Lifestyle

SOUTH LAKE TAHOE, Calif. - The second annual Vatican Speakeasy fundraiser returns to the Tallac Historic site on Saturday, July 22, 2023. Presented by the Great Basin Institute (GBI) and USDA Forest Service Lake Tahoe Basin Management Unit (LTBMU), the event celebrates the culture and history of the prohibition era, with period-appropriate cuisine, beverages, attire, and dance. Hosted outdoors at the Pope Estate Courtyard, event gates open at 6 p.m. and close at 10 p.m.

George Clinton & Parliament Funkadelic will be at the Glow Plaza Festival Grounds at J Resort on Thursday, July 27, 2023 (4 p.m.-11 p.m.) in Downtown Reno.

SOUTH LAKE TAHOE, Calif. - Enjoy two Chautauqua performances on the same stage on Friday, July 21 at 6:30 p.m. at the Lake of the Sky Amphitheater. This program will begin with a 15-20 minute presentation by John "Snowshoe" Thompson, the “Mailman of the Sierra”, and end with Snowshoe introducing Samuel Clemens/Mark Twain.

A free Chautauqua presentation, “Lake Tahoe’s Unique and Unconventional George Whittell” will take place in Reno on Saturday, July 8 at 2 p.m.

Local authors and historians David and Gayle Woodruff, assume the characters of George Whittell and his Parisian socialite wife Elia, one of the wealthiest couples on the West Coast during the 1920s-1960s.

SOUTH LAKE TAHOE, Calif. - Steve Hale will present a live Chautauqua reenactment of one of Tahoe’s most memorable historic characters, George Whittell Jr., at Lake of the Sky Amphitheater at the Taylor Creek Visitor Center in South Lake Tahoe.

The July 7 show starts at 7 p.m. and admission is free.

The WWI ambulance driver, circus performer, and playboy lived off the millions he inherited from his parents. His enormous assets allowed him to purchase the Nevada side of Lake Tahoe, accidentally leaving a legacy of 27 miles of undeveloped shoreline for the enjoyment of the public today.

This spring we have seen flooding from a single winter of heavy snow, but what must the runoff from the Genesis flood have looked like? This Saturday evening, Bill Kolstad of Tahoe Community Church will reveal a preview of drone imagery contrasting the topography inside the Great Basin with the massive erosional features just outside the Great Basin in the Colorado River channel where 1000 vertical feet of fresh mud was washed back out to sea in 150 days!

SOUTH LAKE TAHOE, Calif. - South Tahoe Public Utility Disrict (STPUD) is hosting four free gardening workshops this summer. The first one is on Tuesday, June 27 at 6 p.m. - Rethinking Your Lawn. Learn about turf alternatives and lawn removal methods.

Other workshops:

Planning our Tahoe-friendly landscape - July 18, 6 p.m. - 7:30 p.m.
Designing Tahoe-friendly gardens - August 1, 6 p.m. - 7:30 p.m.
Efficient irrigation and drip irrigation design - August 22, 6 p.m. - 7:30 p.m.

The workshops take place at STPUD, 1275 Meadow Crest Drive.

LAKE TAHOE, Calif./Nev. - Lake Tahoe Dance Collective (LTDC) presents the eleventh annual Lake Tahoe Dance Festival, which will take place this summer from July 26-29, 2023 at venues in Tahoe City and Truckee, Calif. Tickets start at $25 and are available online at laketahoedancecollective.org.

This summer, the Lake Tahoe Dance Festival includes works by Lar Lubovitch, Natasha Adorlee, Liz Gerritt, Claudia Schreier, Holly Curran, and Marco Pelle.

SOUTH LAKE TAHOE, Calif. - The City of South Lake Tahoe, Visit Lake Tahoe, and Tahoe Wellness Center present the 10th season of the Live at Lakeview Summer Music Series, on Thursday, June 29.

“We’re thrilled to begin the tenth season of Live at Lakeview next Thursday,” states Rob Giustina of On Course Events “Opening this season with Lantz Lazwell & The Vibe Tribe with Porterhaus is the perfect way to set the tone for the high energy we’ll be serving up all summer long!"

VIRGINIA CITY, Nev. - All aboard the Star-Spangled Murder Mystery Train for a one-of-a-kind theatrical experience on the 4th of July!  Enjoy libations and appetizers served on board the train while a live murder mystery show is played out during your round trip from the historic Virginia City Depot to Gold Hill and back. 

How the Murder Mystery works:

• Your hosts at Funtime Theater will provide you with clues to help you solve the murder. These could be delivered through various methods, such as acting out scenes, providing written clues, or even staging murder weapon “accidents.”

TRUCKEE, Calif. - Vicky Benzing will join the aerial performance line-up at the Truckee Tahoe Air Show & Family Festival at Truckee Tahoe Airport on Saturday, June 24. As a renowned and celebrated aerobatic pilot, Vicky will dazzle air show visitors with her PT-17 Boeing Stearman demonstration.

STATELINE, Nev. – Restaurateur, television star, and philanthropist Lisa Vanderpump is set to bring her signature, stunning, and innovative design aesthetic to Northern Nevada with the opening of Wolf by Vanderpump at Harveys Lake Tahoe. The restaurant is Vanderpump’s first concept in Lake Tahoe and is expected to open this winter.

SOUTH LAKE TAHOE, Calif. - Leucanthemum × superbum, better known as the Shasta daisy, is a very popular plant at Lake Tahoe. It originated as a hybrid produced in 1890 by the American horticulturist Luther Burbank from a number of daisies. While the intergenetic crosses and multiple hybrids used to create the Shasta Daisy can be interesting to some, its hearty white flowers and relatively low maintenance may be more important to the Tahoe gardener.

If you thought a Shasta daisy was all you had to ask for at the nursery, you are wrong. There are so many varieties (or cultivars).

TRUCKEE, Calif. - The Truckee Tahoe Air Show & Family Festival returns earlier than normal this year - Saturday, June 24 and promises to be a family, fun-filled aviation, and STEM–oriented event. Highlights include aerobatic performances, military and experimental aircraft on static display, STEM Expo, Family Festival, vendors, free speaker presentations, and so much more.

SOUTH LAKE TAHOE, Calif. - Oh, the places you’ll go” on this poignant, heartfelt & sometimes scary musical journey with Dr. Seuss’ most-beloved characters. As presented by the Lake Tahoe Community College Players, only Horton hears the desperate cries for help from an unseen planet drifting by on a speck of dust. Join the loyal elephant and his next-door neighbor, Gertrude McFuzz, as they protect Whoville from Wickershams, Eagles, Sour Kangaroos & certain boiling!

Nevada residents and visitors are invited to “Discover Nevada State Parks” on Saturday, June 10. Park visitors will receive free day-use admission and free fishing (no license required) at all of Nevada’s State Parks.

This statewide event encourages Nevadans to discover the many exciting and affordable recreation opportunities right in their own backyards.

SOUTH LAKE TAHOE, Calif. - As anyone who has gardened at high elevation knows there are challenges that lower elevation residents don't experience. No matter the hard work and time spent tending to flowers, shrubs, and trees, the rewards are great (even if it is a one-inch potato!

I haven't grown vegetables for too long, and it was the UC Master Gardeners of Lake Tahoe and Slow Grow Tahoe people that got me hooked about five years ago. My annual "crops" have been potatoes, beans, and peas. This year I'm adding sunchokes, leafy greens, onions, and leeks.

SOUTH LAKE TAHOE, Calif. - The 74th annual Wagon Train rides through South Lake Tahoe on Sunday, and to celebrate the occasion the Lake Tahoe Historical Society is kicking it off with a Western Days celebration on Saturday, June 3 from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. at the museum complex located at 3058 Lake Tahoe Blvd.

SOUTH LAKE TAHOE, Calif. - The weather will start to feel like gardening weather soon - I promise! The calendar page turns to June this week, but South Lake Tahoe hasn't seen extended sunshine or good outdoor temperatures, yet. We already have a short growing season in the Sierra Nevada, and this year it may seem shorter than normal - but there is still time to create a fabulous garden that will bring you happiness for years.

The historic Gold Hill Hotel continues its history series with a Chautauqua (living history) presentation of James and Margret Reed this Thursday, June 1, at 7 p.m. The Reeds were brave and heroic survivors of the forlorn 1846 Donner Party, that brought their four children and dozens of others safely through the tragedy.

I have a hit-and-miss relationship with a certain stylish Swedish carmaker. Volvos often offer understated, Bauhaus styling that looks modern without any effort, and lavishly luxurious interiors that can rival any other competing brand in their space. They're not without issue, though, with a majority of Volvos tested exhibiting wonky electronics that are unacceptably unreliable in 2023, such as doors not locking, center display lockups, maps freezing, and buzzing speakers. Luckily, this XC60 showed none of that, so I was able to enjoy at its full strength.

Summer in Tahoe means warmer weather and wildflowers, but it also means more cars driving around the lake. Take Care Tahoe is taking on traffic safety by distributing free yard signs to the public that encourage drivers to “Take it Slow, Tahoe.”

The message of “Take it Slow, Tahoe” captures the attention of drivers and creatively incorporates artwork to remind them why driving safely is so important: to protect people and animals. The signs are part of the larger campaign that launched in the summer of 2022.

Chautauqua performances by David and Gayle Woodruff are taking place over the holiday weekend in the Valhalla Boathouse Theatre at the Tallac Historic Site. Both performances are free.

MEYERS, Calif. - The Meyers Mountain Market is opening for the season on Wednesday, June 7. The market is held in Tahoe Paradise Park on the banks of the Upper Truckee River. It is held on Wednesdays until September 13 from 3 p.m.-7:30 p.m., rain or shine.

Vendors offer fresh and locally grown fruits, vegetables, meat, eggs & honey. Fresh-baked goods, flowers, and arts & crafts are also available for purchase. Enjoy dinner at one of the food trucks and eat under the pine trees, on the sandy shore of Lake Baron, or on the beautiful banks of the river.