From celebrating the stunning Death Valley National Park vistas, to spooky Halloween events, a festival dedicated to the Cantaloupe, or perhaps cowboys performing poetry, Nevada is vast, varied, and full of possibilities. For those who appreciate the quirky and unique, here are a few bucket-list worthy experiences…
Nevada celebrates dual holiday on Halloween
2024 marks Nevada’s 160th anniversary of becoming the 36th state in the Union on the hallowed date of 31 October 1864. Now, the Silver State celebrates both Halloween and Nevada Day each year, with the latter being an official state holiday. Visitors are always invited to the celebrations with places like Carson City and Beatty throwing bashes that include one of the largest and longest parades in the country and only-in-Nevada contests. Given Nevada is home to more than 600 ghost towns, visitors can also use the free Travel Nevada Paranormal Passport to explore the otherworldly state throughout October, as well as year-round.
Another “death-defying” anniversary
31st October also marks the 30th anniversary of Death Valley National Park. Straddling the Nevada-California border, east of the Sierra Nevada, Death Valley is renowned for being the hottest, driest and lowest of all the national parks. Popular with visitors for its salt flats, sand dunes and desert peaks, it is also the largest national park in the contiguous United States. It was first protected as a national monument on 11 February 1933 and was named a national park on 31 October 1994. Easily accessible from Las Vegas in less than two hours, Travel Nevada’s Death Valley Rally was designed to lead road trippers from neon to nature and encourage exploration of the historic towns along the way.
Come fall for Fallon
Located one hour east of Reno, the friendly farm town of Fallon is considered the agricultural heart of Nevada (and renowned for its annual Cantaloupe Festival!). Despite the myth that Nevada is all desert, a lush, green landscape surrounds Fallon and has long provided a welcome respite for Indigenous Communities, Westbound pioneers and now visitors road tripping along Nevada’s renowned ribbon of U.S. Highway 50, known as the Loneliest Road in America. Agritourists can fuel up at Lattin Farms, a fifth-generation organic field-to-fork growery, which also hosts many seasonal family events, and Frey Ranch Farmers + Distillers, Nevada’s first distillery to grow their own ingredients for their award-winning spirits. Visitors can also pick up a Nevada Craft Beverage Passport and kick off the fun with some stamps around Fallon.
Yee-haw! National Cowboy Poetry Gathering to celebrate 40 years
The National Cowboy Poetry Gathering held annually in Elko will mark its 40th anniversary from 27 January – 1 February 2025. This week-long, town-wide, celebration of authentic western cultural arts is not just about poetry, and is not just for cowboys. Beginning with a handful of poets wrangled together to share an overlooked American tradition, the gathering has grown to attract artists and audiences from all walks of life and around the world. In addition to poetry, the festival showcases music, film, dancing, workshops, exhibits, conversations, food and fellowship in celebration of the living American West. Elko is accessed via Travel Nevada’s Cowboy Corridor from either Reno or Salt Lake City.
