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It’s no surprise that Nevada’s small towns offer an abundance of local charm. But like their glitzier siblings Las Vegas and Reno, these lesser-known destinations take revelry to the next level. From Beatty to Virginia City to Battle Mountain, these fun-loving communities host celebrations that are anything but ordinary.
Into race cars, engineering, and feats of superhuman strength? You’ll want to check out the World Human Powered Speed Challenge. More the birdwatching type? Feast your eyes on the birds of prey at Eagles and Agriculture. High school thespian with a flair for the dramatic? Catch dinner and a show at the Lake Tahoe Shakespeare Festival.
So pick your passion and pack the car. More is more in the Silver State, and these nine festivals serve up local color in every possible shade.
Feel the need for speed
World Human-Powered Speed Challenge
Battle Mountain, Nevada
September 7-13, 2025
If you crossed Formula 1 with the Tour de France, you might get something like the World Human Powered Speed Challenge. Each year, designers and athletes from across the globe gather on Nevada’s State Route 305 to test the limits of their self-designed pedaled vehicles. (Think a car from “The Flintstones” but sleeker and much, much faster.) Their goal: to break the world record for human-powered speed, currently 89.59 miles per hour.
The annual event is presented by the International Human Powered Vehicle Association (IHPVA), an organization “dedicated to advancing the sport and science of human-powered travel.” Competitors must pass a qualifying speed test and a safety inspection to enter the race, and the competition is fierce. The aerodynamic designs themselves are captivating — all of the WHPSC’s past winners have built fully enclosed two-wheeled bikes, most of which are completely windowless and require external human handlers to start and stop. Also needed: A rider with enough muscle to cross the finish first.
Starstruck
Great Basin Astronomy Festival
Baker, Nevada
September 8-20, 2025
With most of its population located around Las Vegas and Reno, Nevada boasts some of the darkest night skies in the country, making it a stargazer’s dream. That’s especially true during the new moon each September, when astronomy enthusiasts flock to Great Basin National Park for the state’s largest astronomy festival.
Over the course of three days and nights, Great Basin visitors can choose from an array of free events, including sky-gazing “star parties,” workshops with astrophotographers, and lectures on all things space and sky. They can also visit the research-grade 27-inch telescope at the Great Basin Observatory, which is generally not open to the public.
If you’re lucky enough to take part in the festival, be sure to layer up: although the park can be warm during the day, temperatures plummet overnight. You’ll also want to pack a red-light flashlight—white lights are banned at the festival to protect visitors’ enjoyment of Nevada’s most dazzling asset.
Ghosts with the most
Hauntober
Virginia City, Nevada
Entire month of October, 2025
The population of Virginia City, Nevada, is less than 800 people, but residents may tell you that number is deceptive: it doesn’t include the ghosts. In the mid-1800s, prospectors from around the world flocked to Virginia City, hoping to get rich off the dangerous work of mining its abundant silver and gold reserves. The glory years didn’t last long: in 1875, a major fire wiped out three-quarters of the city, and over the next decade, the precious ores began to dry up—forcing many to move on. But local lore says that some of the enterprising residents of Virginia City’s heyday still frequent its cemetery, saloons, clubs, and mansions.
Today, this colorful town located 12 miles south of Reno dedicates an entire month to celebrating its historically spooky past. Hauntober comes with a packed calendar of events for children and seasoned ghost-hunters alike, including after-dark audio tours of the famous Silver Terrace Cemetery, Halloween-themed trips on the historic V&T Railroad, “horseless hayrides,” and an adults-only Victorian All Hallow’s Eve Ball. After an evening of exploring all the favorite haunts, spend the night in one of the town’s historic inns: Some say they’re the best places to spot a ghost.
What happens in Beatty…
Beatty Days
Beaty, Nevada
October 31 – November 2, 2025
To enjoy Nevada’s quirkier side, you’ll want to pay a visit to the town of Beatty during its annual Beatty Days celebration, which features three days of offbeat events and zany competitions that you’re unlikely (read: guaranteed never) to find anywhere else on the planet.
Beatty Days began in the mid-1990s when locals noticed a increase in international tourists passing through to visit Death Valley National Park, and the ghost town of Rhyolite—located just outside town. To attract more motorists and promote local heritage, the town launched its annual festival featuring a lineup of now-famous signature events.
Chicken drop bingo? Bed racing? Yep, you’ll find it in Beatty. Root beer belching? Crack open a can and get competing. There’s also a car show, a chili cook-off, a Miss Beatty competition, and something called “pickle liquor hoot and holler” (hint: it’s only for the over-21s).
A festival of sound and color
Pahrump Social Powwow
Pahrump, Nevada
November 21 – 23, 2025
Until the late 19th century, the Mohave-desert town of Pahrump—situated near Nevada’s southern tip, just a tumbleweed’s roll from the California border—was home to the Western Shoshone and Paiute peoples. Each November, their traditions take center stage at the Pahrump Social Powwow, a weekend-long feast of sound, color, and pageantry held on a 35-acre park in the heart of town.
Festivities begin with the “Grand Entry,” a procession of dancers in traditional Native regalia (think Olympic opening ceremony, but twice as colorful). From there, it’s three days of drumming, storytelling, and traditional dance. Visitors can wander between booths piled high with Native American crafts, or refuel with traditional bites before heading back to the arena.
Celebrate the cowboy arts
National Cowboy Poetry Gathering
Elko, Nevada
January 26 – 31
If your understanding of cowboy culture begins and ends with John Wayne movies, Elko would like to set you straight. This northeastern Nevada town—situated along the Cowboy Corridor—is home to cultural landmarks like the Cowboy Arts and Gear Museum and the Western Folklife Center, both dedicated to preserving the culture and traditions of the American West.
It’s in that spirit that the Western Folklife Center hosts its annual National Cowboy Poetry Gathering, held each winter. Don’t let the name lead you astray: There’s way more than poetry to be experienced here. The weeklong event features lectures, readings, film screenings, exhibitions, and open-mic sessions, all designed to honor the creativity of the West’s diverse cultures. Visitors can even enroll in workshops ranging from rawhide braiding to banjo picking to clay-pot cooking. Yeehaw!
It’s getting hot in here
Fire and Ice Festival
Ely, Nevada
January 2026
With the winter holidays in the rearview mirror, the first weeks of the year can feel like a slow, gray slog. However, that’s not the case in Ely, home of the Fire and Ice Festival, which is held each year over the Martin Luther King Jr. Day weekend.
The festival began in 2003 as an ice sculpting competition, and weather permitting, that event continues at Fire and Ice today. Sculptors receive three days to turn heaps of snow on Cave Lake State Park into works of art, which are then ceremonially melted after the judge names a winner. The event also sees a variety of winter-themed events, including cross-country skiing, snow bowling, ice golf, and ice horseshoes. But the festival’s signature event is the heart-pounding fireworks display launched from a moving Northern Nevada Railway train.
The eagles have landed
Eagles and Agriculture
Gardnerville, Nevada
Early 2026
December until February is calving season in Carson Valley, Nevada, the bucolic landscape nestled along the Sierra Nevada mountains. And with the calves comes the valley’s favorite seasonal visitor: the raptors. Attracted by bovine afterbirth, bald eagles and gold eagles make a temporary home in the Silver State for just a few months before migrating onwards to places like Alaska and Canada.
To celebrate the birds’ annual return, Carson Valley hosts its four-day Eagles and Agriculture festival, showcasing the beauty of the landscape and the magnificence of the local wildlife. Attendees have the opportunity to tour ranches and barns to view birds of prey and other animals up close. Meanwhile, a series of workshops and photo exhibitions caters to amateur wildlife photographers looking to hone their craft. Visitors can also purchase tickets to a Falconers’ Dinner, attended by area falconers and, of course, their beloved birds.
All the world’s a stage
Lake Tahoe Shakespeare Theater
Sand Harbor, Nevada
July – August, 2026
In addition to Shakespeare’s plays, visitors can catch performances of modern classics, like the Peter Pan prequel Peter and the Starcatcher. Photo by Joy Strotz courtesy of Lake Tahoe Shakespeare Festival.
It’s not hard to enjoy the scenery on the glittering shores of Lake Tahoe. But for over fifty years, Lake Tahoe Shakespeare Festival has turned Nevada’s spectacular Sand Harbor State Park into one of the country’s most captivating performance venues. Each summer, the festival presents mainstage productions of Shakespeare plays and modern classics, plus a wide roster of performances, including symphonies music, dance, and tribute bands. Visitors dine in the open air at Shakespeare’s Kitchen restaurant.
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