Carson City Ghost Walks - Saturdays until Halloween!

Held at Rancho San Rafael Regional Park, this is the world's largest free hot-air ballooning event, featuring the stunning "Dawn Patrol" and glow shows.

https://renoballoon.com/

The International Camel and Ostrich Races returns to the track September 11-12, 2026, for its 67th year of good-old fashioned Virginia City fun! Get up-close to camels, ostriches, zebras, emus, and more as professional and amateur jockeys gallop, swerve, and falter their way to the finish line. The family-favorite event features quirky races, entertainment, surprises, fan contests, food trucks serving up carnival-style treats, craft and artist vendors, a wide variety of beverages at the event bars, official Camel Races merch, and camel rides for that must-have photo-op.

https://lbe.ticketspice.com/67th-annual-international-camel-ostrich-races2026

Street Vibrations Motorcycle Festival is the ultimate celebration of motorcycles, music, and metal, drawing over 35,000 riding enthusiasts.

Image: https://www.visitrenotahoe.com/events/street-vibrations-fall-rally

Fall into fun at Lattin Farms, where you can celebrate the season with a corn maze, pumpkin patch, scarecrow factory, and hay wagon rides.

https://www.lattinfarms.com/fall-festival

The original Genoa Candy Dance and Dinner fundraiser in 1919 was held by the ladies of the town to pay for the purchase of street lights for Genoa. After the lights were purchased, it became necessary to continue the fundraising to cover the cost of the electricity, and in 1974 the Arts & Crafts Faire was added to the event.

https://www.genoanevada.org/visitors/candy_dance/index.php

October is Hauntober in Virginia City, Nevada. As one of America’s most haunted towns, there’s no better place to spend October than immersed in a slew of events taking place throughout the month with a focus on our town’s haunted past. Hauntober highlights include Bats in the Belfry Guided Ghost tours, paranormal investigations, V&T Railroad Pumpkin Patch, and haunted tours at several attractions and much, much more.

https://visitvirginiacitynv.com/hauntober/

From October 2 to November 29, 2026, Dragon Lights Reno returns to the scenic Wilbur D. May Arboretum and Botanical Gardens in Rancho San Rafael Park with an exciting new theme: Many Worlds Aglow. This year’s spectacular lantern festival invites visitors on a journey through three immersive realms, each brought to life with breathtaking artistry, vibrant colors, and larger-than-life illuminated displays.

At the heart of the festival, the Asian Safari zone pays homage to the rich traditions of Chinese lantern artistry. Guests can explore a glowing panda bamboo forest corridor, pass beneath the illuminated lantern and feather corridors and arrive at a dramatic display of galloping horses standing five meters tall.

https://dragonlightsreno.org/

With a grape stomp, wine walk, gelato eating contest, Italian farmer’s market, and heaping plates of authentic Italian cuisine, downtown Reno transforms into Little Italy each fall with the Eldorado Great Italian Festival. A crowd fave year after year, the Great Italian Festival Sauce Cook-off challenges Italian families from all corners of the West to bring their recipes to life for festival goers to sample, then vote on, awarding People’s Choice at the end of the festival.

https://www.caesars.com/reno/events/great-italian-festival

Each December, the cozy mining town of Virginia City transforms into a real-life vintage Christmas village, embracing the holiday spirit with twinkling lights, shops decorated to the hilt, and lots more!

https://visitvirginiacitynv.com/christmas-on-the-comstock/