Plan your weekend getaway around these two amazing September events
Our local happenings are often restricted to Solano, Napa and Contra Costa counties. However, we live in an amazing place that’s relatively close to some of the best attractions the world has to offer! Why not take advantage? If you’re looking to expand your happening horizons, we found two events in neighboring Nevada happening on the same September weekend! Did someone say mini vacay?
57th Annual International Camel & Ostrich Races
Traditions are often based on history. Such is not the case for the camel races in Virginia City, Nevada. Sure, camels had a brief Virginia City presence in the mining days of the late 1800s, but they didn’t get along too well with the horses, so, bye camels! The camel chronicles didn’t officially begin until 1961 when a farcical newspaper article was written by the editor of the Territorial Enterprise, who thought it’d be funny to announce an upcoming camel race down the city streets—a precursor to The Onion, indeed. Once word got out to the San Francisco Chronicle, they decided to call their bluff and bring camels from the local zoo. And now? You can attend the 57th Annual International Camel & Ostrich Races in Virginia City, September 9-11th.
“There’s not too many places where you’re going to watch this type of entertainment,” said Deny Dotson, Tourism Director for Virginia City. “People don’t realize how much fun and how quirky it is. It’s very unique.” If you disagree, please write to us and let us know how many times you’ve seen people race camels, ostriches and zebras (yes, zebras) all in one day, with a mariachi band playing in the background, in such a historic setting at that of Virginia City. “People just kinda scratch their head,” Dotson laughed. “Mariachi, camels, ostriches, Virginia City … I don’t get all this … Whatever! People are laughing, having a good time.” And that’s really all that matters. (Note: they had a mariachi band last year, entertainment options this year may vary.)
Before we go any further, Dotson assures us that all the animals are very well taken care of. “The handlers are some of the best in the country,” he said. “The animals are in superb condition. We provide shade, we provide feed, and they don’t race more than once a day.” One race and they’re done for the day? Not a bad gig indeed. And, just in case, there is a veterinarian on call as an extra safety precaution.
Dotson attests from experience that camels are fun to ride and says the experience is much like riding a horse. Ostriches, however … “that’s a different story,” he said. “They’re just so unpredictable. They’re no match for anyone who wants to get on them! They just spin ‘em right off.” He laughed. “That’s what makes the entertainment value so much fun.” There’s plenty of fun attractions for kids as well, including chicken chasing, rock climbing and trampolines!
Select individuals do get an opportunity to race a camel. A surefire way to do so is to become a sponsor! Or be a kid. Dolan Auto Group, the presenting sponsor of the event, will also be sponsoring the first 100 kids (on Sunday only!) to ride a camel for free. Plus there’s a daily raffle where, for $5, one lucky person gets to ride! All amateur camel racers are required to take an on-the-spot training course before mounting their mighty camel steed.
While this event spans over three days, Dotson informs us that there won’t be much of a day-to-day difference, so if you attend the races one day, you can spend the rest of your weekend exploring Virginia City! They have some very unique lodging opportunities such as staying in a “haunted room” at the Silver Queen Hotel or enjoy the 1860’s vibe of Edith Palmer’s Country Inn where Marilyn Monroe stayed while filming The Misfits.
With plenty to see and do in Virginia City, the 57th Annual Camel & Ostrich Races is the icing on the cake. As Dotson says, “It’s just something that everybody should have on their bucket list.” For more information head to visitvirginiacitynv.com or call 1-800-718-SLVR.
35th Anniversary of The Great Reno Balloon Race
Fact: most of us have experienced far more sunsets than sunrises. But they say the early bird gets the worm, so, if you’re up early enough on the mornings of September 9th, 10th or 11th and just so happen to be near Rancho San Rafael Regional Park just a few miles north of Reno, Nevada, the early bird gets to witness the 35th anniversary of the phenomenal spectacle that is The Great Reno Balloon Race.
“You’ve never seen anything like it,” said Pete Copeland, Executive Director for The Great Reno Balloon Race. “There’s nothing more beautiful.” And he’s right! There actually is nothing quite like it as, sure, there are other hot air balloon events, but there is none to be found on this scale that is also—for free! “I get many comments from other event directors about when we’re going to start charging,” said Copeland. “But that’s not going to happen with us. We’re going to stick to our identity and keep this thing free.”
This is, in fact, the largest free hot-air ballooning event in the world. The world! And it’s practically right next door to us … Most ballooning events have about 30-40 hot air balloons, and they’ll charge you admission! Thanks to more than 75 generous sponsors of the event, you can see upwards of 100 balloons floating in Nevada for free. Plus, the top 10 finalists of the race get to split a prize purse of $11,000! So you can expect some serious competition.
As you can imagine a hot air balloon “race” would probably result in a tie as they can only go as fast as the wind. So instead, pilots are allotted one bean bag per day that they are to fling toward a target on the grounds of the park. After three days the scores are tallied up and the winner is chosen based on who had the most accurate aim while maneuvering their balloon as close to the target as possible.
Despite 35 years of tradition there will still be some surprises in store! As well as some fan favorites like the Smokey the Bear balloon. Last year you may have noticed an Elvis-shaped balloon, this year you can look for a super secret balloon inspired by a hit gaming app that has to do with birds … that are angry …
Expect some pretty amazing photo opportunities. In fact, the imagery here is so picturesque that last year, Sony came out to take some footage of the event. Now, whenever you go to a Best Buy or Costco or any place that sells TVs, if you see hot air balloons on a Sony monitor you’re looking at the vibrant colors of The Great Reno Balloon Race! It’s really quite the spectacle.
Gates open at 3:30 a.m. daily (which is arguably more of a night owl than an early bird event. But hey, an average of 125,000 people attend the event every year, so if they can do it, so can you!). Before the big balloon launch you can witness some pretty incredible precursor events each day, especially the Glow Show and the Dawn Patrol. The Glow Show is a visual display where a bunch of hot air balloons, still static on the ground, are majestically lit up in the dark of night with the lights being choreographed to music (the Super Glow Show, held Friday morning only, will feature up to 30 balloons!). The Dawn Patrol is similar in that the balloons are also lit up against the dark morning sky, but then they float up into the air, beautifully illuminated.
With the exception of the Friday morning Super Glow Show, you’ll see a similar spectacle on all three days, so it’s recommended to come Friday and either Saturday or Sunday. Other draws to the event include shopping along “Balloon Boulevard,” participating in the Biggest Little Pajama Party, and much more. So bring a chair, blanket, even coffee and a lunch if you like, layer up! And don’t forget the camera. For more information visit renoballoon.com or call (775) 829-2987.
SO … here you have two remarkably unique events occurring on the same weekend just a few hours away. Our suggestion? Mark your calendar for September 9-11th! Maybe arrive in Reno on the 8th as you’ll have a (very) early ballooning morning on Friday the 9th. Then check out some silly camel and ostrich racing festivities on Saturday the 12th. Find a cool place to stay and discover a bit more of Virginia City on Sunday the 11th before heading home. If you plan it right you could get the fam back by bedtime! Pretty awesome opportunity here, and we’re pretty proud we thought of it. Seize the days!
Larson is a writer/actor/comedian native to Vallejo who travels back and forth from Los Angeles way too much. He’s desperate for attention and urges you to follow him on all social medias @MarsLegstrong. He lives for likes, please keep him healthy.
