The Ultimate Guide to Holiday Fun in Reno – 2025 Edition

The holidays are a time for sharing traditions. Whether it’s the decorations that you put up every year or the holiday open house you throw, you want to make time to celebrate the season and create those powerful memories that last a lifetime. It helps to have a guide, and we’re not talking about a reindeer with a shiny nose!

The Law Offices of Matthew L. Sharp have put together the following ultimate guide to holiday fun in Reno. We’ve pulled together some of the terrific holiday events, places to shop, Christmas tree lots, and restaurants and bars to help you get the most out of your holiday.

Holiday Events

Everyone gets busy during the holidays. There are parties to attend and plan. There are gifts to buy and wrap. There are also all those favorite dishes and cookies that the family waits for all year long. In between taking care of the items on your “to-do” list, there is still time to take in all the festive celebrations of the season. Here are a few you’ll want to add to your calendar this year.

Jingle Bell Rock

There is a brand-new holiday spectacular, created exclusively for the iconic Eldorado Showroom at Caesar’s. It features stars from London’s West End, including Laura Dawkes and Oliver Ormson, from Disney’s “Frozen the Musical.” Caesar’s Entertainment calls this show “Festive, fabulous and bursting with music, dance and seasonal sparkle.” The shows continue through December 28. You can view all the upcoming showtimes and purchase tickets here.

Reno Jazz Orchestra’s Home for the Holidays

Swing into the sounds of the season as the Reno Jazz Orchestra shares the stage with some of the most talented hometown stars in Reno on December 7 in Nightingale Concert Hall at the University of Nevada, Reno. From classic favorites to reimagined holiday harmonies, this festive performance will uplift your soul, warm your heart, and leave you feeling merry and bright!

Spirit of the Season

This holiday celebration is full of lush orchestral arrangements, jazzy numbers, and traditional holiday music, brought to you by the Reno Phil and Reno Phil Chorus. Spirit of the Season performances light up the stage at the Pioneer Center for the Performing Arts, December 12-14.

The Nutcracker

Attending a performance of The Nutcracker has become a time-honored tradition for many families. This year, you can escape to a land of holiday fantasy with The Reno Dance Company’s production of The Nutcracker. It is coming back to the Grand Sierra Resort’s Grand Theatre on December 14.

There is an additional production that takes the stage at the Pioneer Center for the Performing Arts on December 19-21. You won’t want to miss the Sugar Plum Fairy and dancing mice in this performance of The Nutcracker, presented by AVA Ballet Theatre, featuring nationally recognized dancers and local talent.

Santa’s Top Talent

Over at the Grand Theatre, located inside the Grand Sierra Resort, you’ll find Santa and his panel of judges hosting the ultimate North Pole talent showdown. From acrobatic elves and dazzling lasers to high-flying aerialists and comedy antics, each act competes to win Santa’s golden sleigh bell.

Featuring today’s top talent in acrobatics, stunt performance, singers, and more, including artists seen on hit television shows like X Factor and America’s Got Talent. This festive variety show is packed with thrills, laughs, and holiday magic for the whole family. Showtimes available December 18-30.

The Polar Express

Climb aboard V&T Railway‘s diesel-powered train and enjoy a retelling of a holiday classic, The Polar Express. The one-hour round-trip excursion includes a fully staged performance with costumed actors and music, hot cocoa and holiday treats, a silver bell from Santa, and a stop at the North Pole. Group reservations, private rooms, and VIP tables are available for an extra special experience.

Electric Holiday Train o’ Lights

All aboard the most festive train in the West! After a merry afternoon exploring Virginia City, head to the 1870 Virginia & Truckee Depot for a ride on the Electric Holiday Train o’ Lights. The 40-minute narrated ride takes you to Gold Hill on a steam engine decorated with thousands of lights.

Home For The Holidays

Christmas is coming early to Greater Nevada Field! This brand-new, six-night immersive holiday experience will take over the ballpark December 5-6, December 12-13, and December 19-20. Enjoy multiple unique tree lighting shows each day, browse the vendor village, and take photos with Santa and Mrs. Claus in Downtown Reno. Each Friday of Home for the Holidays will also have a fireworks show, and each Saturday will have a drone show! For more information and tickets, click here.

Reno Santa Crawl

If you need a break from the hustle and bustle of the holidays, you can join thousands of Santas as they take to the streets of downtown Reno for a night of holiday cheer and revelry. Get your costume and cup and get ready to ring in the holidays at the Reno Santa Crawl on December 13.

Neighborhood Light Shows

Reno homeowners take great pride in their properties and enjoy showing off their well-manicured front lawns and gardens. This time of the year, those homeowners go the extra mile to make everything merry and bright. A night out touring the holiday lights is a great tradition to start with the family.

New To Reno has a comprehensive list of all the homes around Reno that get into the holiday spirit in a big way. Here are a few of the featured homes on the list:

3995 Sleepy Hollow Drive, Reno

We have lots of lights and a huge 20-foot (plus the giant 3’ star) light tree. A roof with so many lights on it, the Griswolds would be proud. 3995 Sleepy Hollow Drive, corner with Skokie. In the Hidden Valley neighborhood of East Reno. Come see the lights from 5 p.m. to 11 p.m.

3953 Kentwood Court in Reno

In northwest Reno, off N. McCarran Blvd. Each year, they put up an amazing light display for Christmas, and each year it keeps getting bigger and brighter.

10645 Palm Springs Dr., Sparks

Big light display, from the front yard to the trees above. The light show is programmed to 90.1 FM every night for a few hours. On some nights, Santa Claus will be on hand to give out free candy canes and hot cocoa to all who come by to enjoy the lights.

Places to Buy Gifts

Everyone is on the hunt for the perfect gift. Whether you’re looking for a present for the kids, your partner, or your best friend, it’s fun to discover a new shop.

Meadowood Mall

Reno’s main mall, known as the Meadowood Mall, is a surprisingly nice and convenient walk-and-shop location right in central Reno. The Cheesecake Factory is a favorite restaurant among locals there, and See’s Candy has its traditional location within the mall. Santa likes to make his appearance in this mall at different times in the season, and there’s a large food court in addition to tons of places for kids to play within the mall.

Midtown & Reno Public Market

If you want to check out a few more quirky shops, you need to make a trip to the Reno Public Market and the adjacent Midtown shopping areas. The Public Market gives you an enclosed area to visit the new Junkee, as well as several local eateries and small art shops specializing in local Reno art.  Just a few blocks north are tons of local shops along Virginia Street.

Here you’ll find jewelers, thrift stores, antique stores, furniture stores, and all kinds of decorative art created by local artisans. With Midtown being a central location full of gastropubs with mouthwatering delights, you can take the whole family along for a savory day trip.

Village at Rancharrah

The Village at Rancharrah is Reno’s high-end outdoor restaurant and shopping mall. Planned around people, the village shops face into an interior courtyard filled with artificial grassy areas, outdoor games, gas fireplaces, and plenty of coffee shops, a pour-your-own tap house, and several restaurants.

This is a great place for those who enjoy shopping to bring the whole family along.

Shayden Summit Mall

For more high-end shopping, the Shayden Summit Mall is another outdoor walkers’ paradise. Much like Rancharrah, there is no shortage of restaurants and coffee shops interspersed with the shopping to keep family members entertained as you navigate throughout the mall. Some highlights for Christmas shopping include Dillard’s, the Apple Store, Williams Sonoma, Bath & Body Works, Sephora, and Athleta, all located at a very convenient location off Mount Rose Highway.

Reno Town Mall

The Reno Town Mall is a mix of thrift shops, discount stores, and local craft stores, including the Buy Nevada First Gift Shop & Visitors Center. The Buy Nevada First Gift Shop is organized into different sections for particular vendors. The vendors offer books, trinkets, and random thrift store items along with baked goods, homemade jams, local honey, hand-crafted pottery, photographs, and gift cards of local sights and scenery. Make a note that Santa likes to spend a lot of time in this location in December and will be available for free pictures!

Restaurants and Bars

There is no shortage of amazing eateries around Reno. Many of these restaurants offer special holiday meals. It will be nice to take a break and let these fantastic chefs do the cooking.

Casale’s Halfway Club

Casale’s Halfway Club has been around since 1937, when it doubled as a roadside food stand and family residence. You can even see old doorway frames from what were once bedrooms throughout the dining room. It’s a classic Italian American restaurant with red-and-white checkered tablecloths and lasagna cooked to order in single-serve portions, and the legendary ravioli.

Abby’s Highway 40

Abby’s Highway 40 is a downtown Reno bar that dates back to 1940, when it was known as Quilici Bar and later, the Rumpus Room. The back patio has a fresh new look, renovated with repurposed bricks from a demolished train station. Hang out by the fire pit after 5 p.m. and order xiao long bao soup dumplings, noodles, bao buns, and other forms of Asian street food from the Dumpling Queen, a fast-casual service kitchen inside a 1948 silver airstream trailer. Make it a full night with a game of pool, cocktails, live music, and special events, including open-mic comedy and karaoke.

Louis’ Basque Corner

Louis’ Basque Corner resides in a three-story building originally opened in 1908 as a hotel and became a Basque restaurant in 1967 under the ownership of Louis Erreguible. The menu features a main course, which is usually some type of meat, such as charbroil-grilled steaks, roasted salmon, or something more adventurous like beef tongue braised in vegetables. The dish comes with several family-style courses that include bread, salad, baked beans, fries, dessert, and even a glass of house wine. Most add the signature Picon Punch, a cocktail of brandy, grenadine, and a burnt orange liqueur in a bell-shaped glass. It is communal serving, which makes every meal a party.

Kwok’s Bistro

Kwok’s Bistro remains a reliable Reno staple for consistently excellent Chinese food with a strong Cantonese influence. Chef and owner Kwok Chen presents traditional recipes in approachable packages with bright pops of garlic, ginger, and onions alongside wok-fired meat and seafood. Chen’s attention to detail is best represented by his Beijing duck, which takes days to prepare and is dry-hung in a traditional rub for a crunchy exterior. Order the whole thing for dinner with a side of moo shu wraps or a quarter-size serving on rice for lunch.

Liberty Food & Wine Exchange

Liberty Food & Wine Exchange originally opened as a butchery, market, and sandwich shop before it evolved into a full-fledged restaurant. Meats are still carved up in-house and sourced locally from a Minden ranch. The menu also takes pride in using produce from nearby farms and a wood-fired oven that’s equally adaptable for pizzas, seafood, and vegetables. Black-and-white photos of ’80s celebrities decorate the main dining room, and the loose, casual atmosphere suits the location, just steps away from the scenic Riverwalk in downtown Reno.

Christmas Tree Farms

When it comes to Christmas trees, everyone has their go-to pick. Some like the convenience of an artificial tree, but others won’t go with anything but the real deal. Here in Reno, you have a lot of options at one of the many Christmas tree lots spread out across the city. There are also a few tree farm options to choose from:

Sparks Family Christmas Trees

Sparks sells high-quality Christmas trees that are fresh-cut and ready for your home. Come enjoy complimentary hot chocolate, unique crafts, family photo opportunities, handmade candles, and more, all while picking the perfect tree.

McBurney Tree Farm

Visit McBurney Tree Farm and experience the classic tradition of cutting your own Christmas tree, or if you prefer, they will even cut it for you! They are a small family-run farm conveniently located 3 miles outside of Grass Valley, one of the Sierra foothills’ most popular Gold Rush towns.

If you’re feeling even more adventurous, you can obtain a permit and head out to one of these destinations to cut your own Christmas tree:

Plumas National Forest

Date: Nov. 1 – Dec. 31

Purchase: Online

Limit: 2 per household

Cost: $10 per tree

Purchase your permits online. They allow you to cut a Christmas tree within designated areas of the Plumas National Forest. Certain designated special areas are prohibited (see cutting maps).

Tahoe National Forest Christmas Tree Permits

Date: Nov. 1 – Dec. 31

Purchase: Online

Limit: 2 per family

Cost: $10 per tree

A Tahoe National Forest Christmas Tree Permit allows you to cut a Christmas Tree within designated areas of the Tahoe National Forest! There are four districts to choose from.

• American River Ranger District
• Sierraville Ranger District
• Truckee Ranger District
• Yuba River Ranger District

Humboldt- National Forest

Date: Nov. 1 – Dec. 24

Purchase: In person, by phone, and online

Limit: 2-5

Cost: $5-$10

A permit here allows you to cut Christmas trees within designated areas of the Humboldt-Toiyabe National Forest. Areas include the Carson, Bridgeport, Austin-Tonapah, Ely, and Mountain City/Ruby Mountains/Jarbidge Ranger Districts.

Nevada BLM Carson City District 

Date: Nov. 14 – Dec. 25

Purchase: Online or In Person (addresses below)

Limit: 10

Cost: $5-$10

Purchase your permit in person at one of the following locations:

• BLM Carson City District Office: 5665 Morgan Mill Rd., Carson City, NV 89701
• BLM-Nevada State Office-Reno: 1340 Financial Blvd., Reno, NV 89520
• Cal Ranch Carson City: 2035 N. Carson St., Carson City, NV 89706
• Carson Valley Chamber of Commerce: 1477 US Highway 395 North, Suite A, Gardnerville, NV 89410
• UNR Cooperative Extension Office-Fallon: 111 Sheckler Rd., Fallon, NV
• Middlegate Station: 42500 U.S. Highway 50
• Consolidated Agencies of Human Services-Hawthorne: 924 5th St., Hawthorne, NV 89415

A map and permit stipulations will be provided. A permit allows you to cut a pinyon pine or juniper tree.

Volunteer Opportunities

The holiday season is a time of joy, connection, and giving. One of the most meaningful ways to celebrate is by lending a hand to those who need it most. Whether you’re looking to brighten someone’s day, support a local cause, or make a positive impact alongside family and friends, volunteering offers a powerful way to embrace the true spirit of the season. This guide will help you discover rewarding opportunities, simple ways to give back, and inspiring ideas to make your holidays more heartfelt and purpose-filled.

Food Bank of Northern Nevada

The Food Bank of Northern Nevada connects families and individuals to the food and resources they need to thrive. Working with more than 140 partner agencies and through direct service programs, we create opportunities for over 160,000 neighbors each month to access fresh, nourishing meals. This includes children, seniors, and others working toward brighter futures. Whether you are a self-motivated individual volunteer, represent a community or employee group, looking for school or work-related, or court-ordered community service opportunities, there’s something for you to do to help at the Food Bank of Northern Nevada.

The SPCA of Northern Nevada

Volunteering for an animal welfare organization requires patience, dedication, self-motivation, and an unyielding passion for animals and our life-saving mission. Join the SPCA in helping save and improve the lives of pets in our community!

Catholic Charities of Northern Nevada

Catholic Charities of Northern Nevada provides a wide range of programs and services, and they’re always seeking individuals who are interested in donating their time and talent.

Catholic Charities volunteers serve people and the community as a whole in a number of ways. Whether you’re an individual looking to lend a helping hand or a group seeking a service project, you’ve come to the right place. Plus, you don’t have to be Catholic to volunteer!

Make the Most of Your Holidays

As you explore ways to enjoy the season, remember that the most meaningful holiday memories often come from the moments we spend lifting others up. Whether you volunteer your time, share your resources, or simply spread kindness in your community, each act of generosity becomes part of a holiday story you’ll cherish for years to come.

From all of us at the Law Offices of Matthew L. Sharp, we wish you a joyful, fulfilling, and truly memorable holiday season!