The Reno Tahoe area offers a wide variety of fun for the entire family with year round events that are incredibly fun, family oriented, and, in the case of the Virginia City Camel Races, a little bit weird. From Genoa’s Candy Dance, to Carson Valley Days, to the Reno Balloon Races, the Reno Tahoe area has something for everyone in your family. When wildfire season hit Lake Tahoe with surprise this fall, we ventured down to the clean air in Virginia City to check out the Virginia City Camel Races for the first time. I brought my camera because I was feeling a little bit creative that day and as a Virginia City Event Photographer, I’m always looking for fun and inspiring Reno Tahoe events to photograph.
For 63 years, Virginia City has been hosting the camel (and ostrich races) after it started as a prank between started as a prank two newspaper editors. It was an absolutely hysterical good time and one that I would be loath to miss in the future. From zebras to emus, camels, to ostriches, there’s something wild and wacky here happening at every moment and we loved every second of it! If you’re looking to make a weekend of it, Virginia City is quite the historic mining town and worth exploring. From historic saloons to haunted hotels, ghost tours, and a local gin, it’s got it all!
Virginia City Event Photographer
Virginia City, located in the state of Nevada, is a historic mining town that rose to prominence during the 19th century silver boom. Today, its a veritable tourist attraction that’s about as wild wild westy as you can get. Virginia City is a charm to be an event photographer in thanks to it’s well-preserved Victorian architecture, Old West atmosphere, and rich history. Make sure you wander around the Virginia City historic district. Filled with buildings from the 1800s (and plenty of bars), there’s a number of museums and historical landmarks to pop your head into between cocktails. The west’s favorite author Mark Twain used to haunt here and you can learn all about it at the Mark Twain Museum (but no joke there’s one in almost every city up and down the Sierra Nevadas). At Christmas, you can take a ride on the historic Virginia and Truckee Railroad on the Polar Express! Stay in the Silver Queen Hotel and attend a performance at the Pipers Opera House if there’s an opportunity to. And last but not least, a trip to Virginia City is not complete without a drink at the Bucket of Blood Saloon, a historic watering hole with a colorful past.
Oh. PS. Lots of ghost activity in Virginia City so be warned!
I absolutely love the main photo. What a fun assignment.
It’s a wild annual event and SO fun!