Spring is here and summer is just around the corner in Truckee! Besides getting back to our favorite trails and relaxing at Donner Lake, there is so much happening during May. This month we are highlighting events that are fun for the whole family and really show off what an incredible community we have here in Truckee. There will be lots of opportunities to dance, shop, and celebrate.
PARTICIPATE in one of Squaw's oldest and best traditions: the Cushing Crossing. On the Saturday, May 5th, watch as the brave participants attempt to make it across the pond. There will be a celebrity judging panel and amazing emcee's for this spectacle. Filled with big spills and laughable thrills this is one spring event that you don't want to miss. To join in the fun, you must be one of the first 50 people in the registration line, day of. Find more information on their website.
WATCH Truckee High School and North Tahoe High School Drama clubs perform the classic "Grease". There will be shows on May 3rd - 6th and then again May 11th - 13th. The Truckee High School Drama Club won a Gold Medal this year and a Silver last year at the Lenaea Theatre Festival. This is one show you will not want to miss! More information can be found on their Facebook page.
PARTY with the champions May 3 - 5th at the Sagan Fondo Cycling Event and Festival! World Champion cyclist Peter Sagan, World Downhill Champion Loic Bruni, and Enduro World Series Champion Sam Hill will be in Truckee to celebrate and ride with local enthusiasts. Bring your whole family to the FREE festivities starting on the 3rd with live music, beer, local food, vendors, and your chance to meet the three champion bikers. The race will be held on the 5th and will take participants on either a 68, 59, or 23-mile course through some of Truckee’s prettiest trails. More information can be found on the Sagan Fondo website.
LEARN to see on a photowalk with Atelier and Grant Kaye on May 12th. On this walk through Martis Valley, take your photography skills to the next level by building on foundations to fully unleash your creative vision. earn strategies for better composition, pre-visualization, and the use of smartphone apps to anticipate sunset conditions. We will also cover fundamentals of photography, including creative long exposures with slow shutter speeds, along with the use of depth of field to bring your vision to life through photography. Any kind of camera is welcome in this workshop, as Grant will focus the session on fundamentals of composition and learning the art of seeing instead of focusing on the technical aspects of photography. Learn more and buy tickets at The Atelier website.
DANCE for a good cause at the FREE Kindred Inspired Adventure Spring Festival Fundraiser on May 19th. There will be performances by Afrolicious, Kicks Moderns, Serina Dawn Band, Truckee Dance Factory, and Angele and Tommy. This is an all ages event that celebrates art, nature, and music while helping raise funds for at-risk-youth scholarships, project supplies, and transportation for Kindred adventures out of the studio. Besides live music, silent auction, drum circle, giant bubbles, games, artisan market, public art, an urban art wall and make-and-take art stations. More information on their Facebook page.
BIKE at the 7th annual Little Big Bike Festival on May 26th. This is a mountain bike festival for all - giving the region's biking community a way to celebrate and raise support for the Truckee Bike Park. The event starts with a ladies skills clinic, organized and headed by Cortney Knudson (register early - it sold out in 2017 with 60 participants). Following the ladies clinic, the park will fill with events including the kids strider/pumptrack jams, am & pro jump jams and am & pro dual-slalom along with food trucks, industry tents & live music with a DJ. Participate, spectate, donate, or volunteer by visiting the Truckee Bike Park website.
SHOP at the Tahoe Donner Yard Sale Memorial Day Weekend. The Tahoe Donner neighborhood will be facilitating a Community Yard Sale. Shoppers can stop by the Coldwell Banker office for a map of all the participating houses. More information can be found here.
CELEBRATE everything local at the two-day Squaw Valley Made in Tahoe Festival May 26 - 27th. There will be local bands and entertainment including, Jenni Charles and Jesse Dunn, Tahoe Flow Artists, Truckee Dance Factory, Groove Foundry, Tahoe Truckee School of Music, and many more. Visit booths from local artists and businesses. Eat from local culinarians. The weekend also marks the opening of the Aerial Tram for the summer season! More info on Squaw’s website.
EXPLORE the historic Thunderbird Lodge via kayak with Tahoe Adventure Company on May 29th. The adventure starts at the beautiful Sand Harbor State Beach on Lake Tahoe's magnificent East Shore. Arriving at Thunderbird Lodge, knowledgeable tour guides will take participants on an hour walk throughout the Whittell estate, including the Lighthouse Room, the Old Lodge, the maids' quarters and original kitchen, as well as a trip through the 600' underground tunnel leading to the infamous Card House and Boat House. In the Boat House, you may find the fabulous yacht, Thunderbird, built for George Whittell in 1939. Participants will kayak on an easy, three-mile journey there and back. Find more information here.