December is here, and that means it’s time for all the Christmas kickoff events to happen all at once. There’s quite a few, and if you’re really quick you might be able to catch most of them.
* Carson City’s Silver & Snowflakes Holiday Tree Lighting, Thursday the 3rd. That’s tonight! This celebration takes place on the Capitol grounds as the state Christmas trees are lit, a choir performs, and Santa Claus makes an appearance. In past years Santa arrived on the back of a Model T, driven by a golden retriever named Beau. But since Both Beau and his trainer Bill Williamson passed away this year, Santa will arrive instead by horse-drawn carriage. After the lighting at the Capitol, everyone will walk over to the First Presbyterian Church to light the city Christmas tree.
* Minden Park Lighting, Friday the 4th. Santa arrives at 6pm at Minden Park to light the gazebo and the makeshift “christmas tree” they achieve by running lights up the flagpole.
* Genoa Tree Lighting, Friday the 4th. This one is simultaneous with Minden’s, at 6pm, so you have to decide which town means more to you.
* South Lake Tahoe Community Tree Lighting, Friday the 4th. This will be held at the Visitors Center, 3066 Lake Tahoe Blvd, at 5pm. Santa Claus will be there, and sleigh and carriage rides will be available.
* Carson Valley Parade of Lights, Saturday the 5th. The parade leaves Lampe Park in Gardnerville at 5pm, and makes its way along Hwy 395 to downtown Minden. The parade units disperse after they reach Minden Park, but many of them hang out for a while so you can see them up close.
* The Virginia City Parade of Lights take place at the same time. Saturday the 5th, 5pm. This parade takes place on C Street through downtown Virginia City.
