It’s off the hook
Indie, punk, jazz, funk, krautrock or “gothic country rock”—you’re bound to hear something you’ll love at the ninth annual OffBeat Music Festival. Reno’s biggest music festival presents three days of live performances by dozens of acts at eight venues in the Reno Brewery District. Featured headliners Tommy Guerrero, Maddy O’Neal and Ghost Funk Orchestra share the bill with many local, regional and national bands, including Moondog Matinee, Charity Kiss, Greg Gilmore & the Fever Dreams, JeNes N the Juice, Honeycomb, Con Brio, Fleetmac Wood, Sego, Roselit Bone and Møtrik. The music starts shortly after 7 p.m.. Friday and Saturday, Oct. 4 and 5, at participating venues The Alpine, The Depot Warehouse, Black Rabbit Mead Co., Lead Dog, Sucias, Abby’s Highway 40 and Dead Ringer Analog Bar (Friday only) along East Fourth Street in downtown Reno. Wristbands are $79 for access to all venues for all days, or $49 for a single day. In addition to the main event, the festival will offer a “free taste of OffBeat” featuring live art, food trucks, vintage clothing sellers, live music and a chance to meet some of the participating bands. The Brewery District Block Party begins at 2 p.m., Saturday and Sunday, Oct. 5 and 6, in the back lot of Abby’s Highway 40, Dead Ringer Analog Bar and Morris Burner Hotel (enter on Valley Road). The block party event is open to all ages. Visit offbeatreno.com for show schedules, locations and other information.
Cheers for beers
Heed the yodel call and head to downtown Sparks for the Nugget Casino Resort’s inaugural Oktoberfest, offering German food, beer, music, stein-hoisting competitions and more. First Take OomPah and Oompah Kings will provide traditional music during the day, followed by ’80s New Wave cover band The Spazmatics later in the evening. Neo-swing/ska group Cherry Poppin’ Daddies (pictured) will perform one show at 7:30 p.m., Saturday, Oct. 5. Festival hours are 4 to 9 p.m., Friday, Oct. 4; noon to 9 p.m., Saturday, Oct. 5; and noon to 6 p.m., Sunday, Oct. 6. Admission is free. A $125 wristband will give you unlimited beer and wine, a ceramic commemorative Sparks Oktoberfest stein, German lunch or dinner and appetizers, access to private bar/restrooms and all-day access to private seating. The festival will take place at the Nugget Event Center, 1040 Victorian Ave., Sparks. Go to www.cnty.com/nugget.
Ready for takeoff
After more than 60 years in Reno, the National Championship Air Races will be flying off to a new home—but not without a proper farewell event to celebrate the people and place that made the air races possible over the years. The Reno Air Show will feature ground displays, a chance for spectators to pay to ride in aircraft and vehicles, and daytime aerial entertainment featuring the United States Air Force F-16 Viper Demo Team, Undaunted Air Shows, Tucker’s Air Patrol and the Smoke-N-Thunder Jet Truck, among other performers. It is being billed as the only show in North America this year with performances by both the United States Navy Blue Angels and the Canadian Forces Snowbirds. Plus, there will be a twilight/nighttime show with hot air balloons, Firewalkers International Pyro, Precision Exotics and others at 5:30 p.m., Friday, Oct 4. The air show takes flight from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., Saturday, Oct. 5; and Sunday, Oct. 6, at the Reno-Stead Airport, 4895 Texas Ave., Stead. Gates open at 8:30 a.m. General admission tickets are $30-$60. Kids age 12 and younger get in for free with a paid adult ticket. Reserved parking is $35-$40. Visit renoairshow.org for show schedules and other ticket information.
Fall in line
October is here, and with it comes all the requisite autumnal activities and trappings of the season. You could go apple picking at an orchard, go on a romantic walk along a leaf-strewn path or get lost in a corn maze. Or take advantage of the unseasonably warm weather and head to Idlewild Park this weekend to attend the Great Pumpkin Festival. The celebration features more than 100 artisans showcasing handmade goods, baked treats, local beers, ciders and seasonal beverages, and a lot of pumpkins to pick for your own fall display. Festival hours are 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., Saturday, Oct. 5, at Idlewild Park, 1900 Idlewild Drive. Admission is free. Call 775-287-5208, or visit greatamericancraftfairs.com/vendors-reno-nv.
Mind games
The Discovery will open its newest featured exhibition this week. Mindbender Mansion is a large-scale, quirky exhibition full of brainteasers and interactive challenges that will test the brain power and problem-solving skills of even the most experienced puzzlers. Try to master each of the 40 individual brainteasers and the four group activities in this fun and unconventional mansion. Gather secret clues and passwords revealed throughout the mansion for a chance to become a member of the Mindbender Society. Mindbender Mansion opens on Saturday, Oct. 5, and will be on exhibit through April 2025. Museum hours are 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., Wednesday through Saturday; noon to 5 p.m. on Sunday. Admission is $16 for adults, $15 for seniors age 65 and older, $14 for kids age 6-17 and $11 for kids ages 1-5. The Terry Lee Wells Nevada Discovery Museum (The Discovery) is at 490 S. Center St. Call 775-786-1000, or go to nvdm.org.
Outhouse in the middle of the street
Virginia City loves its history and traditions, but it will occasionally thumb its collective nose at authority or decorum. You can “have a ball” at the Rocky Mountain Oyster Fry (aka “the testicle festival”) in March or watch people awkwardly ride a long-legged animal at the International Camel & Ostrich Races in September. Add the 35th annual World Championship Outhouse Races to the list of quirky, irreverent events held at the historic landmark. During this competition, teams of costumed racers and their themed outhouses are pitted against each other, two at a time, in a sprint down C Street to the toilet paper finish line and a chance at winning the latrine title. Spectators line the boardwalks as they cheer the racers on and then vote for their favorite outhouse. The races were born out of a public protest decades ago when a city ordinance banned outdoor toilets, and angry residents pushed, pulled and dragged their outhouses to the courthouse. Participants have since marked the occasion with a potty relay each year. The races take place from noon to 4 p.m., Saturday and Sunday, Oct. 5 and 6, along Virginia City’s main street. It’s free to attend. Head to the Visit Virginia City website to learn more.
Mind reader
Reno Tahoe Comedy presents psychic comedian Peter Antoniou. The British performer was introduced to American audiences as a contestant on America’s Got Talent Season 16, making it to the semi-finals with his captivating and mind-bending humor. His shows fuse stunning feats of mind-reading with storytelling, razor sharp wit and improvisational comedy to create unique live entertainment experiences. Guest comedian Sammy Solorio will open the show at 6:30 p.m., Saturday, Oct. 5, at Piper’s Opera House, 12 N. B St., in Virginia City. Advance tickets are $29-$39 and $36-$46 on the day of the show. You must be age 15 or older to attend. Call 775-322-5233, go to renotahoecomedy.com.
Un día del arte
Nevada Museum of Art will hold its monthly Hands ON! Second Saturdays event offering hands-on art activities, a docent-guided tour, live performances and community collaborations. Art Expeditions provides children the opportunity to engage with museum staff and take a closer look at current work on view. This month’s Second Saturday session, “Día de los Muertos,” features sugar-skull decorating, storytelling with librarians from Washoe County Library and Day of the Dead Theater presented by Latino Arte and Culture. The free event takes place from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m., Saturday, Oct. 12, at the Nevada Museum of Art, 160 W. Liberty St. Call 775-329-3333, or go to www.nevadaart.org.
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