Lake Tahoe Events and Festivals
(Lake Tahoe, California - CA, USA)
The large selection of festivals offered around Lake Tahoe tend to be seasonal, with events making the very most of the weather at that particular time. Each February and March, the Snowfest sees winter sports being staged around both Tahoe City and the Squaw Valley, followed soon after by the Spring Loaded celebrations at South Lake Tahoe, which including skiing races, pond skimming and even cardboard box racing
As the weather quickly begins to warm up, the festivals become more plentiful, with popular activities and things to do including the Valhalla Renaissance Faire in May, the El Dorado County Fair each June, and the American Century Celebrity Golf Championship in July, a premier golfing event in California. The sunny month of July is a particularly busy time throughout Lake Tahoe, hosting additional festivals offers themes such as fine arts, music and even Shakespeare.
Lake Tahoe Calendar of Festivals and Events 2014 / 2015
January
- HuckFest Big Air Series - mid-January, attracting amateur skiers and snowboarders from far and wide, who come to the Heavenly Ski Resort to compete, close to South Lake Tahoe. The HuckFest always draws large crowds of spectators, who come to marvel at the skiers jumping high into the air, to see who can actually achieve the 'biggest air'. The HuckFest Big Air Series has been hosted at the Heavenly Ski Resort since 2004 and has grown in stature and popularity even since
February
- Van's Triple Crown of Snowboarding - throughout February, a host of exciting snowboarding events, based around Twin Bridges, on the south shore and including the acclaimed Ford Ranger National Championships
- Snowfest - late February to early March, a celebration of the winter snow, with a series of amateur snow sports
March
- Spring Loaded - mid-March to mid-April, lasting around two weeks and around the South Lake Tahoe, attracting hordes of spring-break skiers, who come to enjoy the powdery slopes and the winter events
- Best of Kirkwood Culinary Festival and Auction - March to April at the Kirkwood Ski Resort, an enjoyable fundraising event on the lake's south shore, involving many local restaurants and wineries
April
- Northstar at Tahoe Pinball Rally - mid-April, a freestyle skiing event which is always a crowd pleaser
- Northstar at Tahoe 'Spring It On' - mid-April, with live music and entertainment, games, vendors and lots to eat and drink
May
- May at Sugar Pine Point - May, the arrival of spring is celebrated at Tahoma, where tourists flock to the Sugar Pine Point Recreation Area to enjoy the improving weather and the springtime flowers
- Valhalla Renaissance Faire - late May / early June, held each year over two weekends, at Camp Richardson's Wood in South Lake Tahoe. With over 100 trade stands selling everything from clothing to ceramics. The event has a traditional medieval feeling, being set in the late 16th century and featuring lots of costumed participants, including peasants, lords and ladies
June
- El Dorado County Fair - mid-June at the El Dorado County Fairgrounds in Placerville, with plenty of demonstrations and fun family-orientated events, including gold panning
- Face Odyssey - late June, a charity event held in aid of the Multiple Sclerosis Foundation and attracting huge numbers of skiers, who compete in teams throughout the day, at the Face Mountain in Stateline
July
- American Century Celebrity Golf Championship - mid-July, attracting a mixture of celebrities, both from the worlds of sport and movies, who compete at the Edgewood Tahoe Golf Course in Stateline, Nevada
- Lake Tahoe Shakespeare Festival - mid-July to mid-August, at Incline Village's Sand Harbor State Park, held annually for almost 40 years and always a crowd pleaser. Bring a picnic and a blanket, and enjoy a classic Shakespeare play, and also some awesome views
- Tahoe Arts Festival - mid-July, hosted by the Cal-Neva Resort at Crystal Bay, with literally dozens of different booths gathered to sell their wares. Also on offer is a range of entertainment, Italian cuisine and even a spot of wine tasting
- Lake Tahoe Festival of Fine Arts - mid-July at South Lake Tahoe, an open-air event showcasing the very best in the region's contemporary art, together with works by local up-and-coming artists. There is plenty going on here for all ages, and the chance to buy some original paintings as a holiday souvenir
- Lake Tahoe Music Festival - mid-July to early August in Tahoe City, with various concerts being staged at different venues around the city, including both the Granlibakken Resort and the Squaw Valley. Music includes everything from classical and jazz, to pop and rock
August
- Concours d'Elegance and Wooden Boat Festival - mid-August, at the Sierra Boat Company, on the North Lake Boulevard and within Carnelian Bay. Visitors will be treated to a large number of antique wooden sailing vessels and boats, many of which date from the late 19th century
- Great Gatsby Tea and Festival - mid-August, held each year over the second weekend each August and based at the Tallac Estate, in South Lake Tahoe and next to the lake itself. With a 1920s theme, vintage cars, croquet, live entertainment, trade stalls and afternoon tea in the sunshine
September
- Native American Basketweaver's Market - early September, a chance to purchase some detailed weavings of baskets and more, created locally around California and Nevada, and sold at the Gatekeeper's Museum in Tahoe City
- Cool September Days - mid-September, staged at the Horizon Hotel Casino in Stateline, with a large collection of classic cars from the fifties and sixties, along with handicrafts stalls and a dancing competition
- Lake Tahoe Marathon - late September, held in South Lake Tahoe and always attracting crowds of runners and spectators. The route itself takes in much of the lake's scene shoreline, including Emerald Bay, and begins in Tahoe City, finally finishing at Pope Beach
October
- Oktoberfest - early October, at the Camp Richardson on Jameson Beach Road in South Lake Tahoe, highly suitable for families. Expect to find a children's zoo, a German beer garden, handicrafts stalls, live entertainment and plenty of pumpkins
- Kokanee Salmon Festival - early October, with a walk along the Rainbow Trail, reaching the Taylor Creek in South Lake Tahoe, with Kokanee salmon return each year, swimming upstream in huge numbers to spawn. Lots of people gather to watch this natural spectacle and to enjoy to various refreshments and market vendors
November
- Tahoe International Film Festival - early November, an annual movie extravaganza lasting a total of five days, attracting independent directors and producers,with more than 50 different movie screenings and various parties, often held in and around the Cal-Neva Resort at Tahoe City
December
- Sparks Hometown Christmas - early December, Yuletide festivities at the Victorian Square shopping area in nearby Sparks, with costumes, colorful decorations, carol singing, roasted chestnuts and other hot food and even a collection of historical fire engines. Expect to see 'Sparky', the town's mascot
- Valhalla Holiday Faire - mid-December, a seasonal festival taking place at the Valhalla Grand Lodge on Emerald Bay Road in South Lake Tahoe, with around 40 different handicrafts booths and lots of people dressed in Victorian costumes