10 Northern Nevada Fall Events For Families

As a dad, I’m looking for events that have something for everybody in the family. I want to log new memories, and if we’re going to make a day of it, I want to ensure that it’s worth our time. With those rigorous standards in mind, here are 10 Northern Nevada fall events worth building a day, or even an entire weekend, around.

Timing: First weekend after Labor Day
Location: Rancho San Rafael Regional Park
Costs: Free, with food and drink available for purchase

There aren’t many reasons I’d voluntarily wake up my family before sunrise, but a park filled with glowing hot-air balloons against the dark, pre-dawn sky is one of them.

This free event begins early, with the Super Glow Show at 5 a.m., Dawn Patrol at 5:30 a.m., and the Mass Ascension scheduled for 7 a.m. Up to 100 balloons take part each year, and it’s a sight you won’t ever forget. Plus, there are always fun and interesting balloon shapes, like Star Wars characters and Smokey Bear.

Yes, getting everyone dressed, packed, and moving at that hour is a challenge. My teenagers are not naturally drawn to activities beginning before the sun is up. But once the balloons begin glowing in the dark and slowly filling the sky, everyone agrees it was worth it.

For locals, The Great Reno Balloon Race is one of those traditions we may take for granted until we see it through the eyes of a child or someone attending for the first time. For visitors, it is one of the most remarkable Reno experiences of the year.

Bring blankets, warm layers, hot drinks, and more snacks than you think you might need (although there are food and drink vendors there for you when the coffee craving comes calling). Plan for a little bit of a park and walk, as the event space can fill up quickly.

Timing: Mid-September
Location: Virginia City Fairgrounds
Cost: Event tickets (generally $13-20), food and drink to purchase

If you’re looking to get outside of the ordinary sports scene, head to Virginia City to watch amateur riders race camels, ostriches, zebras, emus and other animals that don’t seem to know or care that they’re in a race.

The unpredictable animals are the whole point. We know from experience, as several Reno Dads riders have played the role of jockey on a camel and an ostrich. These animals have their own ideas about strategy, direction, and personal space. It’s hilarious to watch from the stands.

Sometimes you have to convince older kids that an educational or wholesome event will still be fun for them. Not with this event - you simply get to tell them they are going to watch people race around on odd animals and probably fall off of them repeatedly.

You can make a full day out of the Camel & Ostrich Races in Virginia City by exploring the historic streets, shops, and old buildings before or after the races. Most locals already know that half the fun of any Virginia City event is wandering along C Street and ducking into shops and restaurants (there are plenty of candy shops - be prepared for the kids to be begging for some).

Timing: Late September
Location: Genoa
Cost: Free admission, plenty of food, drink and crafts to purchase

It’s hard to hear the name “Candy Dance” and be anything but excited. And while you may be picturing a complex dance number featuring oversized lollipops, the actual event is a huge art, crafts, and food festival held in historic Genoa, less than an hour south of Reno. There are typically more than 400 vendors that bring a depth of art, food, drink, and, of course, candy.

As an aside, if you’ve never been to Genoa before, this is the perfect excuse to finally do it. Genoa is Nevada’s first town (founded in 1853), and I love the charm of it so much that I got married there!

The festival itself is free to attend, while the traditional Saturday dinner-dance requires advance ticket purchase. This event is a great choice for families who enjoy wandering, shopping, and eating without following a strict itinerary or a strict calorie count. Everyone can move at their own pace, although my family’s pace tends to slow way down whenever somebody spots barbecue or sugar.

Parking and crowds require some patience in this small town, but Genoa itself adds to the appeal. The town sits against the Sierra in Carson Valley, making the drive part of the experience rather than something to endure before the fun begins.

Timing: Early October
Location: Downtown Reno
Cost: Free admission, food and drink for purchase

My family eats a lot of pasta, so this event is kind of a mecca for us. The Great Italian Festival includes Italian food (as you might imagine), live entertainment, vendors, and a number of activities such as a sauce-cooking competition, grape stomping, and a gelato-eating contest.

This one is less about scheduling activities and more about showing up hungry and letting your eyes be bigger than your stomach. Everywhere you turn is a new temptation - but I fully endorse indulgence.

A useful family strategy is to order different things and share. This gives everyone a chance to sample more dishes and gives me more reason to collect my “dad tax” on snacks. I recommend purchasing the pasta sampling tray for the Great Sauce Cook-Off, which usually only costs $5 and lets you sample sauces and cast your vote for the People’s Choice award.

I also recommend checking out the grape stomp. I’ve been the stomper multiple times, and I can’t begin to explain how exhausting it is. But it’s a ton of fun to participate or watch others stomp.

Timing: Early October
Location: Virginia City (of course!)
Cost: Free attendance, food and drink for purchase

There’s not a whole lot of poetry needed to explain what the World Championship Outhouse Races event is - it’s people racing each other in outhouses with wheels. That’s the whole sales pitch, and it’s a pretty great one if you’re looking for some quirky fun in October.

Each year, for nearly four decades, teams of costumed competitors push or pull decorated outhouses down C Street in Virginia City, racing two at a time for the coveted toilet title.

This event is silly but also surprisingly competitive. You’d be surprised how much effort teams put into not only their costumes but also into their latrine-themed vehicles, and you’ll see everything from an old traditional outhouse to a space-aged UFO theme. It’s truly entertaining!

There’s also no shortage of food, drink, sugary snacks, and live entertainment. Arrive early if you want to grab yourself a front row seat.

Timing: All of October
Location: Virginia City
Cost: Some individual events have costs

Speaking of Virginia City in October… this town does not merely acknowledge Halloween, it spends the entire month embracing its reputation as one of the region’s most haunted places.

Hauntober includes ghost tours, paranormal investigations, themed attractions and performances in some of the town’s historic buildings and cemeteries.

One of the more interesting family options is Voices from the Past at the Silver Terrace Cemeteries. Rather than relying on jump scares, actors portray real 19th-century Comstock residents and share stories about the people who lived and died in Virginia City. It is part history lesson, part theater, and part cemetery walk.

Timing: Mid-September through November
Location: Sparks (off Pyramid Hwy)
Cost: Admission ($15) and additional activities have a cost

Andelin Family Farm’s Fall Festival in Sparks is a fantastic experience for families, featuring all the classics, like pumpkins, corn mazes, hayrides, and farm animals.

If you have younger kids, the daytime attractions are your best bet. They’re simple and wholesome, but highly interactive, and it’s actually hard to get the kids to leave at the end of the day. You’ll find photo ops in the pumpkin patch, animal petting areas, pony rides, and more.

If you have older kids or teens, they may enjoy the nighttime attractions such as the Corn Creepers (think haunted house in a corn maze setting). I also highly recommend reserving tickets early for Zombie Paintball. Essentially, you cruise around the property in a school bus shooting at “zombies.” Are they simply painted plywood cutouts? Heck no! They’re actually live participants that you relentlessly pelt with round after round of paintballs while the bus blasts music. It’s unforgettable and hugely entertaining.

Timing: Mid-October
Locations: Carson City and Virginia City
Cost: Free admission with some costs for premium experiences

The festival celebrates Samuel Clemens’ (aka Mark Twain) time in Northern Nevada through performances, literary workshops, ghost tours, live music, an artist market, a Bow Tie Ball, and a special train excursion.

Mark Twain Days may not be the most obvious kid-friendly event on my list, but that’s part of its appeal. Families can choose the pieces that fit them best rather than committing to a single all-day festival. The train excursion, performances and ghost tours may be more appealing to kids, while parents can lean into the literary and historical elements while the kids enjoy snacks.

A good portion of Carson City’s main drag gets closed down to host food trucks, live performances and family-friendly vendors. I recommend checking out the available train excursions. For families looking for a longer and more immersive trip, set aside half the day for the V&T Railway “Train Twain.” Alternatively, the Nevada State Railroad Museum runs a shorter Harvest Train route on the museum grounds, and is probably more ideal for younger kids. Both train rides have a cost for admission, and tickets can be reserved online in advance.

Timing: October through November
Location: Rancho San Rafael Arboretum
Cost: Admission (typically $15-20 per ticket)

This event is a visual feast for all ages - younger kids, older kids, and parents alike. The attraction is plenty satisfying in the daylight, but it’s spectacular once the sun begins to set and the larger-than-life displays light up.

Put on comfortable walking shoes, have a couple of layers of clothes handy for when the cool night air turns chilly, and have your camera ready. You’ll weave your way through the walking paths in the Arboretum at Rancho San Rafael Park, marveling at a wide range of themed displays (most of which have a kind of lantern-style construction to them).

In recent years, Dragon Lights has also included an area with more interactive displays that you can sit on, swing from, and take photographs to satisfy your social media feed. This same area has food trucks, so you can purchase snacks and drinks along your journey.

You can walk this at your own pace, and always double back to displays that you want to spend more time with. I’ve found you can get in and out within an hour, but if you’re having a great time and want to stay and eat and do a few more rounds through the park, you’re certainly free to.

Timing: October 31 (Nevada Day)
Location: Carson City
Cost: Free

Nevada Day can be treated as the grand finale of the northern Nevada fall event season. The Parade typically begins at 10 a.m. in downtown Carson City and inlcudes marching bands, floats, horses, historical displays, and the kind of unpredictable entries that make community parades like this so much fun.

The parade itself lasts several hours, so you should plan to arrive early, dress in layers and bring chairs, water and snacks. Settle in for a bit; you’re in for a great time!

Nevada Day is about more than a parade, though. Surrounding this celebration, you’ll find state history, food, contests and basically a large gathering of people who genuinely want to celebrate being Nevadans.

For residents, it is part community reunion and part annual reminder that Nevada does things a little differently (as you’ve likely picked up from several of these fall events). For visitors, it provides an introduction to the state’s history, personality, and willingness to put almost anything on a parade float. If you’re a Nevada resident and haven’t experienced the Nevada Day Parade, float this one to the top of your list. Then you can feel like a true Nevadan.

I think the fall has one of the richest varieties of events in our region that truly give you a snapshot of how beautiful, historic, and sometimes strange Northern Nevada can be. And embracing all of that is what is going to really connect you to this place. When you experience these events as a family, you add both depth and breadth to the memories you create together.

If you’re coming to northern Nevada from out of town, stay in Reno - nothing on this list will be more than an hour’s drive away from your hotel (Virginia City = 35 min, Carson City = 40 min, Genoa = 60 min). You can easily get to the event, spend the day exploring, and return without needing to change hotels. Plus, it gives you access to all of the year-round things to do in Reno and the neighboring areas when you’re not at an event with the family.

Pack your layers and your sense of whimsy, come hungry, and I’ll see you out there.