansion, 250 Court St., Reno
- More Information
Dog, cat, rabbit, fish, hamster, snake, or……? Come and learn, step by step, how to paint your pet, and join a group of like-minded pet lovers in a fun, social setting. All skill levels are welcome: learn the basics or build on your skills! At the end of the evening, you will have an 11″ x 14″ portrait of your beloved pet. Please bring 1-2 photos of your pet. All ages (8+). Art supplies included. This class is perfect for all artistic levels.
Brüka Theatre’s 11th Annual Youth Performing Arts Summer Workshop
- When: Monday, July 12, 2021–Thursday, July 22, 2021
- Where: Bruka Theatre, 99 N Virginia St, Reno
- More Information
Join Brüka Theatre for a truly experimental and inspiring dramatic experience in which young artists are nurtured in a positive and creative theatre environment. This year’s theme is “Midsummer Musings.” Working theatre professionals lead participants in creative activities designed to develop and foster an original theatre creation employing imagination, concentration, and confidence with acting movement and dance, voice, technique, character, theatrical design, and appreciation of the dramatic artistic journey presented a two-week collaborative workshop.
Participants will create an original walking tour called “Midsummer Musings,” adapting the work of Shakespeare to create a guided “pop up” tour at three mainstays in the arts district using acting tools, scene work, script creation, improvisation, and dance/movement while exploring, adapting and working together to create an original performance/walking tour for public performance on July 31, 2021, at 11 a.m. This special and unique opportunity to work with artists from Brüka Theatre to develop craft, focus, technique, and outdoor performance. Open to 14 participants. Sign up by July 12, 2021, for $250. $300 after July 12, 2021.
Paint & Sip: Rain in Portugal by Leonid Afremov
- When: Thursday, July 15, 2021
- Where: Lake Mansion, 250 Court St., Reno
- More Information
Receive one-on-one creative guidance to paint your own 16″ x 20″ canvas masterpiece in a fun, social environment. This class is perfect for all levels of artistic talent. Karen Hayes will teach the class. This class takes place in the Garden Pavilion. Park in the lot off Arlington St. and walk up the stairs. Accessible street parking is available on Flint Street. This is an Artown event.
Third Thursdays
- When: Thursday, July 15, 2021
- Where: Victorian Square, Victorian Avenue, Sparks
- More Information
The Sparks Museum and Cultural Center, 39 North Downtown, and Sierra Arts Foundation, along with the City of Sparks, have created a downtown experience with art surrounding the Sparks Arts Walk: music, poetry reading, performances, art tours with food, and kids activities. Come downtown to enjoy the museum, train, and historical schoolhouse.
Collateral & Co. presents Felt Like Five
- When: Friday, July 16, 2021
- Where: Nevada Museum of Art, 160 W. Liberty St., Reno
- More Information
In this film premiere, dancers travel to five different Nevada locations, coming to terms with a year that has felt like five. Felt Like Five features original poetry, choreography by Caitlin McCarty and Leslie Balzer in a film featuring performances by Collateral & Co. dance artists.
Natural Keepsakes
- When: Friday, July 16, 2021
- Where: Lake Mansion, 250 Court St., Reno
- More Information
Do you enjoy collecting pieces of nature on hikes and outings? Participants will create beautiful, artistic, and colorful pieces of art inside glass vials using found natural elements in this class. Please bring meaningful specimens from home for your use and to share if you would like. A selection of dried flowers, crystals, and bones, etc., will be provided. Then, participants will turn their vials into both necklaces and ornaments. Rhiannon Wolfe teaches this class. Face coverings are required to attend this class. This is an Artown Event
Vortex, the Ballet That Rocks
- When: Friday, July 16, 2021–Saturday, July 17, 2021
- Where: Bartley Ranch Regional Park, 6000 Bartley Ranch Road, Reno
- More Information
The Robert Z. Hawkins Amphitheater at the Bartley Ranch Regional Park will come alive with ballet grace and passionate rock, dance, and alternative music as A.V.A. Ballet Theatre presents Vortex, the Ballet That Rocks, as part of the Artown celebration. Artistic director Alexander Van Alstyne has choreographed an exciting contemporary ballet that will be like no other you have ever seen.
Expressive Watercolor Workshop with Maria Partridge
- When: Saturday, July 17, 2021
- Where: Artech, 130 Woodland Ave, Reno
- More Information
In Expressive Watercolor, you will be encouraged to create from your heart and express yourself while learning the luminous medium of watercolor. Have fun! YOU are the most important thing you bring to your painting. Your vision and self-expression are more important than accuracy and realism, and when your painting is full of personal meaning, it expresses you!
Lake Tahoe Shakespeare Festival
- When: Saturday, July 17, 2021–Saturday, July 31, 2021
- Where: Sand Harbor at Lake Tahoe NV State Park, 2005 Highway 28, Incline Village
- More Information
Three ambitious actors, clad in classic Converse tennis shoes and armed with an outrageous assortment of outerwear and props, cram the Bard’s entire canon of plays (and sonnets!) into two hours of sheer Elizabethan-esque ecstasy. Buckle your seatbelts. It’s going to be a bumpy ride. This endearingly irreverent and lightning-paced romp through the greatest plays of all time will have you rolling with laughter and jumping in the aisles. Perhaps The Today Show captured its spirit best when they said, “If you like Shakespeare, you’ll like this show. If you hate Shakespeare, you’ll love this show!”
Family Art Night: Taped Taxidermy
- When: Thursday, July 22, 2021
- Where: Lake Mansion, 250 Court St., Reno
- More Information
Unwind with your family to build the best pet ever—could this be the start of your very own family zoo?! Working together, families will unravel tape, crumple paper, and paint to fashion the animal head of their choosing. Come prepared with thoughts of beasts that could possibly fill that empty wall space in your living room, and don’t let reality slow you down—use your collective family imagination! Recommended for ages eight and older. All supplies included. Katie DeBrabander teaches this class. Face coverings are required to attend this class. This is an Artown event.
Cheetah Dash
- When: Saturday, July 24, 2021–Sunday, July 25, 2021
- Where: Animal Ark, 1265 Deerlodge Road, Reno
- More Information
Journey with Animal Ark as its cheetah cubs Amani, Jabari and Tambo learn the ropes of high-speed runs in the cheetah yard! This event will feature a Keeper Talk, a video presentation, and biofacts, all for a more intimate setting, followed by a yard demonstration of a training session with each cheetah cub. No photo blinds will be available. This is an enclosure demonstration. Reservations are required due to limited seating. RSVP by emailing animalarkedu@gmail.com.
Great Victorian Artisans Fair
- When: Saturday, July 24, 2021–Sunday, July 25, 2021
- Where: Victorian Square, Victorian Avenue, Sparks
- More Information
The Great Victorian Artisans Fair will host a great selection of artisan exhibitors who will showcase and sell handmade crafts and fine art. Also, listen to live music and savor an assortment of food and beverages.
Northern Nevada Pride Festival and Community Parade
- When: Saturday, July 24, 2021
- Where: Wingfield Park, 2 S. Arlington Ave., Reno
- More Information
After a year inside, it is time to come OUTside, OUTloud, OUT&proud! Northern Nevada Pride’s festival and CommUNITY Pride Parade are back! The parade is scheduled to begin at 10 a.m. in downtown Reno, followed by the festival in Wingfield Park from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. The festival, held annually since 2014, serves as one of the largest fundraisers for Our Center, an organization that provides support, education, and advocacy for Northern Nevada’s LGBT community.
