LAKE TAHOE, Calif./Nev. – The Tahoe Community Foundation has awarded a $30,000 grant to the environmental nonprofit Keep Tahoe Blue to expand its science-guided programs that empower residents, visitors, students, and volunteers to play an active role in protecting Tahoe.
Keep Tahoe Blue was selected as one of four nonprofit organizations recognized through the Community Foundation’s special anniversary grant initiative celebrating 30 years of philanthropy and community impact.
“Protecting Tahoe takes a village. We’re incredibly grateful to have a generous and forward-looking partner in Tahoe Community Foundation,” said Keep Tahoe Blue’s CEO Darcie Goodman Collins, PhD. “Their continuing support allows us to do the multi-year work required to transform science into solutions, so we can conserve what we all love about this natural treasure.”
Through programs such as Eyes on the Lake, Keep Tahoe Blue continues to address the most pressing ecological threat facing Tahoe today: aquatic invasive species. The organization’s efforts are wide-ranging and collaborative, matching the scale of the challenge. In-person outreach to recreators, training for marinas and recreation-based businesses, public education campaigns, and the installation of free cleaning stations for non-motorized watercraft are helping prevent invasive species, like the golden mussel, from turning the lake’s clear water a murky green.
The grant is also helping Keep Tahoe Blue shape the next generation of environmental stewards. Through its Tahoe Blue Schools program and Spurlock/Evers Environment & Education Center, students gain a deeper understanding of Lake Tahoe’s ecosystem and their role in protecting it. Throughout the year, thousands of students and visitors participate in field trips, educational programs, and hands-on lessons that connect science with action.
At the same time, Keep Tahoe Blue activates community volunteers to do far more than pick up litter. Through cleanup events and the Tahoe Blue Crew program, participants record the types and amounts of trash they remove, set an example of good stewardship for fellow lake users, and help report environmental threats. The resulting citizen science data helps guide Keep Tahoe Blue’s work to prevent problems at their source, by pushing for policy change like bans on single-use plastic water bottles and investing in ground-breaking scientific research into the sources of microplastics.
For Tahoe Community Foundation, supporting Keep Tahoe Blue reflects the belief that a healthy environment is fundamental to a thriving community. By investing in organizations that engage residents, educate future generations, and create long-term environmental solutions, the Community Foundation helps ensure Tahoe remains resilient for decades to come.
As Tahoe Community Foundation celebrates 30 years of connecting generosity with community impact, investments like this recognize nonprofit partners whose work protects the resources that make Tahoe extraordinary. Together, Keep Tahoe Blue and Tahoe Community Foundation are helping ensure that more people have the knowledge, tools, and opportunities to protect the lake they love, creating lasting benefits for Tahoe’s environment and future.
Although the average for a gallon of regular gasoline in California fell for a second straight week, down 11 cents to $6.23, Californians are paying $1.58 more per gallon compared to last year, according to the AAA Weekly Fuel Report.
Nationally, prices dipped slightly to $4.33. Gas prices remain elevated as crude oil prices hover near $100 per barrel.
“The national average has stayed above $4 per gallon since late July and is currently more than a dollar higher than it was this time last year,” said Doug Johnson, spokesperson for AAA Mountain West Group. “The fall months typically bring lower gas prices, but volatility in the oil market has led to seasonal record highs this year.”
Fuel Prices Around the State:
San Francisco: $6.34
Oakland: $6.28
San Jose: $6.18
Sacramento: $6.20
Fresno: $6.23
Stockton: $6.09
Modesto: $6.09
Oil Market Dynamics
According to new data from the Energy Information Administration (EIA), gasoline demand decreased last week from 8.76 million barrels per day to 8.40 million. Total domestic gasoline supply increased from 204.7 million barrels to 208.3 million. Gasoline production decreased from 9.34 million barrels per day to 9.23 million barrels.
At the close of Wednesday’s formal trading session, WTI rose 95 cents to settle at $95.09 per barrel. The EIA reports that U.S. crude oil inventories decreased 8.6 million barrels to 415.6 million barrels, 3% below the five-year average.
EV Charging
The national average per kilowatt hour of electricity at a public EV charging station stayed the same this past week at 41 cents. In California, the average per kilowatt hour of electricity is 47 cents.
State Stats
Gas
The nation’s top 10 most expensive gasoline markets are California ($6.23), Hawaii ($5.63), Washington ($5.42), Nevada ($5.42), Oregon ($4.97), Alaska ($4.96), Idaho ($4.85), Utah ($4.82), Illinois ($4.69), and Arizona ($4.66).
The nation’s top 10 least expensive gasoline markets are North Carolina ($3.70), Georgia ($3.77), Texas ($3.83), Tennessee (3.88), Indiana (3.89), Louisiana (3.90), South Carolina (3.90), Mississippi ($3.91), Arkansas ($3.93), and Alabama ($3.94).
Electric
The nation’s top 10 most expensive states for public charging per kilowatt hourare Hawaii (54 cents), West Virginia (52 cents), Louisiana (49 cents), California (47 cents), Alaska (46 cents), New Hampshire (46 cents), Arkansas (44 cents), North Dakota (44 cents), Arizona (44 cents), and Nevada (43 cents).
The nation’s top 10 least expensive states for public charging per kilowatt hourare Kansas (32 cents), Missouri (32 cents), Iowa (33 cents), Nebraska (34 cents), Maryland (35 cents), South Dakota (35 cents), Utah (35 cents), Vermont (36 cents), Minnesota (37 cents), and New Mexico (37 cents).
STATELINE, Nev. –Bigfoot is hitting the dance floor. Saxsquatch, the seven-foot-tall, saxophone-playing electronic music artist, is bringing his Conspiracy Theory Tour to Blu Nightclub at Bally’s Lake Tahoe Casino Resort on Friday, March 19.
Part Bigfoot, part saxophonist, part electronic music producer, Saxsquatch has built an online following of more than 3 million with a sound that blends live saxophone, original electronic music, remixes and plenty of crowd participation.
The North Carolina-based multi-instrumental artist has collaborated with musicians including John Oates, Billy Ray Cyrus and WAR, as well as electronic music label Monstercat. His music has also found its way into the gaming world, with theme music created for “Rocket League” and tracks featured in “Fortnite.”
His television appearances include “That’s My Jam!” with Jimmy Fallon and “Tosh.0.” Onstage, he has performed alongside acts including Tedeschi Trucks Band, Goldfish, Andy Frasco, Here Come the Mummies, Sam Bush and Pigeons Playing Ping Pong.
Saxsquatch’s 2024 “Bigfoot Rave” tour brought a full laser show to the dance floor, while his follow-up “Footprints” tour sold out 27 shows across the country, wrapping up with a sold-out performance at Denver’s Cervantes Ballroom.
Now, the elusive forest-dweller is heading to South Lake Tahoe.
Tickets go on sale to the public at 10 a.m. PDT Friday, Oct. 16, and will be available online.
EL DORADO COUNTY, Calif. – Measure S is a 0.375% sales tax whose revenue will be distributed to Marshall Hospital in Placerville, fire prevention districts across the county and a fire prevention education nonprofit.
Here’s everything you need to know about it before casting your vote.
Where will the money go?
Half of the money will go to Marshall Hospital in Placerville.
5% will go to a nonprofit focused on wildfire risk reduction and education, likely Firewise.
The remaining 45% will be split up among 13 fire districts in the county, proportional to how many full-time fire engines operated in the county in November 2025.
While the measure’s language may seem vague, saying that 50% of the revenue will go to “eligible local hospitals,” this is because California’s constitution prohibits measures from naming specific private entities to benefit from tax measures.
Instead, the language singled out Marshall by limiting the eligibility to hospitals licensed to operate at least 100 general acute care beds as of Jan. 1 2025. Barton Memorial Hospital only has 63 acute care beds, according to a 2024 release.
“The only facility eligible to receive funding under the Measure is Marshall Hospital,” the board of supervisors’ analysis said.
Similarly, Schneider said the language around the nonprofit was targeted to fund Firewise, but the measure’s language once again cannot legally specify and the county will solicit requests for proposals from any eligible nonprofits.
How much will I end up paying?
Here’s an oversimplified example: If you spend $100, the Measure S tax will add another 37.5 cents. The total sales tax on that purchase would then be $9.13 instead of South Lake Tahoe’s current sales tax of $8.75.
If you spend $100 on taxable purchases (excludes most groceries) every week for a year, that extra Measure S tax will add up to $19.50. And if you kept that rate of spending up for its full 30 year span, with a steady 2% inflation adjustment, you would pay $687 total.
Within South Lake Tahoe, consumers are already taxed at 8.75%. Measure S would push that up to 9.125%. That means the sales tax added to your receipt will go up by 4%.
How much money will the tax generate?
Over the tax’s 30 year lifespan, Measure S projected that it will bring $603.8 million, but the county’s Chief Administrative Office said it will only bring $541.1 million in its analysis that was requested of the board of supervisors. The CAO based its adjustment on recent data that wasn’t available at the time Measure S’s estimates were performed, it said.
In the first year, Measure S predicts the sales tax will generate $13 million, while county staff predicts a half million more than that, at $13.5 million. By the time the tax sunsets in 2057, Measure S predicts it will have generated $29.5 million per year. County staff predict it will generate only $23.6 million for 2056, roughly $6 million less.
The county’s Auditor-Controller Joe Harn said he agrees with the CAO’s analysis over the Measure S analysis in a written public comment to the board of supervisors.
How much of the money will end up in South Lake Tahoe?
South Lake Tahoe Fire Rescue will receive 5.4% of the total share. Plus, a portion of the 5% dedicated to nonprofit fire prevention education will be spent in the city, since it is required to be evenly distributed throughout the county.
In 2029, the city’s fire rescue will receive $788,570, the CAO analysis predicts. By 2056, the year before the tax sunsets, the department is predicted to receive close to $1,232,000.
Why doesn’t Barton Health benefit from the tax?
Barton discussed the possibility of being included in the measure with Marshall in 2025 but decided not to participate “after careful review,” according to Mindi Befu, public information officer for Barton Health. Schneider also mentioned Barton’s initial engagement.
When asked whether Barton Health supported or opposed Measure S, Befu wrote: “While Barton has no official position on the initiative, we recognize and respect the importance of emergency preparedness, wildfire mitigation, and healthcare modernization across the region.”
Befu said Barton Health is addressing issues of modernization and seismic upgrades by proposing a new hospital at its Stateline campus, and it intends to fund the project through direct investment and philanthropy.
What will the money be used for?
Marshall Hospital may only use the funding for capital improvements, meaning anything related to updating or renovating its facilities. The funding may not be used on salaries, clinical operations or any day-to-day costs.
Essentially, Marshall Hospital will take out a loan against the predicted sales tax revenue to renovate its facilities, then pay off that loan over the 30 years using the tax’s funds, Schneider said, likening it to a mortgage.
In trying to meet the state’s 2030 deadline for earthquake code compliance, Marshall has sunk over $70 million into the seismic infrastructure with more than $40 million to go, Schneider said. If Marshall doesn’t meet that deadline, the state could revoke its license, essentially shutting the hospital down.
Schneider also said Marshall needs to modernize the rest of the facility that has been neglected as funding went toward meeting the state deadline.
There are no restrictions on how the fire districts may use the funding. Individual districts have elected boards that will allocate the funding based on each district’s need, Schneider said.
The 5% earmarked for nonprofits will be given to a nonprofit that assists with and educates people on fire prevention methods such as defensible space and home hardening.
How many votes does it need to pass?
The measure was introduced as a citizens’ initiative, which means it needs only 50% approval to pass. If a government agency proposes a new tax, it would need two-thirds of the vote. The citizens initiative also requires the tax to encompass the whole county, rather than a specific jurisdiction.
Who supports the bill?
Everyone who will receive funding supports the tax, obviously. Marshall Hospital is the top sponsor supporting the measure, and Schneider said it has spent over $600,000 promoting it. That includes the “Strong strong, El Dorado” lawn signs along streets in town.
The coalition of fire districts that would receive funding and Firewise are also big supporters.
Others who are listed as endorsing the measure on the “Yes on S” website include:
Mayor of Placerville
Executive Director of the El Dorado County Chamber of Commerce
El Dorado County Superintendent of Schools
El Dorado County Fire Safe Council
Hospital Council of Northern and Central CA
Economic Development of El Dorado County
Several current and former Placerville city councilmembers and county supervisors
Who opposes the bill?
South Lake Tahoe City Council voted unanimously to oppose Measure S at its special meeting on Tuesday, Oct. 13. Council members cited that every member of the El Dorado County Board of Supervisors said they opposed Measure S at a previous meeting to discuss the measure, though the board did.
The group that has spent the most money opposing the bill is Patriots of El Dorado County, who sponsored the “No on S” signs along Highway 50.
Co-Chair of California Taxpayers Protection Committee Ray Nutting wrote an op-ed against Measure S in South Tahoe Now; he is also a former El Dorado County supervisor.
No Kings IV will be held at Lakeview Commons on Saturday, Oct 17 at 1 p.m.Victoria Mastrocola / Tahoe Daily Tribune
SOUTH LAKE TAHOE, Calif. – A No Kings IV Vote Early march and rally is scheduled to take place on Saturday, October 17, at Lakeview Commons Plaza.
The rally will begin at 1 p.m., followed by a march from Lakeview Commons to the ballot box at 3 p.m. Organizers encourage attendees to bring their completed ballots to the ballot drop box at the El Dorado County Library – South Lake Tahoe branch.
“The specific goal for this event is to get people mobilized, get them outside, get them joined up with fellow people that think the same way, and really just show that there’s people that care about democracy and are willing to stand up and march for it,” said Beck Machin-Ward, founder and chairman of the Young Democrats Committee at Lake Tahoe Community College (LTCC).
Voter registration and voter status checks will be available at the event, in addition to daily voter registration events occurring at LTCC every day through Monday, organized by the Young Democrats Committee.
“One thing we’ve noticed, just because of how large California is and how spread thin all of the election boards are, there’s not too many natural opportunities for people to check their status and to register online or register through filling out one of the paper registration forms,” added Machin-Ward. “So every opportunity that we have to give that to the people in South Lake, we’re definitely gonna take.”
Due to the ongoing El Dorado Beach/Lakeview Commons improvement project, the Commons parking lot may be closed. Construction is anticipated through October 15 but may potentially extend depending on progress, weather, and permitting. Attendees should plan to park legally on surrounding neighborhood streets and walk to Lakeview Commons.
The event, hosted by 50501 Tahoe, Tahoe Resistance Alliance, Young Democrats Committee of LTCC and South Lake Tahoe Indivisible, marks the fourth No Kings rally seen in South Lake Tahoe, with previous rallies drawing in hundreds.
Natalie Lynn Spandau, 62, passed away on August 7, 2026. Natalie grew up in Diamond Bar, California and spent her youth playing soccer and driving race cars. She then followed her love for skiing to South Lake Tahoe, California. Missing the desert she grew up playing in, she made her way back to Anza Borrego State Park where she spent her evenings off-roading and taking sunset photos. She is survived by her brother, Chris Spandau, and daughters, Kelsi Buts and Janelle Spandau-Buts. She was preceded in death by her beloved parents, Virginia and Theodore Spandau, and brothers, Scott, Mark, and Kevin Spandau. A celebration of life will be held, details to follow.
Sue was born in Detroit, MI to Margaret and Leo Bolger, and grew up in Wyandotte, MI. She was one of five children, as well as an identical, mirror twin, as she would always say. She graduated from St. Patrick High School in 1956. She moved to Los Angeles, CA in the 1960’s, and worked for Union Oil. She met Paul Hrbacek through a computer dating service, and they were married in August 1969. Their son, Rory, was born in 1975, and daughter, Stephanie, in 1978. They lived in the Eagle Rock neighborhood of LA until 1979 when they moved to South Lake Tahoe. Sue loved sewing, and playing the piano. She sang with the Tahoe Choir, and made some of her lifelong friends through the Montessori School carpool. She began working for STPUD in 1985, and retired as Contracts Administrator in 2001. In the same year, she met Don Miller. They married and moved to Florida to begin retired life together, eventually settling in Mesquite, NV. Sue passed away at the age of 88 in Mesquite.
When tragedy struck the family in 1991, with the death of Rory, Sue made it her mission in life to support other parents whose children had died by founding The Children’s Memorial. With the help of artist Dan Jones, the memorial was created using the tree that Rory, Sandy and Casey had crashed into on Pioneer Trail. The Memorial’s forever home is on Hwy 50 at Wildwood Ave. The memorial will live on as a testament to her faith, and determination to help others. “Though she be but little, she is fierce.”
Sue is survived by husband, Don Miller, daughter Stephanie Hrbacek, brother Rory Bolger, granddaughter Chandre Pero, and eleven nieces and nephews. Sue is preceded in death by her son Rory Hrbacek, twin sister Dorothy Johnson, sister Maryann Seguin, sister Paddy McEntire, and former husband Paul Hrbacek.
Sue will be interred with her son Rory at Happy Homestead Cemetery.
LAKE TAHOE, Calif./Nev. – Lake Tahoe is in for a windy evening. The National Weather Service has issued a Lake Wind Advisory for the Greater Lake Tahoe, Truckee and surrounding areas for Thursday, from 7 p.m. to 2 a.m. Friday.
The advisory warns of winds 15 to 25 mph with gusts up to 35 mph that could drive two- to three-foot waves on Lake Tahoe.
“Gusty winds and rough waves on area lakes will create hazardous conditions for small craft,” the service said.
It is advised to check lake conditions before heading out and to be prepared for sudden increases in winds and waves, or to postpone boating activities altogether.
A new pizza restaurant is slated to come to Carson City in late November or early December.
That’s the word from Melissa Negrillo, who co-owns Mofos Pizza with her brother, Justin Morrison.
Their family first opened a restaurant in Incline Village in 1986, and expanded to Reno in 2021, Negrillo said.
Their trademarks are high-quality food that is served in a family-friendly environment. Mofos makes everything from scratch, she said.
The family’s marinara recipe came from Negrillo’s and Morrison’s grandfather, Walter Morrison, a Lockheed P-38 pilot who obtained it from some Italian sheepherders after he was shot down in southern Italy during World War II.
In addition to pizza and pasta dishes, Mofos’ Carson City location will include a salad bar, along with desserts.
The store at 444 E. William St., will replace Big Chicken and have 25 to 30 employees. Those looking for employment can apply at mofospizza.com.
Business hours will be 11 a.m. to 8:30 p.m., seven days a week.
Mofos Pizza’s other locations are at 18180 Wedge Parkway in Reno, just north of Mt. Rose Highway, and 868 Tahoe Blvd., in Incline Village.
SOUTH LAKE TAHOE, Calif. – The Lake Tahoe Lakers lived up to the hype last weekend by extending their win streak to five straight against the McCall Smokejumpers. The last three of those wins took place at the Tahoe Ice Arena during the Lakers’ first homestand of the season.
It was a dominant performance for the Lakers both offensively and defensively. They scored five goals in each game played while allowing just two total goals against during the three-game series.
The home opener on Friday night had just about everything: a capacity crowd, a hat trick from Chase Harrington, a bench-clearing brawl at center ice that resulted in four suspensions, and a shutout performance in goal from the red-hot Aidan Finn, who backstopped the 5-0 victory for the Lakers.
Head Coach Tyler Dill decided to ride the hot hand by starting Finn in net again on Saturday night. In that game, the Smokejumpers scored a power-play goal that finally ended Finn’s shutout streak against them at 94 minutes and 26 seconds, a streak that began a week earlier during Finn’s first start of the season in McCall, Idaho, back on October 3rd.
But the Lakers got goals from five different players to secure their fourth straight win by a score of 5-1.
In the series finale on Sunday, the Lakers offense exploded for four first-period goals in a span of just seven and a half minutes of play, including two goals from Lakers assistant captain Lewis Beddow (Parker, CO). Toronto, Ontario native Riley Misa added his team-leading sixth goal of the season in the third period to help give the Lakers another 5-1 win.
Lakers players and fans join in the celebration of Taiki Schneider’s first goal as a Laker.Provided / Tim Herenda
The forward line of Misa, Tristan Van Olm (Calgary, AB), and Justin Brar (Langley, BC) appear to be developing great chemistry together. The trio created some beautiful passing plays that resulted in a combined 2 goals and 3 assists together on Sunday. Brar now leads the team in scoring with 9 points in 6 games played.
Goaltender Connor McManus (Arvada, CO) was stellar between the pipes for the Lakers in his season debut, stopping all but one of the 44 shots he faced. Assistant Coach Zach Wickson, who works closely with the Lakers goalies, must be doing something right.
Some areas the Lakers might look to clean up heading into this weekend’s series against the Fresno Monsters relate to special teams. Lake Tahoe had trouble staying out of the penalty box against McCall, which resulted in 16 penalty kill situations faced. The good news is they had an 89% success rate while shorthanded. The power play, on the other hand, only went 1-for-13 during the homestand.
The home schedule continues this weekend against the Fresno Monsters, who fell just one win short of a USPHL Premier National Championship last season. The weekend series against the Monsters presents a great opportunity for the Lakers to continue to make the case that the blue, red, and teal are for real this year.
The action will take place at the Tahoe Ice Arena on Friday and Saturday nights at 7:30 pm and Sunday at noon. For ticket information, visit laketahoelakers.com
CORRECTIONS: Last week’s Lakers Report stated that Chase Harrington is from Calgary, AB. In fact, he is from Edmonton, AB. Also, Baron Tanton participated in training camp this season with the Prince George Cougars of the WHL, not the Prince Albert Raiders.
G-Pro Snow Removal has purchased a new building as their home base for future business operations.Provided / Sharon Bedwell
SOUTH LAKE TAHOE, Calif. – What started out as a hobby for Gino Bedwell has expanded into a thriving business over the last decade, and due to its growing success, G-Pro Snow Removal has found a new home base to continue serving the Lake Tahoe community when those winter storms hit.
Bedwell and his wife, Sharon, have lived in Lake Tahoe all their lives. If there’s anyone who knows the ins and outs of the community and its weather, it’s the pair, and between running both a construction business and their snow removal business, they also know the ins and outs of how to keep their livelihood afloat.
“I stepped in 10 years ago,” said Sharon. “I noticed that [Gino] needed a little extra help, and before I knew it, I was in full time. Bit by bit, we’ve just been growing, accumulating things and accumulating customers.”
After outgrowing their previous space with the addition of more tractors and equipment, the Bedwells recently purchased a building that best fits their business’s evolving needs, and the expansion comes just before a snow season that is rumored to be supercharged by the super El Niño that’s hitting the country this year.
“I think a lot of people have heard this year that it’s going to be a big winter,” Sharon said. “We’ve had people sign up a little earlier this year than last year because the last two winters, we really didn’t have much snow.”
It’s not easy operating a business in the Basin, and due to a solid foundation built throughout the years, G-Pro has been able to sustain customers each winter.
“It takes sacrifice, countless hours, dedication and most importantly integrity,” said Sharon when asked if there was any advice for those looking to start their own business in the area. “Also, if there’s a married couple trying to figure out how to be business partners as well as life partners, is to learn how to turn one hat off and turn the other on. Patience and communication are key.”
Sharon and Gino Bedwell.Provided / Sharon Bedwell
Their services range from commercial snow removal to residential routes and seasonal contracts. After a fresh snowfall is when they really get to shine, and now, they have a place to store their growing collection of machinery.
With one loader (a large tractor for commercial accounts), two MultiHogs (smaller tractors with blower attachments), two Bobcats (smaller than the MultiHogs with blower attachments), one plow truck and a several Honda blowers, there’s really not much snow they can’t get through.
Although, along with all that heavy-duty equipment comes its share of challenges. In order to operate efficiently, maintenance is a must.
“We just paid $30,000 to repair a tractor,” said Sharon. “It’s not cheap to operate a business like this.”
“And our employees are so valuable to us,” Bedwell added. “For both businesses, nothing can happen without them.”
The Bedwells, in addition to gratitude and praise for their hard-working employees, have also remained grateful over the last 10 years to be able to live and work in their favorite place, Lake Tahoe.
“I feel honored,” Sharon said. “The fact that we can do this and still live here – I love Tahoe. I love my home. We’ve both moved away and came back because there’s nowhere else I’d want to raise my kids, no where else I’d want to go.”
If you’re located near the following: The Y area, State Streets/Keys, Sierra Tract, Al Tahoe Neighborhood, Black Bart streets, Cold Creek and all adjacent streets behind Sierra House, off of Pioneer Trail and off streets down to Elks Club Neighborhood including lower Mandan, Ski Run, or the Bijou area, G-Pro Snow Removal can easily service your area.
To learn more about G-Pro Snow Removal or to get ahead in booking before the winter season starts, visit gprosnowremoval.com.
G-Pro Snow Removal is now located at 2089 James Avenue in South Lake Tahoe, Calif.
PLACERVILLE, Calif. – The El Dorado County Community Action Council is currently seeking one new member. The Council is looking to fill the vacancy with someone who can represent the interests and concerns of people and families with low incomes living in El Dorado County, with a special focus on housing, nutrition, and low-income program needs. Low-income representatives must reside in El Dorado County.
“We’re specifically looking for a representative who is committed to actively participating in the Council meetings and advancing the goals of the Council on behalf of low-income people in our community,” said Rebecca Johnson, Program Coordinator with the El Dorado County Health and Human Services Agency.
The Council acts in an advisory capacity to the El Dorado County Board of Supervisors and the El Dorado County Health and Human Services Agency. The Council provides for the collaboration of local government, private organizations, and citizens serving the most vulnerable populations. Positions are voluntary and unpaid. Meetings are held in Placerville, nine months out of the year.
For more information about the Council and to receive a member application please visit Community Action Council – El Dorado County (https://www.eldoradocounty.ca.gov/Services/Assistance-Programs/Financial-Employment-Services/Employment-Services/Community-Action-Council), email
CAC@ edcgov.us (mailto:CAC@ edcgov.us), or call 530-621-6150.
The inaugural South Shore Chili Cook Off takes place on Saturday, October 17.Provided / Luca Genasci – Lake Tahoe AleWorX
STATELINE, Nev. – This weekend marks the start of an exciting new chapter for the Tahoe Basin as the Tahoe Chamber hosts an inaugural South Shore Chili Cook Off on Saturday, October 17 at Golden Nugget Lake Tahoe.
Extending far beyond Tahoe’s love for chili, this community fundraiser pairs first responder agencies with 12 restaurants, who will together compete to earn your vote for the best-tasting chili. What’s more, each participating first responder agency has selected a charitable cause to pour their benefits into.
“It’s so great to bring this all together,” said Jessica Grime, President and CEO of Tahoe Chamber. “It’s going to benefit so many charities in total.”
Here are the list of pairings and their chosen beneficiaries:
AleWorX + Lake Valley Fire Department – Benefiting the family of fallen Fire Engineer Neil Schnaible
Fox & Hound Smokehouse BBQ & Grill + Tahoe Douglas Fire Protection District – Benefiting Wildland Firefighter Foundation
Tahoe Bagel Co. + Care Flight – Benefiting Boys & Girls Club Lake Tahoe
Himmel Haus + El Dorado County Sheriff’s Office – Benefiting El Dorado County K9 Association
McP’s Taphouse Grill + South Lake Tahoe Police Department – Benefiting Sierra Law Enforcement Chaplaincy
The Woods + South Lake Tahoe Fire Department – Benefiting National Fallen Firefighters Foundation
South of North Brewing Co. + CalTahoe EMS – Benefiting Bread & Broth for Kids
LTCC Culinary Arts + LTCC Forestry, Fire & Public Safety Program – Benefiting LTCC Foundation
Golden Nugget Lake Tahoe + CAL-REACH – To Be Announced
California Conservation Corps + California Conservation Corps – Benefiting California Conservation Corps Foundation
Bruschetta + Douglas County Sheriff’s Office – Benefiting Kahle Community Center
Cali Burger + California Highway Patrol – Benefiting California Highway Patrol 11-99 Foundation
Each team will concoct their own chili recipe prior to the event. Months of hard work and preparation will have gone into balancing spice and perfecting flavors. It’s up to attendees to decide who wins, as every single ticket holder gets a vote.
The team who earns the ‘W’ for their chili will not only get their hands on the first-ever South Shore Chili Cook Off trophy, they will also earn the largest share of proceeds for their selected beneficiary.
In addition to the perks of enjoying unlimited tastings of deliciously warm chili, chances to give back to the community are available to those who attend. All you have to do is bring a new, unwrapped toy for the Toys for Tots Holiday Toy Drive.
Whether you’re just visiting, you’re a long-time community member, or you have a family member, friend, or colleague associated with any of the participating organizations, the inaugural South Shore Chili Cook Off is a great way to show your support and celebrate the fall season in Lake Tahoe.
“We do this, not only for the families to get behind and the community to support, but we also partner with lodging because we want tourists to come up,” said Grime. “It drives the economic vitality of all our restaurants, lodging and small businesses.”
This family-friendly event also includes the opportunity to view and tour a REACH Air Medical Services helicopter, a Tahoe Douglas Fire Engine, and a Douglas County Sheriff’s K9 Unit vehicle.
Many resorts and hotels in the Stateline/South Lake Tahoe area offer special event lodging rates, conveniently located within walking distance of the event.
Partnerships and sponsorships include Golden Nugget Lake Tahoe Resort, South Lake Tahoe Tourism Improvement District, Tahoe Douglas Visitors Authority, and Lake Tahoe Visitors Authority.
The first-ever South Shore Chili Cook Off starts at 11 a.m. and runs until 2 p.m. on Saturday, October 17 at Golden Nugget Lake Tahoe. Paid parking will be available at Golden Nugget Lake Tahoe, but as always, attendees are encouraged to carpool, utilize Lake Link, or bike to the event where free bike valet will be available.
“I really hope that this is something we can grow year after year,” added Grime.
An Evening with moe. at Harrah’s Lake Tahoe – 8-10 p.m., Harrah’s Lake Tahoe, 15 Highway 50. Thursday, October 15, 2026, 8:00 pm. An evening with moe. inside the South Shore Room at Harrah’s Lake Tahoe.
Tickets at Ticketmaster.com
moe. is one of the longest-running and most influential bands in the American jam-band scene. Formed in Buffalo, New York, more than 35 years ago, the six-piece group built a devoted following through its blend of rock, improvisation, progressive influences, humor, and adventurous live performances. The band’s current lineup includes Rob Derhak, Al Schnier, Chuck Garvey, Vinnie Amico, Jim Loughlin, and Nate Wilson.
Known for extended improvisational jams and a constantly evolving concert repertoire, moe. emerged alongside groups such as Phish, Blues Traveler, and Widespread Panic as pioneers of the modern jam-band movement. Their catalog includes fan favorites such as Tin Cans & Car Tires, The Conch, and the recent album Circle of Giants, which showcases the band’s resilience and continued creativity after decades on the road.
Celebrated for “mind-bending musicality” and energetic live shows, moe. continues to perform extensively, averaging roughly 100 concerts per year and attracting audiences who appreciate both strong songwriting and spontaneous musical exploration.
For more information, visit https://visitlaketahoe.com/event/an-evening-with-moe-at-harrahs-lake-tahoe/ or call (800) 427-7247.
Chris Seal – 12-2 p.m., Heavenly Corner Stage.
For more information, visit https://tahoemusic.live/?page=2.
Daily Live Music – 12-8 p.m., Gunbarrel Tavern. Daily live music at multiple locations in the Village, including the corner stage at Azul Latin Kitchen, Basecamp Pizza, and Gunbarrel Tavern. Additional dates: 10/15, 10/16, 10/17, 10/18, 10/19, 10/20, 10/21.
For more information, visit https://theshopsatheavenly.com/event/live-music-gunbarrel-tavern/2026-10-15/.
Gametime Specials at Cutthroat’s Saloon – 5 p.m., Hyatt Regency Lake Tahoe, 111 Country Club Drive. discount sliders and draft beer exclusively available during gametime Additional dates: 10/15, 10/19.
For more information, visit https://www.hyatt.com/hyatt-regency/en-US/tvllt-hyatt-regency-lake-tahoe-resort-spa-and-casino/dining or call 7758866675.
Jon Sills – 5-8 p.m., Base Camp Pizza. Additional dates: 10/15, 10/18.
For more information, visit https://tahoemusic.live/?page=2.
Karaoke at Rojo’s Tavern – 10 p.m.-2 a.m., Rojo’s Tavern, 3091 Harrison Ave. Karaoke at Rojo’s. Thursday through Saturday nights starting at 10:00 PM in the Tavern. Hwy 50 & San Francisco. South Lake Tahoe. 21+
Featuring Midnight Blue Karaoke with over 16,000 updated songs! Don’t forget to tip your DJ!
Our mission is to make karaoke fun for everyone! Wether you’re into country, hip hop, oldies, 80s, rap, or heavy metal, we just want you to have a good time! We run a fair show- everyone gets their chance to shine. With the capability to download karaoke songs on the spot, if we don’t have your song don’t worry, we’ll get it!! However, we use only legally purchased music, no youtube allowed (sorry) and sometimes that means we may not be able to play a song, but the Integrity of our business means more to us.
10 Tips for Karaoke-Tip #1: Know Your Voice – If you know you can’t hit the high notes, don’t sing songs by Queen. If your voice gets all weird with the low notes, don’t sing Barry White songs. Know what your voice is capable of and choose a song accordingly. Midway through a song is an embarrassing place to find out that you’re not Adele.
Tip #2: Avoid Songs with Guitar Solos/Long Pauses – So you’ve chosen a song that has about 2 or 3 long guitar solos. When those solos kick in, what do you plan on doing? No idea? Yeah, me neither. Unless you have something planned like doing a little dance or warming up the crowd with some interaction (“WHASSUP, CLEVELAND!!!!!!!”), you should just avoid guitar solos and long instrumentals altogether. It’s just gonna be you standing around, waiting for your turn to sing while people stare at you and that’s an awkwardness that alcohol can’t wash away.
Tip #3: Stick with Shorter Songs, Unless you can SERIOUSLY Deliver! – Don’t sing “Bohemian Rhapsody,” “Summer Lovin’ ” or anything by Pink Floyd, unless you KNOW that everybody’s into it and you won’t get bored with the song halfway through. Remember that there are other people just itching to rock the mic. Don’t be the guy that hogs the spotlight singing a half-assed version of “Dead or Alive,” because the next singer will definitely want you dead (*stops for applause for clever writing*).
Rule #4: Be Creative with Your Song Choice – If you’re like me, you’ll roll your eyes and excuse yourself to go to the bathroom whenever someone starts to sing “Sweet Caroline” or “Don’t Stop Believin’.” It’s not that they aren’t great songs, it’s just that in the world of karaoke they’ve been done to death. It’s almost cliché how often these songs get sung. Separate yourself from the rest by choosing a song that people forgot how awesome it was until you reminded them with your melodious tones! You’ll get an “A” for originality while still keeping the party going.
Tip #5: Know the Songs, Not Just the Chorus – When you go up to sing, you have to remember that you’re going to be singing THE WHOLE SONG. Not just the one part that you know really well because you hear it on the radio a whole lot. If you know the entire song, you can give a much better and nuanced performance. Heck, you can even do a little improving on the song and work the crowd into a frenzy! I’m not saying you have to have it memorized, but when you know the song well enough that you don’t even have to look at the screen, it loosens you up and steps your karaoke skillz, with a “z,” up a notch!
Tip #6: Avoid Obscure Songs – You may feel the need to choose a song that’s a B-side on an album that nobody’s heard of, but you’re SURE will totally rock. You may want to enlighten the masses with a song that they probably won’t know but you like, and that’s all that matters because you’re the birthday boy and if they don’t know “Uncontrollable Urge” by Devo, then they can go SUCK IT … um … for example. Well, you can sing that if you want to but when you sing an obscure song, just remember that everybody else won’t know it, thereby leaving that awkward silence we discussed in Rule #2. Remember that?! Singing an awkward song is like telling an inside joke to an audience. You might be amused, but you’ll alienate others and make the next singer all impatient. Not cool, bro … not cool.
Tip #7: Know Your Audience – Nickelback songs may not be the best song to sing in a room full of hipsters (unless you’re doing it ironically). Megadeath may not be the best song to sing in a room full of teenage girls. You can always say “screw ’em” and sing these songs if you like, but a TRUE karaoke champ will size up the room and choose a song that’ll get the people going. You should always choose a song that both you and the audience will like. That’s a win/win, baby pop!!
Tip #8: Clap for Everybody – This one is pretty simple. Just clap for all the people who have the cojones to sing their hearts out in front of a room of strangers. It’s just good form, people. You weren’t raised in a barn….unless you were, in which case, I apologize if you were offended by the previous comment.
Tip #9: Booze, Booze, Booze – It’s been said that you don’t need alcohol to have a good time and while that may be true (hard drugs are just as good), it’s not quite the case in karaoke. Liquored up karaoke is better than sober karaoke. That’s just science! It’ll bring out the showman in you that you never knew was there. So order a round of shots, make sure your designated driver is good to pour you into a car at the end of the night and sing, baby, sing……oh and drink responsibly!
Tip # 10: Have Fun! – I couldn’t think of a tenth rule, so I threw this generic one in here, but that doesn’t make it any less true. Don’t take karaoke too seriously. Have fun with it! At the end of the day, you’re just a drunk singing into a microphone, not auditioning for Idol. (Ed.Note: This rule does not apply if you’re in The Philippines . Seriously, don’t be a hero.)
I will say that if you follow the aforementioned Tips, I guaran-damned-TEE that you’ll be the belle of the ball at any karaoke party you go to. So, keep it funky fresh, homeslice and rock the mic ’til the break-a, break-a dawn.
For more information, visit https://visitlaketahoe.com/event/karaoke-at-rojos-tavern/2026-10-15/.
Live Music at AleWorX Lake Tahoe – 9-11:30 p.m., Lake Tahoe AleWorX at the Y, 2050 Lake Tahoe Blvd. Lake Tahoe AleWorX Music Series. Drink. Dance. Feel Good! Presented to you by Lake Tahoe AleWorX. Thursday, Friday, Saturday and Sunday. #Goodvibesonly
Check the Music calendar for times and specifics.
Why We’re Here:Our goal as a company is to provide the very best food and beverage experience for our locals and visitors throughout the upcoming summer. From Memorial to Labor Day Weekend we plan to host live entertainment EVERY evening. With both our Y and Stateline locations, we are in a unique position to be able to cater to two of the major niche markets within our #VisitLakeTahoe community.
Music is Life. That’s why our hearts have beats.The Venues:ALEWORX AT THE Y
Lake Tahoe AleWorX at the Y
Our Y Taproom opens with two glass paneled garage doors to a beautiful large patio featuring several fire pits and a permanent built in stage for entertainment. The stage is large enough to comfortably accommodate a large 5 piece band and has a natural forest backdrop making for a serene environment to enjoy some good music, a cold beer and a wood fired pizza with the whole family!
ALEWORX STATELINE
Lake Tahoe AleWorX Stateline
If you’re looking for a party, AleWorX Stateline is where you want to be! Our Stateline location lies right in the heart of the casino corridor between Harrah’s and Bally’s. The foot and drive by traffic exposure at our Stateline location is unparalleled in town. Our Stateline operation differs from that of our Y location in that it features a full bar where we focus on craft cocktails but inevitably carry the whole gamut of party supplies!
Check out Lake Tahoe AleWorX on Instagram
For more information, visit https://visitlaketahoe.com/event/lake-tahoe-aleworx-summer-music-series/2026-10-15/.
Mark Sheets – 6-9 p.m., South of North Brewing Co., 932 Stateline Ave. Additional dates: 10/15, 10/18.
For more information, visit https://tahoemusic.live/?page=2.
Oktoberfest Revision Beer Tasting – 5:30-6:07 p.m., Riva Grille, 900 Ski Run Blvd, Ste 3. Raise your stein and join us for an evening of great beer, delicious bites, and Oktoberfest fun at Riva Grill! Thursday, October 15, 2026 @5:30 PM Entry: purchase a drink at the bar or pay $15 Ticket. Enjoy a tasting of 4 carefully selected beers, paired with complimentary chef-selected appetizers designed to complement the flavors of the beers. 4 Beer Tastings Complimentary Appetizers Beautiful Lake Tahoe Views Gather your friends, come hungry, and get ready to celebrate Oktoberfest with us. Prost! Space will be limited, so we recommend arriving at 5pm, doors close at 6pm.
For more information, visit https://www.facebook.com/events/1757579645454977/.
Roger Collins – 12-2 p.m., Base Camp Pizza.
For more information, visit https://tahoemusic.live/?page=2.
Saawaan x Smoke Door Lake Tahoe – 5:30-9 p.m., Smoke Door , 9980 N Lake Blvd. What happens when two chefs from very different culinary traditions meet around a shared fascination with cooking over fire?
For one night only, Chef Earth (Saritwat Wanvichitkun) and Pastry Chef Pond (Chayanin Tanapradit) of Bangkok’s Saawaan are coming to Lake Tahoe for a special collaboration with Chef Koji Hanada and Pastry Chef/Culinary Director Matt Tinder of Smoke Door Lake Tahoe.
Saawaan is one of Bangkok’s acclaimed contemporary Thai restaurants, having held a Michelin star for four consecutive years. Its tasting menu explores regional Thai flavors through techniques including fermenting, steaming, boiling and charcoal grilling. Chef Earth, a Phuket native trained in both French and Thai cooking, leads the savory kitchen, while Chef Pond brings a pastry approach that combines classical technique with Thai ingredients and flavors.
Recently, Earth has become increasingly interested in wood-fire cooking and the possibilities it opens up, making Smoke Door – and its fire-driven kitchen in the mountains – a particularly interesting place for this collaboration.
Rather than creating a conventional fusion menu, the chefs will cook side by side across eight courses, alternating between Saawaan and Smoke Door. The dinner becomes a conversation between two distinct perspectives: Earth’s modern interpretation of Thai cuisine and Koji’s contemporary Japanese cooking, connected by a shared curiosity about fire.
It’s an especially natural meeting point for Koji, who spent four years at Tokyo’s two-Michelin-starred Den before joining the opening team of wood-fired Jiu, where working with live fire and seasonal Japanese ingredients became central to his cooking.
Pastry will have its own dialogue as well. Chef Pond will collaborate alongside Matt Tinder, whose career has included leading pastry programs at The Restaurant at Meadowood, Saison and Coi, as well as earning a James Beard Award semifinalist nomination for Outstanding Baker for his bakery, Saboteur.
Eight-course collaborative tasting menu $168 per person (+ tax, gratuity). Reservations via Opentable (under Experiences) Two seatings: 5:00 PM + 7:30 PM
For more information, visit https://www.opentable.com/r/smoke-door-lake-tahoe-saryo-kings-beach .
SAILING CLUB, YACHT ROCK PARTY W/ PIER PRESSURE – 10 p.m.-2 a.m., Tessie’s Cocktails & Chords , 18 US-50. Sailing Club launches at Tessie’s with Tahoe’s smoothest & grooviest party starters, Pier Pressure. Captains Orders – grab a cocktail and head to the dance floor. Sailing Club offers a night of high-energy yachty fun that keeps the room rocking from start to finish. Rascal Flatts ticket holders receive a BOGO cocktail with their concert ticket.
Jamie Saso 8 pm
Pier Pressure 10 pm
Grab a drink and settle in for a night of yacht rock party anthems.
Experience the yachty energy firsthand—book your table today.
Lounge open 11 AM Daily. For large party reservations or tables before 10 PM, call us at 775.586.5014 or email: VIP@tessiestahoe.com
For more information, visit http://tessiestahoe.com/events or call 6194547421.
Tahoe City Skeleton Scavenger Hunt – 9 a.m., Downtown Tahoe City, 425 N Lake Blvd. Skeletons have taken over downtown Tahoe City!
Join the Hauntober fun Oct. 9-31 and explore downtown to find all the hidden skeletons for a chance to win prizes. It’s a fun, free Halloween adventure for all ages!
Opens 11 a.m. on Oct. 9
Register at https://qrco.de/skeletons
Figure out the initial clue, head to that location. Check in, take a photo with the Skeleton hiding there — and unlock the next clue. Continue to the next location until you’ve found all 12!
Make sure to click all the top tabs to see the extra points options.
Find all 12 skeletons to be entered to win a prize!
Snap Photos: Shop, Eat, Drink and upload your receipt for more extra points
Everyone who completes the scavenger hunt gets entered once.
A verification code will be sent to complete your sign-up. The easiest way is to provide your phone number to receive the verification code via text. If you choose email only and don’t receive the code, please check your spam folder. It is not spam!
Part of Tahoe City Downtown Association’s Hauntober celebrations sponsored by North Tahoe Chamber. Additional dates: 10/15, 10/16, 10/17, 10/18, 10/19, 10/20, 10/21.
For more information, visit https://visittahoecity.org/hauntober26/ or call 5305833348.
Tahoe Talk Series: Dr. Christopher Barile – 5:30-7 p.m., 291 Country Club Dr. Description Dr. Christopher Barile presents: ‘From CO2 to Smart Windows: Chemistry for a Better Energy Future’.How can chemistry help create a cleaner, more sustainable energy future?Join us for a fascinating look inside the Barile Laboratory at the University of Nevada, Reno, where researchers use chemistry and electricity to develop innovative technologies that address everyday energy challenges.This talk will highlight two exciting areas of research. First, learn how scientists are working to transform carbon dioxide, a major human-generated greenhouse gas, into useful fuels and chemicals by designing materials that carefully control chemical reactions.Then, explore the development of a new generation of “smart” windows that can switch between clear and dark using electricity. By controlling how much light passes through a window, this technology could reduce glare while helping buildings use less energy for heating, cooling, and lighting.Together, these projects demonstrate how fundamental chemistry can be translated into practical technologies with the potential to support a cleaner and more energy-efficient future.
For more information, visit https://business.ivcba.org/event-calendar/Details/tahoe-talk-series-dr-christopher-barile-1941203?sourceTypeId=Hub.
Tipsy Putt Events – 10 a.m.-11 p.m., Tipsy Putt Tahoe, 4101 Lake Tahoe Blvd, Suite #101. Events
We’ve got a calendar packed with exciting events and exclusive offers that will make your time here unforgettable. From Tipsy Trivia to Putter Leagues, Clubbers League, and more, there’s never a dull moment at Tipsy Putt! Click here for all the information.
Authentic Street Tacos with a California Flair
We make every attempt to support local purveyors and source organic, sustainable farm-fresh ingredients whenever possible. Catering options are available for large parties planned in advance, or for delivery to your office or home party.
Here’s a peek at what’s happening:
Taco Tuesdays
Every Tuesday, enjoy $3 off Margaritas and 3 tacos for just $10! Who says holiday fun has to break the bank? Check out our margarita specials to pair with your favorite taco
Trivia Thursdays– Keep Your Brain Working Join us every Thursday for free trivia and test your knowledge on a range of topics. It’s a great way to stay sharp through the holiday season.
Football Sundays at Tipsy PuttEnjoy $19 Pitchers of our house light beer every Sunday in the NFL season.NFL SUNDAYS + $19 PITCHERS Catch the NFL games at Tipsy Putt and enjoy $19 pitchers of Mulligan Light, our house light beer, every Sunday. Football, cold beer, and all the games. See you Sunday!
Looking Ahead – Apres Ski at Its BestOnce the snow hits, we’re gearing up to be Tahoe’s best après ski destination with mini golf, great beer, and lively energy just steps from Heavenly.
Tipsy Putt is the perfect venue for team-building, family get-togethers, or friendly reunions. Tap here for the event brochure.
Book now to secure your date and make it a celebration to remember! Link to Contact
For more information, visit https://visitlaketahoe.com/event/tipsy-putt-events/2026-10-15/.
Friday, October 16
Afternoon Tea at Osteria Sierra – 1:30-3 p.m., Hyatt Regency Lake Tahoe, 111 Country Club Drive. Enjoy a refined afternoon tea experience every Friday, Saturday, and Sunday from 1:30pm to 3:00pm, featuring premium teas, house-made scones, pastries, and gourmet sandwiches. Additional dates: 10/16, 10/17, 10/18.
For more information, visit https://www.opentable.com/booking/experiences-availability?rid=1055665&restref=1055665&experienceId=763094 or call 7758866675.
Arty the Party at Harrah’s Lake Tahoe – 9 p.m., Harrah’s Center Stage, 15 Hwy 50. 9:00 PM, Friday and Saturday Nights. You can Party with Arty the Party at Harrah’s. It’s the best disco, dance, R&B, and soul party in Lake Tahoe!
“Arty the Party,” as he’s affectionately called, has been playing in Lake Tahoe for several years and now calls Casino Center Stage at Harrah’s his home.
Arthur’s incredible music career began as a lead singer for San Francisco’s 13-piece Zasu Pitts Memorial Orchestra. He then went on to star in the city’s famous stage musical production “Beach Blanket Babylon.” It didn’t take long before the San Francisco Giants, Oakland A’s, and the 49ers invited Arthur to come and sing the national anthem to open their games.
Arthur has developed a large following of loyal fans from here to L.A. People come to hang out and watch, then can’t help themselves when they end up dancing in their seats. Arthur’s versatility ranges from renditions of Van Morrison to party and dance hits from Shaggy.
For more information, visit https://visitlaketahoe.com/event/arty-the-party-at-harrahs-lake-tahoe/2026-10-16/.
Brewery Tours! – 5-6 p.m., South Lake Brewing Company, 1920 Lake Tahoe Blvd. Go Behind the Beer! 🍻
Ever wondered how your favorite South Lake Brewing Company beer goes from grain to glass? Join us for a behind-the-scenes brewery tour! Explore the brewing process, hear the story behind SLBC, and enjoy guided beer tastings along the way.
Whether you’re a craft beer enthusiast or just curious about how beer is made, this fun, interactive experience is the perfect way to see what’s brewing!
Tour Details:
Approximately 60 minutes
South Lake Brewing Co. | 1920 Lake Tahoe Blvd.
Guided beer tastings included
Must be 21+ with valid ID
Closed-toe shoes required
Looking for a private tour? We offer private brewery tours for groups of 5–10 guests! Contact us to arrange a date that works for your group.
For more information, visit https://www.southlakebeer.com/brewery-tours.
Chris Seal – 7:30-10:30 p.m., Noel’s Coffee and Apothecary. Additional dates: 10/16, 10/18.
For more information, visit https://tahoemusic.live/?page=2.
Core Stabilization & Balance Training – 12-1 p.m., Physical Therapy Clinic, 905 N. Lake Blvd. For patients trying to improve their overall balance, core stability, and muscle activation.
Strength training in a small group environment
Return to sports or activities of daily living
Balance training with a focus on proper muscle activation
Exercises will compliment goals established with your Physical Therapist
Affordable and cost effective
Led by Rachel Bowdle, DPT
$20 per person, per class. Pre-registration required.
Every Friday from 12:00-1:00pm at Tahoe City Physical Therapy Clinic.
For more information, visit https://www.tfhd.com/events/core-stabilization-balance-training-tahoe-city-drop-in-class/2026-10-16/.
Country Fridays: Line Dance Night – 9-11 p.m., Description Join us every Friday for line dancing and cold beer on the Incline Public House dance floor. Dust off your best boots and come ready to party!
For more information, visit https://business.ivcba.org/event-calendar/Details/country-fridays-line-dance-night-1677375?sourceTypeId=Hub.
Fall Changes Walk at Page Meadows – 9 a.m.-12 p.m., Tahoe Institute for Natural Science, 948 Incline Way. Autumn Exploration Series with TINS: Changes at Page Meadows Join the Tahoe Rim Trail Association (TRTA) guides and nonprofit partner Tahoe Institute for Natural Science (TINS) for a scenic October hike to Page Meadows, one of Tahoe City’s most stunning locations to witness the magic of fall. As the seasons change, so does the landscape and the wildlife that call it home. Together, we’ll search for signs of animals preparing for winter: caching food, migrating south, or bulking up for hibernation. Along the way, we’ll be immersed in the golden glow of Quaking Aspens as their leaves turn from green to brilliant shades of orange and yellow. Keep your eyes open as we may even spot bear scratches on tree trunks or other subtle clues of wildlife activity. This hike is perfect for nature lovers, photographers, and anyone curious about the rhythms of the natural world as it shifts into autumn. Difficulty – Intermediate Distance – 3 miles roundtrip Fill out my L
For more information, visit https://www.tinsweb.org/upcoming-events/g1f8pxm7knudvq6flklbeu5kwkemvs-cm37x or call 775.298.0060.
Fired Up! Business Forum For Young Professionals – 7:30-9:30 a.m., Description Join us on October 16th at Fired Up! Business Forum For Young Professionals. Fired Up! seeks to advance and empower next generation young leaders. Learn about the value of Mentorship and how to become a mentor or mentee. All are welcome! Our Keynote Speaker: Amy Ohran, President & CEO, Palisades Tahoe Our Fired Up! Panel: Andrea Gallardo, Co-Founder & COO, Alchemy Surf Resort Chris Gallardo, Co-Founder & Managing Partner, Alchemy Surf Resort John Jacobs, Vice President of Communications, Sacramento Republic FC General Admission Tickets: $25 for Members $35 for Non-Members Sponsorship Opportunities: $250 Spark Level includes 5 event tickets, recognition at the event, and 1 seat at VIP table. $500 Kindling Level includes 10 event tickets, recognition at the event, 2 seats at VIP table, recognition on website. $1000 Ether Level includes 20 event tickets, 2 seats at VIP table, recognition on website.
For more information, visit https://business.rosevillechamber.com/chamber-events/Details/fired-up-business-forum-for-young-professionals-1920480?sourceTypeId=Website.
The Floozies w/ Tba – 8 p.m., Crystal Bay Casino, 14 Highway 28.
For more information, visit https://devildogshows.com/event/the-floozies-w-tba/ or call (775) 833-6333.
Frey Ranch Whiskey Dinner Brooks’ Bar & Deck Edgewood Tahoe – 5:30-8 p.m., Brooks Bar & Deck at Edgewood Tahoe Golf Course, 100 Lake Parkway. Friday, October 16, 2026, Indulge in an exclusive four-course tasting dinner, expertly paired with curated whiskey from the esteemed Frey Ranch team, set against the stylish ambiance of Brooks’ Bar and Deck at the Clubhouse.
This distinctive culinary experience begins with a Welcome Reception at 5:30 PM, followed by an exquisite whiskey-paired dinner at 6:00 PM. Throughout the evening, savor in handcrafted cocktails and premium whiskey tastings from the Frey Ranch Farm + Distillery Family. Join us for an unforgettable night of refined dining, sophisticated pairings, and expert insights into the world of estate whiskey showcased by Ashley & Colby Frey themselves.
Reserve your spot for a night of culinary delight and memorable experiences! Reservations can be made on OpenTable.
Future spirit dinners: Friday, November 20, 2026, Patron.
For more information, visit https://visitlaketahoe.com/event/frey-ranch-whiskey-dinner-brooks-bar-deck-edgewood-tahoe/.
Hecate’s Cauldron: A Samhain Fire and Pole Ritual – 6-10 p.m., Paddle House Brews, 3135 Harrison. Saturday, October 16, 2026, Join us for Hecate’s Cauldron: A Samhain Fire and Pole Ritual at Paddle House Brews! Doors open at 6:00 pm, show begins at 6:30 pm.
A symphony of music, enchanting dance performances, and the scintillating spectacle of FIRE all for the celebration of Halloween/Samhain!
Brought to you by Tahoe Fire Dancers & Pole for the Globe! Prepare to be immersed in a spooky symphony of music, enchanting dance performances, and the scintillating spectacle of FIRE!
Join us at Paddle House Brews stage in South Lake Tahoe for this outdoor Halloween-themed event. Costumes are encouraged but not mandatory! Doors are are open at 6pm, with the Fire Show at 6:30pm – running for roughly an 90 min.
Bring whatever you need to stay warm and cozy. There is some seating available but feel free to bring your own chairs. Music will wrap by 10pm according to Sound Ordinance rules. Can’t wait to see you there for spooky night! Get your tickets today!
For more information, visit https://visitlaketahoe.com/event/hecates-cauldron-a-samhain-fire-and-pole-ritual/.
Lake Tahoe Marathon – The Lake Tahoe Marathon is three days full of fun from a free Soroptimist Kids Pumpkin Run to 5k, 10k, half and full marathons and special themed races. So far, signups are already exceeding last year’s numbers, but there is still space available. The weekend comes with the spectacular scenery of Lake Tahoe, fall colors, and the best aid stations you will ever enjoy. Bring your friends for three days of running fun.
Friday Oct 16
Between Lakeside Beach and Incline Village
Nevada Half Marathon
Lakeside Marathon
Saturday Oct 17
Between Spooner Summit and Tahoe City
Incline Half Marathon
Cal Neva Marathon
Very Scary 5K
Sunday Oct 18
Between Homewood and Lakeside Beach (Stateline)
The 31st Lake Tahoe Marathon
Emerald Bay Half Marathon
The Tahoe 10K
The Super Hero 5K
The Free Soroptimist Kids Pumpkin Run
For more information on the events, dates, locations, and registration, visit www.LakeTahoeMarathon.com or check out their Facebook page!
For more information, visit https://visitlaketahoe.com/event/lake-tahoe-marathon-run-tahoe-events/.
Lake Tahoe Sand Harbor State Park Celebrates Spooky Harbor – 7:30-9:15 p.m., Sand Harbor, 2005 Nevada State Route 28. Nevada State Parks is celebrating the fifth annual Spooky Harbor at Sand Harbor State Park with seven nights of Halloween movies, family activities and seasonal celebrations along the shores of Lake Tahoe.
From September 25 through November 1, visitors can enjoy movies under the stars on the Sand Harbor Stage. Movies begin approximately 30 minutes after sunset. The event is free, with standard park entrance fees applying.
This year’s lineup includes:
Friday, September 25, 8 p.m. – The Nightmare Before Christmas (rated PG)
Friday, October 2, 8 p.m. – Get Out (rated R)
Friday, October 9, 7:30 p.m. – Hocus Pocus (rated PG)
Friday, October 16, 7:30 p.m. – I Know What You Did Last Summer (rated R)
Friday, October 23, 7 p.m. – Monster House and Kids Fall Festival (rated PG)
Sunday, November 1, 6 p.m. – Coco and Día de los Muertos celebration (Rated PG)
The Kids Fall Festival on October 23 begins at 4 p.m., with trick-or-treating starting at 6 p.m. The Día de los Muertos celebration on November 1 begins at 3 p.m., followed by Coco at 6 p.m.
Visitors are encouraged to bring blankets, low-back chairs, flashlights and warm clothing. There will be no concessions, and lighting is limited after dark.
Movie ratings range from family-friendly favorites to films intended for mature audiences. Parents and guardians are responsible for determining whether a film is appropriate for their children.
Events are weather-dependent and may be canceled without notice. For more information and updates, visitors should check the parks.nv.gov/events before heading to the park.
Need to Know
Minors under 18 must be accompanied by an adult.
The program is weather dependent and may be canceled without notice. Check the Nevada State Parks website for updates before you head out.
Movie begins approximately 30 minutes after sunset.
Lighting is limited after dark.
There will be no concessions available.
Viewer discretion is advised. The Nightmare Before Christmas is rated PG. Parents and guardians are responsible for determining whether the film is appropriate for their children.
Meet at the Sand Harbor Stage.
What to Bring
Water
Warm, weather-appropriate clothing
Blankets
Low-back chairs
Flashlight
Snacks
What to Expect
Outdoor screening of The Nightmare Before Christmas
Movie under the stars with Lake Tahoe as the backdrop
Seating on the Sand Harbor Stage area
A relaxed, family-friendly evening
Movie begins approximately 30 minutes after sunset and runs for approximately 1 hour and 16 minutes
Limited lighting after dark, so bring a flashlight
Fees & Registration
Event is free.
Standard Sand Harbor State Park entrance fees apply.
Drop-in welcome. No registration required.
Contact
This program is hosted by Sand Harbor State Park. For questions, contact:Marissa Cookshsp@parks.nv.gov(775) 831-0494
For more information, visit https://visitlaketahoe.com/event/lake-tahoe-sand-harbor-state-park-celebrates-spooky-harbor/2026-10-16/.
Live Music at Cutthroat’s Saloon – 7-9 p.m., Hyatt Regency Lake Tahoe, 111 Country Club Drive. Experience live music by local artists! Additional dates: 10/16, 10/17.
For more information, visit https://www.hyatt.com/hyatt-regency/en-US/tvllt-hyatt-regency-lake-tahoe-resort-spa-and-casino/dining or call 7758866675.
Live Music at Whiskey Dick’s Saloon – 8 p.m.-2 a.m., Whiskey Dicks, 2660 Lake Tahoe Blvd.. Whiskey Dick’s Saloon Tahoe is a lively, no-frills spot for cold drinks, live music, and late-night fun in the heart of South Lake Tahoe. Known for its high-energy atmosphere and dance-floor vibes, it’s a go-to stop for locals and visitors looking to keep the night going. $10 cover for live music. All shows 21+.
Live music, free pinball, pool tables, internet jukebox. Free pool Mondays!
Karaoke Wednesdays at 9:00 pm. 21+
Happy hour 2:00-6:00 pm and 11:00 pm – close.
Whiskey Dick’s Saloon on Instagram and Facebook
For more information, visit https://visitlaketahoe.com/event/live-music-at-whiskey-dicks-saloon/ or call (530) 544-3425.
Mountainfilm on Tour North Lake Tahoe Night #1 – Social/Cultural/Environmental Films – 6:30 p.m., 415 N Lake Blvd. We are announcing our eighth annual screening of Mountainfilm on Tour North Lake Tahoe presented by the North Tahoe Chamber. The two-night programming, from October 16th-17th 2026, will feature films that are thought-provoking, educational, and awe inspiring as they relate to themes including adventure, social justice, environment and the human spirit. Both nights will benefit the local nonprofit, Sierra Avalanche Center. The two-night film series begins on Friday 10/16, with an intimate 95-person showing at Alpenglow Sports in Tahoe City. This evening is focused on showcasing films that highlight some of the most pressing environmental, political, social justice, and cultural issues facing our global community. Told from diverse perspectives and voices, these films offer powerful lenses through which we can all learn from and engage with the stories being shared. The ultimate goal of this intimate and emotionally moving evening is to build a stronger community by inspiring discussion and fostering unity. Doors open at 6:30pm and the films start at 7pm. There will be a complimentary dinner available from MOGROG Rotisserie, that is included in the ticket price. Additionally, beer, wine, and non-alcoholic beverages will be available to purchase, and all proceeds from these sales will benefit the local nonprofit, Sierra Avalanche Center. Tickets for Mountainfilm on Tour are required for entry, and are available for presale on Alpenglow’s website. For Friday evening, pre-sale tickets are $32, with an increase to $40 at the door. A combo ticket for both nights is also available for $50 online. This is a family friendly event. All tickets are non-refundable. There are 60 seats available and the remaining guests will fill the standing room only space. First come, first seated!
For more information, visit https://www.facebook.com/events/1101208225694837/.
Plates for Purpose Fundraiser with Soroptimist International of Tahoe Sierra – 5-9 p.m., Cascade Kitchens, 1030 Tata Lane. Cascade Kitchens Hosts Fundraiser for the Soroptimist International of Tahoe Sierra
Join us for our next Plates for a Purpose on Friday, October 16, as we team up with Soroptimist of Tahoe Sierra for an evening of good food, drinks, and giving back to our local community.
From 5–9 PM, a portion of food and beverage proceeds at Cascade Kitchens will benefit Soroptimist of Tahoe Sierra’s Education, Empowerment, and Basic Needs programs. Funds help support local schools, provide scholarships for women returning to school after overcoming setbacks, and fund other programs that make a difference right here in our community.
Make a night of it at Cascade Kitchens and help us support the important work Soroptimist of Tahoe Sierra is doing throughout the Tahoe community.
The fundraiser reflects Cascade Kitchens’ commitment to strengthening the local community through partnerships and events that combine great food with meaningful causes.
For more information, visit https://visitlaketahoe.com/event/plates-for-purpose-fundraiser-at-cascade-kitchens/.
Porterhaus – 5:30-9:30 p.m., South of North Brewing Co., 932 Stateline Ave.
For more information, visit https://tahoemusic.live/?page=2.
South Tahoe Classic and Old Car Giveaway at the Heavenly Village – 5-8 p.m., Heavenly Village, 1001 Heavenly Village Way. Cool Car Cruizen Fridays, All Cool Vehicles Welcome. Free to All.
Fridays, May through October. 5:00 – 8:00 PM
Gas money drawing, prizes, and more! Rain cancels. Open to all cars, trucks, and motorcycles. Brought to you by Good Sam Safe Ride.More information here
For more information, visit https://visitlaketahoe.com/event/cool-car-truck-and-motorcycle-cruise-every-friday-at-the-heavenly-village/2026-10-16/.
Thunderbird Lodge/Whittell Mansion Tour – Thunderbird Lodge/George Whittell Estate, 5000 State Route 28. Exclusive Tuesdays and Fridays guided tours let you explore the magic and mystery of the historic Thunderbird Lodge and Whittell Estate grounds. (Wednesdays from July 8 through September 2)
Learn about Captain Whittell’s conservation of Lake Tahoe’s Nevada shoreline and see his world-famous mansion, including secret tunnels, the card house, and the legendary Thunderbird yacht (when available).
RESERVATIONS REQUIRED.
Tours are on Tuesdays and Fridays at 11:00 am and 12:30 pm, May 26 – October 16, 2026. 75-minute lodge and estate tour.
Get your tickets online here
Shuttles depart from the Travel North Tahoe Nevada Welcome (Visitor’s) Center, 969 Tahoe Blvd., Incline Village, NV 89451. Please arrive 10 minutes prior to departure. No private cars allowed at the Thunderbird Lodge. For more information, call 1-800-GO-TAHOE (1-800-468-2463).
Afternoon upgraded wine and cheese tours are available each Tuesday and Friday (plus Wednesdays July 8th – September 2nd), in the afternoon at 2:00 pm. Wine & Cheese Tours
For more information, visit https://visitlaketahoe.com/event/thunderbird-lodgewhittell-mansion-tour-2/2026-10-16/.
Saturday, October 17
Alex Ramon “Magic” – 7:30 p.m., Harrah’s Lake Tahoe, 15 Highway 50. Harrah’s & Caesars Republic Lake Tahoe prohibits the carrying and/or possession of firearms (Even with a CCW) or other dangerous weapons on the premises. The venue reserves the right to implement security procedures designed to protect the experience for all of our customers. Sale Dates and Times: Public Onsale : Wed, 13 May 2026 at 10:00 AM
For more information, visit https://www.facebook.com/events/2724258737971327/ or call (800) 427-7247.
Blü Egyptian at Slice of Sierra – 9 p.m., Slice of Sierra Pizza, 3051 Harrison #103. Blü Egyptian returns to South Lake Tahoe at Slice of Sierra Pizza on Sat. October 17 at 9pm. Free. All ages.
Emerging from the heart of Northern California, Blü Egyptian continues to play for growing audiences in the West. From playing festivals like High Sierra, Golden Road Gathering and June Lake Jam Fest to supporting renowned national touring acts like Melvin Seals & JGB, Dogs in a Pile, Dizgo, Pink Talking Fish, Jerry’s Middle Finger and Sunsquabi, Blü Egyptian continues to blow minds with their ever evolving sound with an eclectic blend of Rock, Funk, Reggae, Bluegrass, and Electronica, creating unique segues from catchy original tunes to timeless covers.
Chris Seal – 5-9 p.m., Base Camp Pizza.
For more information, visit https://tahoemusic.live/?page=3.
Ditchweed Harvest – 12-3 p.m., @Heavenly.
For more information, visit https://tahoemusic.live/?page=2.
Drag BINGO at South Lake Brewing Co. – 6:30-8:30 p.m., South Lake Brewing Company, 1920 Lake Tahoe Blvd. Big laughs. Fabulous performances. Bingo for a cause.
Join Vista Rise Collective for Drag Bingo with The Twampsons on Saturday, October 17 at 6:30 p.m. at South Lake Brewing Company! Bring your friends for an evening of bingo, drag performances, and raffle fun while supporting survivors in our community.
Drag performances are free to enjoy! Want to play? $25 includes all rounds of bingo and one raffle ticket.
Funds raised support Vista Rise Collective’s free, confidential services for survivors of domestic violence, sexual assault, and child abuse, helping create pathways to safety, healing, and stability.
Come ready to cheer, laugh, and shout “BINGO!”
For more information, visit https://www.southlakebeer.com/brewery-events.
Glasses Wine Bar – 7-9 p.m., Description Live Music Saturdays
For more information, visit https://business.ivcba.org/event-calendar/Details/glasses-wine-bar-1741806?sourceTypeId=Hub or call (530) 270-9463.
IVCBA Fall Fest – 12-3 p.m., Description Details to come!
For more information, visit https://business.ivcba.org/event-calendar/Details/ivcba-fall-fest-1882875?sourceTypeId=Hub or call (805) 630-4442.
Logan Eastep – 5:30-9:30 p.m., South of North Brewing Co., 932 Stateline Ave.
For more information, visit https://tahoemusic.live/?page=3.
Mark Sheets – 4:30-7 p.m., Noel’s Coffee and Apothecary.
For more information, visit https://tahoemusic.live/?page=3.
Miki Rae Garrison – 4-6 p.m., Heavenly Corner Stage. Additional dates: 10/17, 10/18.
For more information, visit https://tahoemusic.live/?page=3.
National Mulligan Day | $1 Second Mulligan Light at Tipsy Putt – 11 a.m.-11 p.m., Tipsy Putt Tahoe, 4101 Lake Tahoe Blvd, Suite #101. National Mulligan Day | October 17
Everyone deserves a second chance or at least a second round!
Celebrate National Mulligan Day with a Mulligan Light, our thirst-quenching exclusive house light beer, and get your second Mulligan Light for just $1.
This offer is exclusive to the free Tipsy Putt app. Download the app, grab your offer and raise a glass to second chances.
Download the Tipsy Putt App
Terms & Conditions: Valid October 17, 2026 only. App exclusive. Purchase one Mulligan Light at regular price and receive a second Mulligan Light for $1. Must be 21+. Cannot be combined with other offers or discounts.
For more information, visit https://eventvesta.com/events/165017/t/tickets or call (530) 443-4376.
National Pasta Day – Hyatt Regency Lake Tahoe, 111 Country Club Drive. Description Hyatt’s Osteria Sierra National Pasta Day at Osteria Sierra October 17, 2026 | Osteria Sierra at Hyatt Regency Lake Tahoe Resort, Spa & Casino Celebrate National Pasta Day with a one-day culinary collaboration between Osteria Sierra at Hyatt Regency Lake Tahoe and La Zozzona at Grand Hyatt Scottsdale Resort. Guests will enjoy exclusive menu features from the partner restaurant, including signature pasta dishes and cocktails inspired by each destination. The celebration also includes the Culinary Getaway Raffle, where diners can enter for a chance to win a two-night stay and dinner for two at the partner property. No purchase is necessary; guests may also request a complimentary entry card at the hostess stand. Adding a charitable component to the event, proceeds from the special menu at Hyatt Regency Lake Tahoe will benefit a local STEAM-focused nonprofit. For reservations and more information: View the OpenTable Experience
For more information, visit https://business.ivcba.org/event-calendar/Details/national-pasta-day-1955387?sourceTypeId=Hub.
Porterhaus – 7:30-10 p.m., Noel’s Coffee and Apothecary. Additional dates: 10/17, 10/20.
For more information, visit https://tahoemusic.live/?page=3.
Puppy Plunge – 11:30 a.m.-1 p.m., ski beach. Description Incline Ski Beach Celebrate the opening of off-season dog access to Ski Beach* at the annual Puppy Plunge! Join us for exciting competitions and tasty treats, in collaboration with Pet Network Humane Society. Bring a jar of Peanut Butter for the Contest Entry. 2026 Details Date/Time: Saturday, October 17, 2026| 11:30 am – 1:00 pm Sign-ups for the dock diving competition start at 11:30 am Competition begins at 12 pm Location: Ski Beach* (967 Lakeshore Blvd.) Parking: Park across the street at Aspen Grove or in the Overflow Lot. Thank you to the Pet Network Humane Society, The Pet Station, and the Tahoe-Incline Rotary for helping to make this annual event a success! *Ski Beach is a restricted-access beach for the use of IVGID Picture Pass and Recreation Punch Card holders (with beach access), and their guests. Please review the access rules & restrictions for IVGID-managed beaches on the Incline Village Beaches page here. Visit the Parks & Recreation Programs page for more events, classes, and programs. Incline Village Parks & Recreation: 775-832-1310 | 980 Incline Way, Incline Village, NV – North Lake Tahoe
For more information, visit https://business.ivcba.org/event-calendar/Details/puppy-plunge-1906898?sourceTypeId=Hub or call (775) 832-1300.
Sean Hodge – 12-3 p.m., Base Camp Pizza. Additional dates: 10/17, 10/19.
For more information, visit https://tahoemusic.live/?page=3.
SLT – Robotics with LEGO – South Lake Tahoe Library
Oct 3, 10:00AM-11:30AM (6/20/2026, 7/18/2026, 9/19/2026, 10/3/2026, 10/17/2026, 10/31/2026)
Build and learn robotics with Legos! Discover the basics of coding and building Lego robots.
This activity is intended for ages 9-17. No experience necessary. Parental guidence may be required for younger attendees. Limited space available.
For more information, visit https://engagedpatrons.org/EventsExtended.cfm?SiteID=7839&EventID=587316&PK=954518.
South Shore Chili Cookoff – 11 a.m.-2 p.m., Golden Nugget Lake Tahoe, 50 Hwy. 50. Overview
Local Restaurants Team Up with First Responders in a Head to Head Battle for South Shore’s Best Chili.
South Shore Chili Cook Off 🌶️🔥
Saturday, October 17, 2026 | 11:00 a.m. – 2:00 p.m.Golden Nugget Lake Tahoe
Get ready for South Shore’s hottest new fall tradition! The inaugural South Shore Chili Cook Off brings together local restaurants and first responders for an afternoon of great chili, friendly competition, and community—all while raising funds for local causes.
Local restaurants will team up with first responder agencies to create their own signature chili and compete for the title of South Shore’s Best Chili!
Come hungry, sample the creations, meet the teams, and cast your vote for your favorite.
Participating restaurants include Golden Nugget Lake Tahoe, South of North Brewery Co., Tahoe Bagel Co., Fox & Hound Smokehouse Grill & Bar, Cali Burger, Bruschetta, McPs Taproom, and more, teaming up with first responders and public safety organizations including the South Lake Tahoe Police Department, South Lake Tahoe Fire Department, Lake Valley Fire Department, Care Flight Reno, LTCC Forestry, Fire & Public Safety Program, California Highway Patrol, Tahoe Douglas Fire Protection District, Douglas County Sheriff’s Office, El Dorado County Sheriff’s Office, and the California Conservation Corps.
Your Ticket Includes
Unlimited chili tastings and the opportunity to vote for South Shore’s Best Chili! Enjoy a fun afternoon connecting with the local restaurants and first responders who make the Tahoe community such a special place.
Chili for a Cause ❤️
A portion of proceeds from the South Shore Chili Cook Off will be donated to charities selected by the participating first responder teams. The winning team will earn the largest share for its selected charity, while proceeds will also benefit the charities represented by the other participating teams.
Guests are also encouraged to bring one new, unwrapped toy to contribute to the Toys for Tots Holiday Toy Drive.
Forest Suites Resort – Chili Cook Off Weekend Rate https://be.synxis.com/?adult=1&arrive=2026-10-16&chain=21123&child=0¤cy=USD&depart=2026-10-18&group=10Q8HD&hotel=38401&level=hotel&locale=en-US&productcurrency=USD&rooms=1
Stay Friday through Sunday, enjoy the Chili Cook Off on Saturday, and make a fall weekend out of your visit to South Shore!
Getting to the Event
Paid parking is available at Golden Nugget Lake Tahoe. Guests are also encouraged to use Lake Link, South Shore’s free on-demand transportation service, or ride to the event and take advantage of our free bike valet.
Bring Your Appetite & Cast Your Vote!
Gather your family and friends and join us for great chili, local restaurants, first responders, and a whole lot of South Shore community spirit.
Tickets are on sale now—secure yours and help us crown South Shore’s Best Chili!
The South Shore Chili Cook Off will take place rain or shine. All ticket sales are final and non-refundable.
For more information, visit https://www.eventbrite.com/e/south-shore-chili-cookoff-tickets-1994895604454?aff=oddtdtcreator or call (844) 588-7625.
Steep Canyon Rangers w/ TBA – 8 p.m., Crystal Bay Casino, 14 Highway 28.
For more information, visit https://devildogshows.com/event/steep-canyon-rangers-w-tba/ or call (775) 833-6333.
Tahoe Club Crawl Fall/Winter – 8-11 p.m., Aleworx Stateline 31 US-50. Tahoe Club Crawl is an organized VIP nightlife tour of the Tahoe South. With the purchase of your ticket, you will receive a welcome shot at 3 out of 4 stops, appetizers, free indoor games at Tipsy Putt and VIP entrance into Peek Nightclub, Lake Tahoe’s hottest Club! You will meet amazing people and have the night of your lives. We meet every Saturday at 8:00 PM Aleworx Stateline, unless told otherwise. Be Sure To Check Out our Ice Cream Shop, Aloha Ice Cream Tahoe “Winner of Best Ice Cream in Tahoe 7 Years In A Row” (Opened Seasonally)
Venues Subject to Change At Anytime, No Refunds
For more information, visit https://tahoeclubcrawl.ticketsauce.com/e/tahoe-club-crawl-spring-summer-2080?aff=cityspark.
Tahoe Club Crawl Spring/Summer 2026 – 8-11 p.m., Aleworx Stateline 31 US-50. Tahoe Club Crawl is an organized VIP nightlife tour of the Tahoe South. With the purchase of your ticket, you will receive a welcome shot at 3 out of 4 stops, appetizers, free indoor games at Tipsy Putt and VIP entrance into Peek Nightclub, Lake Tahoe’s hottest Club! You will meet amazing people and have the night of your lives. We meet every Saturday at 8:00 PM Aleworx Stateline, unless told otherwise. Be Sure To Check Out our Ice Cream Shop, Aloha Ice Cream Tahoe “Winner of Best Ice Cream in Tahoe 7 Years In A Row” (Opened Seasonally)
Venues Subject to Change At Anytime, No Refunds
For more information, visit https://tahoeclubcrawl.ticketsauce.com/e/tahoe-club-crawl-spring-summer-2080?aff=cityspark.
Tahoe Knight Monsters 2026-27 Schedule – 7 p.m., Tahoe Blue Event Center, 75 U.S. 50. The Knight Monsters begin season three on the road with a pair of contests against the Wichita Thunder on Saturday, October 17, and Sunday, October 18. Puck drop on Saturday is at 4:05 pm PT, with puck drop on Sunday at 1:05 pm PT. The home portion of the regular season gets underway with Opening Knight on Friday, October 23, as the Knight Monsters welcome the expansion New Mexico Goatheads to Tahoe Blue Event Center for the first time. Puck drop for the first of three games against New Mexico is at 7:00 pm PT. All home games are scheduled to start at 7:00 pm PT, with the exceptions of Sunday home games, which will start at 3:00 pm PT, and the game on Thursday, November 19, which starts at 10:30 am PT. In addition to New Mexico, the Knight Monsters will take on two new opponents this season when they face the Norfolk Admirals and South Carolina Stingrays, both in the ECHL’s Eastern Conference. The Knight Monsters face the Stingrays on the road on January 15-17, and will face the Admirals on the road on February 26-28, and at home on March 26-28. The Knight Monsters get an early chance to face the Kansas City Mavericks, who eliminated Tahoe from the Kelly Cup Playoffs last season with a three-game home series beginning on October 28. 58 of the Knight Monsters’ 72 regular-season games will be against Mountain Division opponents. Last season, Tahoe went 28-24-2-3 in games against divisional opponents. Below is a breakdown of matchups against teams in the Mountain Division.
For more information, visit https://www.tahoeblueeventcenter.com/events/detail/tahoe-knight-monsters-2026-27-schedule.
Tie Dye + Doughnuts – 9 a.m.-12 p.m., North Tahoe Regional Park, 849 Shelter Rd. Get creative and colorful! Add a splash of color and a sprinkle of sugar to your day! Join us for a hands-on tie-dye workshop where you’ll learn fun patterns and techniques—from spirals and stripes to everything in between. Make your own tie-dye bandana (bandanas provided), or bring a clean 100% cotton white piece of clothing to transform into your masterpiece. FREE to attend! All supplies are included, plus enjoy a delicious complimentary doughnut from Doughboys Donuts while you create!
For more information, visit https://www.facebook.com/events/1523241442939324/.
Winter Job Fairs – Diamond Peak – 9-11 a.m., Diamond Peak Ski Resort, 1210 Ski Way. Description Diamond Peak Ski resort Meet our Human Resources team, managers and interview in person at the job fairs or apply online. 2026-27 Winter Job Fairs Dates: Wednesday, September 23, 2026 (5:00pm-7:00pm) Saturday, October 17, 2026 (9:00am-11:00am) Location: Diamond Peak Ski Resort (1210 Ski Way, Incline Village) Tip: Create a profile and apply online prior to the job fair to speed up the process and have more time to chill and get to know the team. If you don’t get to it in advance, we’ll have computers on-site for you – no worries! Stoked for the job fair – what’s next? Now that you’ve marked your calendar for one of these hiring events, here are a few things to set you up for success while you wait: Visit the employment page for details about job perks and a list of other community hiring events we’ll be at this fall Browse job listings on our jobs portal at YourTahoePlace.com/jobs and jot down your top choices. (Tip: Select “Department – All” and “Type – Winter” to view all winter jobs) Create a profile and fill out your info Make sure you’re signed in to your profile and apply for your top choices Invite your pals to apply and come with you to interview at the hiring events listed above. jobs portal Human Resources & Employment Inquiries Incline Village General Improvement District Phone: 775-832-1205 , Fax: 775-832-1359
For more information, visit https://business.ivcba.org/event-calendar/Details/winter-job-fairs-diamond-peak-1906860?sourceTypeId=Hub or call (775) 832-1177.
Sunday, October 18
33rd Annual Golf Classic – 9 a.m.-5:30 p.m., Edgewood Tahoe Golf Course, 180 Lake Pkwy. JOIN US FOR THE 33ND ANNUAL GOLF CLASSIC ON OCTOBER 18, 2026!
Get ready for an action-packed day on the course, where every swing supports the Boys & Girls Club of Lake Tahoe! Join 36 foursomes for 18 holes of fun, complete with swag and treats at nine stops to keep you energized. Test your skills with hole-in-one challenges on four holes, including a chance to win a car on Hole 17, and KP contests throughout.
Best of all, 100% of the proceeds go towards essential after-school programs for the youth of South Lake Tahoe.
Email axistra@bgclt.org to register to play.
BECOME A SPONSOR!
Sponsorships include recognition at the event, on social media, our website, in email communication, along with other event day opportunities. See the sponsor benefit breakdown below or email golf@bgclt.org for more information.
Join us for a day of golf, fun, and community impact!
For more information, visit http://www.bgclt.org/annual-golf-classic or call 5305420838.
DPST Community Ski Swap – 10 a.m.-2 p.m., Description Buy, Sell & Gear Up for the Season! Find amazing deals on skis, snowboards, boots, outerwear, and more! Whether you’re upgrading your setup or just getting started, this is your chance to save big and support the local ski community. Don’t have enough to sell? Team up with other families and share a seller space
For more information, visit https://business.ivcba.org/event-calendar/Details/dpst-community-ski-swap-1926151?sourceTypeId=Hub.
Football Sundays at Tipsy Putt – 11 a.m.-11:59 p.m., Tipsy Putt Tahoe, 4101 Lake Tahoe Blvd, Suite #101. Enjoy $19 Pitchers of our house light beer every Sunday in the NFL season
NFL SUNDAYS + $19 PITCHERS 🏈🍺
Catch the NFL games at Tipsy Putt and enjoy $19 pitchers of Mulligan Light, our house light beer, every Sunday. Football, cold beer, and all the games. See you Sunday!
For more information, visit https://eventvesta.com/events/161301/t/tickets or call (530) 443-4376.
Hut…Hut…Brunch – 10 a.m.-3 p.m., Alibi Ale Incline Public House, 931 Tahoe Blvd. Description Every Sunday at Alibi Ale Works Incline Village HUT…HUT…BRUNCH! Sundays 10am-3pm starting September 13th (until February 14th) NFL at Alibi. Football season is back and so is brunch at Alibi Incline. Brunch it up from 10am-3pm every Sunday. Playing up to 3 different games on once. First fan, first serve. Get here early to get your team’s game on your preferred screen.
For more information, visit https://business.ivcba.org/event-calendar/Details/hut-hut-brunch-1919066?sourceTypeId=Hub.
Jaime Saso – 7:30-10:30 p.m., Noel’s Coffee and Apothecary.
For more information, visit https://tahoemusic.live/?page=3.
NFL at Alibi – Alibi Ale Incline Public House, 931 Tahoe Blvd. Description Every Sunday, Monday, & Thursday all season long – Alibi Ale Works Incline Village NFL at Alibi Sundays, Mondays, and Thursdays starting September 10th (until February 14th) Watch football at Alibi. Come save your spot and get some beer for every NFL game this season. We will have the games showing at both Alibi pubs this season. Football Schedule: *pub events will take priority to the games* Keep updated on our free app
For more information, visit https://business.ivcba.org/event-calendar/Details/nfl-at-alibi-1919162?sourceTypeId=Hub.
Seasonal Reverse Happy Hour – Tipsy Putt, 4101 Lake Tahoe Blvd Suite 101. Cheers to Tahoe Summer Nights!
Join us Sunday through Thursday from 8pm to close for Reverse Happy Hour!
50% off All-You-Can-Putt passes and 50% off draft cocktails (with purchase of All-You-Can-Putt).
Your games pass unlocks unlimited mini golf and 1–2 Putt™ rounds all day—so if you start earlier and keep your wristband on, you’ll still score half-off cocktails that night.
Members? You’re always in luck! Enjoy 50% off draft cocktails during Reverse Happy Hour without a games purchase!
Late nights, great drinks, and endless putting! Cheers to that!
For more information, visit https://tipsyputt.com/event/summer-reverse-happy-hour-tipsy-putt-mini-golf-drink-specials/2026-10-18/.
Shawn Campanini – 12-3 p.m., Base Camp Pizza.
For more information, visit https://tahoemusic.live/?page=3.
South Tahoe Sketchers – October meet – 10 a.m.-12 p.m., Gather Botanical Cafe , 595 Tahoe Keys Blvd. Enjoy a couple of hours sketching marathon runners and spectators along Venice Drive or retreat to the cafe in case of unfavorable weather. We will meet at 10am at the cafe for an optional warmup exercise and will do our throw down (sharing) at 11:45.
For beginners, professionals, and all in between. Free event, no registration needed.
or call 530-416-1416.
Truckee River Day – 1-4 p.m., Come together for a day of river, meadow, and wetland restoration. Participants will work side-by-side with other volunteers to plant plant native vegetation, improve wildlife habitat, and protect sensitive areas. Projects start at either 9am or 11am and end between 2-3pm at various locations around the watershed. Also join TINS and other non-profits at the Truckee River Day Fair at Granite Flat Campground from 1pm to 4pm to celebrate the Truckee River! All are welcome. Live entertainment, environmental education activities, art projects and more! Granite Flat is 1 mile south of Truckee on Highway 89. For more information, please click h
For more information, visit https://www.tinsweb.org/upcoming-events/truckee-river-day-kh82f-dfhns-eb9ne-hz485.
Truckee River Day – 11 a.m.-2 p.m.,
For more information, visit https://sugarpinefoundation.org/.
Monday, October 19
Kris Munn – 7:30-11 p.m., Noel’s Coffee and Apothecary.
For more information, visit https://tahoemusic.live/?page=3.
Local’s Night at Cutthroat’s Saloon – 5-7 p.m., Hyatt Regency Lake Tahoe , 111 Country Club Drive. Incline Village local’s with IVGID picture pass receive 20% off food and drinks!
For more information, visit https://www.hyatt.com/hyatt-regency/en-US/tvllt-hyatt-regency-lake-tahoe-resort-spa-and-casino/dining or call 7758866675.
Miki Rae Garrison – 6-9 p.m., South of North Brewing Co., 932 Stateline Ave.
For more information, visit https://tahoemusic.live/?page=3.
Monday Night Putters™ – 7-9 p.m., Tipsy Putt – South Lake Tahoe, 4101 Lake Tahoe Boulevard, Suite # 101. Monday’s Drop In Putting League
Monday Night Putters ⛳
Monday nights are for putting. Join us every Monday at 7 PM for Monday Night Putters, our drop-in mini golf league where you can play when you want, rack up points, and compete for some seriously good prizes.
The season tees off August 24th and runs through November 16th, with weekly prizes up for grabs plus progressive, season-long prizes for our most dedicated putters.
How it works:
⛳ $24 each week you play — or become a Tipsy Putt Member, because members always play FREE!
🏆 Win weekly prizes every Monday.
📈 Earn points every time you play. The more Mondays you show up, the more points you earn toward our season-long prizes.
🎁 And trust us—the season prizes are GOOD.
No need to commit to the entire season. Come one Monday, come a few, or make it your weekly tradition. The more you play, the better your chances of finishing at the top of the leaderboard.
Ready to putt? Use the link below to book your Monday Night Putters tee time, or simply drop in around 6:45 PM any Monday from August 24th through November 16th.
Book or learn more
For more information, visit https://eventvesta.com/events/157919/t/tickets or call 530-443-4376.
Roger Collins – 12-2 p.m., Heavenly Corner Stage. Additional dates: 10/19, 10/20.
For more information, visit https://tahoemusic.live/?page=3.
Tuesday, October 20
Expres-Arte – 5-7:30 p.m., Sierra Community House, 265 Bear Street. El objetivo de este grupo de apoyo es facilitar la expresión de sentimientos y emociones utilizando materiales y técnicas provenientes del arte.. No es necesario poseeer aptitudes artisticas para participar del taller.
For more information, visit https://sierracommunityhouse.org/calendar/expres-arte/2026-10-20/.
Lake Tahoe School – High School Fair – 6-8 p.m., 995 Tahoe Boulevard. Description Duffield Hall at Lake Tahoe School
For more information, visit https://business.ivcba.org/event-calendar/Details/lake-tahoe-school-high-school-fair-1934768?sourceTypeId=Hub.
Moon Mirror Craft Night – 6 p.m., South Lake Brewing Company, 1920 Lake Tahoe Blvd. Moon Mirrors Craft Night
Make your own custom moon mirror using a variety of materials in our craft workshop on Tuesday, October 20th, at 6 PM!
Moss, branches, trinkets, and more will add to the character of your moon mirror. Feel free to bring your own items to personalize your mirror even more! This workshop will be led by Lisa of Lisa Michele Studios.
Your $45 ticket includes all materials, instructions, and your first pint of beer. Space is limited. Sign up in advance to guarantee your spot.
For more information, visit https://www.southlakebeer.com/brewery-events.
Preschool Storytime – 10:30-11 a.m., Kings Beach Library, 301 Secline Street. Preschool Storytime is a 30 minute program that includes stories, songs, fingerplays and fun for children ages 3-5 and their caregivers. https://www.placer.ca.gov/calendar.aspx?EID=55040
For more information, visit https://www.placer.ca.gov/calendar.aspx?CID=37,157,158,214,102,38,44,39,29,30,31,32,33,34,124,125,126,127,128,35,25,150,86,88,84,129,90,89,85,134,110,103,45,72,123,91,40,202,137,138,41,163,160,164,161,162,22,112,215,104,92,47,48,139,54,172,133,212,204,210,208,206,207,209,51,173,174,175,94,118,119,55,79,78,80,77,74,26,76,140,75,71,56,68,95,170,171,165,167,166,168,169,28,141,142,143,144,145,148,146,149,213,147,57,109,176,177,178,179,180,181,182,58,59,60,14,106,64,135,120,65,107,108,116,73,93,97,155,195,130,36,70,66,122,69,100,203,121,183,191,194,190,193,192,184,185,186,187,188,189,61,114,98,205,211,99,156,198,27,52,53,197,67,136,105,63,117,200,201,199,96,101&showPastEvents=false.
Sean Hodge – 12-2 p.m., @Heavenly.
For more information, visit https://tahoemusic.live/?page=3.
Tommy Ciccone – 12-2 p.m., Base Camp Pizza.
For more information, visit https://tahoemusic.live/?page=4.
Wednesday, October 21
Jaime Saso – 5-8 p.m., Base Camp Pizza.
For more information, visit https://tahoemusic.live/?page=4.
Jamie Rollins – 12-2 p.m., Base Camp Pizza.
For more information, visit https://tahoemusic.live/?page=4.
LIVE MUSIC – Sage Leaf Tahoe – 5-8 p.m., Description Every Wednesday 5pm – 8pm Best selling drinks are, the bees knees, the sage leaf and the Bloody Mary. They have been the top sellers since we opened our incline village location in June 2020 Best selling food items are the sage and cheddar biscuits, any of our house made organic pastas, the Tahoe blue French toast and our bone in Niman ranch pork chop, duck fat fries with house made truffle aioli, and of course our Angus burger our huge favorites. Sage Leaf Reno opened on 3/7/2026 and we have two patios, a completely remodeled bar, and a spacious dining room good for large groups and intimate celebrations. We have happy hour daily from 3-5pm at Reno, and happy hour daily 5-6pm daily in Incline Village. Both restaurants are open 7 days a week for brunch and for dinner We do half off all bottles of wine on Sunday dinner. We offer vegan and vegetarian options as well as all the meat lovers favorites. We have something for everyone at Sage Leaf Reno and Tahoe. Live Music every Wednesday 5pm-8pm in Tahoe location We are open for Mother’s day and Father’s Day brunch as well as dinner and we strongly encourage reservation at both locations Incline Village location opened 6/4/2020 We also offer backcountry delivery service (think catering while you’re snow shoeing or snowmobiling) during winter snow dependent. We are family owned and operated. Husband and wife team who have lived in Incline Village since 2012. Raising our two small children here in our tight knit community. www. Sageleafreno.com and www.Sageleaftahoe.com
For more information, visit https://business.ivcba.org/event-calendar/Details/live-music-sage-leaf-tahoe-1704208?sourceTypeId=Hub or call (775) 413-5005.
Ted Kennedy – 6-9 p.m., South of North Brewing Co., 932 Stateline Ave.
For more information, visit https://tahoemusic.live/?page=4.
To try and decide each week where and what to eat around the basin can be a challenge – there are so many amazing choices. In this feature we’ll dive into dishes that will surely satisfy those hunger pangs and leave you wondering where to go next.
With a name like The Honorary Texan, you probably could guess that this week’s feature is a take on the classic “western” cheeseburger. And that would be a pretty good guess. But what you likely won’t guess is how this version amps up the flavor in surprising and tasty ways.
Starting with the beef, the Parker Ranch patty is joined between potato bun slices by applewood smoked bacon, roasted Ortega green chili, lettuce, tomato, bourbon grilled onions, cheddar cheese and a house battered onion ring. In addition, you’re treated to a supreme battle of dueling sauces on your tastebuds: a sweet and smoky barbecue sauce and a creamy chipotle mayo.
For me, what this burger has over all other western-style burgers is the roasted chili and the chipotle mayo – each bringing in a ton of flavor. That slightly sweet smokiness of the chili getting a second helping of creamy smokiness from the chipotle is what really sets this burger apart.
The bourbon onions and onion ring add an abundance of textures and richness, and the lettuce and tomato provide plenty of freshness to counterbalance. And even though you can barely get your mouth around each bite, it won’t matter much because no matter the bite, you’ll be treated to a layered flavor bomb each time.
California Burger Company is located at 1001 Heavenly Village Way #2b in South Lake Tahoe. For menu items and additional information, you can reach them online at caburgerco.com or by phone at 530-314-8404.
SOUTH LAKE TAHOE, Calif. – City council crafted a resolution targeting glyphosate and other herbicide use in the region and vastly expanded upon the original scope of action city staff had prepared at its special meeting on Tuesday morning.
The intention, as made clear by city council, is to take every action the city legally can to prevent the use of pesticides in the city and Tahoe basin. Those possible actions, as made clear by the city attorney, are quite limited.
Glyphosate’s use has become a hot button issue in Tahoe ever since the Lake Tahoe Basin Management Unit got authorization to potentially spray it on up to 3,600 acres of the Caldor Fire burn area to help vulnerable sections reforest. Glyphosate is a widely-used herbicide that was the original active ingredient in the weed-killer Roundup (now it’s only in professional-use Roundup).
On a high level, the resolution will ban the use of pesticides on city property (the city doesn’t currently use any) and directs staff to send several letters advocating against herbicide use in the Tahoe Basin, publish safe herbicide disposal practices to discourage residential use, ask the local water board to increase water quality testing after any herbicides are applied and explore legal options for a future citywide ban and means to force the Tahoe Regional Planning Agency into taking action.
Frustration with TRPA’s inaction
Councilmembers’ main concern was the fact that no agency, particularly the Tahoe Regional Planning Agency, has taken action to prevent glyphosate’s use in the Tahoe Basin. Mayor Cody Bass said preventing herbicides from being sprayed in Tahoe is one of the rare issues that almost everyone agrees on.
Glyphosate was classified as “probably carcinogenic to humans” by the World Health Organization in 2015. But the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency found no risks of concern in its 2017 human health assessment of glyphosate, and it continues to consider the herbicide safe when used as directed on the label. The EPA is conducting an updated human health assessment based on more recent science, expected in late 2026.
Council talked about how herbicides are linked to environmental destruction and cancer, the risks of exposure for those who use the affected areas for recreation, the potential for herbicides to contaminate the city’s water supply and general objections to herbicide use in Tahoe’s fragile environment.
Mayor Cody Bass at Tuesday’s meeting. Bass originally brought the issue of glyphosate spraying to TRPA Governing Board, and said he was “frustrated” with its inaction.Carly Heltzel / Tahoe Daily Tribune
Councilmember Heather Horgan said the Tahoe Basin shouldn’t be a “test case” for using herbicides to reforest.
Federal and state laws prevent cities from passing local laws limiting pesticide use, and all of the area of the Caldor Fire Restoration Project is outside of city limits.
Multiple members expressed their frustration that the TRPA, took no action despite hundreds speaking in opposition to its use over four hours of public comment to oppose glyphosate spraying at its meeting.
“We live under so many inane environmental rules that [TRPA] put down on us as to how big our decks can be and to whether or not we can have a gravel or a paved driveway,” Councilmember Scott Robbins said. “But somehow they’re going to ignore putting poisons in the forest. It’s an absurdity, if not an obscenity.”
Some 18 people spoke during public comment at the city’s meeting, almost all in strong opposition, and city council incorporated some of the public’s suggestions into its modified resolution.
City council is pursuing aggressive action against herbicides, within its authority
City council expanded the resolution from only mentioning glyphosate to covering all “conventional herbicides” in terms of its city property ban and advocacy.
One of the most notable changes to the resolution at Tuesday’s meeting included adding that city council “demands” TRPA meet its obligations under the Bi-State Compact to protect water and soil quality by banning the use of pesticides in the Lake Tahoe Basin.
Council added a clause that says if TRPA fails to do so, it will explore all legal remedies. While they made it clear that the city council is not currently threatening legal action against TRPA, they said the council will not rule out the possibility if TRPA fails to comply.
“We should be putting a warning shot to the TRPA that if they don’t properly exercise their authority that they are required to, that there might be litigation at the end of that tunnel,” Councilmember Robbins said, as he advocated to include a specific legal threat.
Members of the public wait to speak on glyphosate at city council’s special meeting on Tuesday.Carly Heltzel / Tahoe Daily Tribune
City council also directed staff to explore some legal “gray areas” where there is little precedent to ban pesticide use within the city limits. State law prohibits cities from outright banning pesticides, but California’s attorney general has indicated that cities could do so for specific land uses.
By banning pesticide use under the city’s area plans, which dictate land use, and gaining approval from the TRPA, which is mandated to review area plan amendments, city council hopes it could use the TRPA’s authority to supersede state law. City council will also send a letter imploring state officials to change that law and allow localities to regulate pesticide use.
Commenters encouraged the city council to explore circumventing state law to ban pesticides and exploring legal action against the TRPA.
“Let’s test the legal waters before we test positive for glyphosate on our waters,” one commenter said.
In terms of advocacy, the council will send letters to the U.S. president, the U.S. Forest Service, federal and state lawmakers, TRPA board members and virtually anyone else with authority over pesticide use.
As Councilmember Scott Robbins put it: “We have indefinite authority to ask and to lobby and to cajole.”
Council will vote to pass the drafted resolution on the consent agenda at its Nov. 3 meeting in order to give staff time to rewrite the wording and draft letters for review. Also, city staff will assess the fastest feasible way to force the TRPA to approve or deny the workaround that could allow the city to ban pesticides in its area plans and present it at the next meeting.
Why are they spraying glyphosate on the Caldor burn area?
To aid with reforestation, Lake Tahoe Basin Management Unit could potentially spray glyphosate on 2,400 to 3,600 eligible acres of the Caldor Fire Restoration Project if other methods of controlling plant growth fail. LTBMU doesn’t anticipate all of the eligible acres needing herbicide treatment.
In reforesting, herbicides are used to kill fast-growing plants that could interfere with the growth by shading newly planted seedlings. On average, herbicide application increased the wood volume of treated forests by between 30% and 300%, according to a 2004 study published in the Wildlife Society Bulletin and cited by the U.S. Forest Service.
Several public commenters and council members mentioned that the U.S. Forest Service presented a list of alternatives to herbicide application at the TRPA meeting.
“If we take this tool out of their tool box, they will find another way,” Councilmember Horgan said.
The Caldor Fire burn scar.Maya Duhl / Tahoe Daily Tribune
The forest service says the application would be targeted at small diameters around seedlings using hand-applied low volume methods such as using backpack sprayers, dipping shears then cutting shrub stumps, spraying basal bark and using thinline application at the base of plants. Aerial application is strictly banned.
LTBMU would not spray glyphosate within 100 feet of water or before predicted heavy rain periods. TRPA also said it will increase water quality monitoring downstream of areas sprayed by glyphosate.
LTBMU said that about 4,900 acres of the Caldor Fire’s 222,000 acre burn area have a less than 40% chance of natural reforestation. The up to 3,600 approved for potential glyphosate use are a part of this segment.
In March, LTBMU approved an environmental assessment and issued a “Finding of No Significant Impact” for the restoration project, which includes the potential use of glyphosate.
City council asked that LTBMU rescind the finding to allow for another public comment period and further scientific study before spraying occurs. At the time, LTBMU received only 16 comments, and only one comment addressed herbicide use.
INCLINE VILLAGE, Nev. – As the summer construction season winds down, the Tahoe Transportation District (TTD) today announced progress updates for improvements along Tahoe’s East Shore. This project includes extending the iconic East Shore Trail and providing off-highway parking options to relocate unsafe roadside parking along the Nevada State Route 28 (SR 28) Scenic Byway south of Incline Village, Nev.
SR 28 is a narrow two-lane road that provides access to some of Lake Tahoe’s most desired public lands along the East Shore of Lake Tahoe. With limited formal parking areas or trail connections, hundreds of vehicles park along the corridor’s steep road shoulders on peak summer days, creating major safety hazards and environmental impacts to Lake Tahoe. Public and private investments in the SR 28 corridor are improving safety, expanding transportation options, improving lake clarity, and enhancing the recreation experience for residents and visitors.
“This season, we’ve made major progress on several pieces of the SR 28 corridor improvements, with the goal of reducing congestion, enhancing safety, improving lake clarity, and supporting sustainable access to Lake Tahoe,” said Jim Marino, Executive Director of the Tahoe Transportation District. “These upgrades are necessary steps on the path to constructing new sections of the East Shore Trail.”
TTD is working with numerous partners, including the USDA Forest Service Lake Tahoe Basin Management Unit, Tahoe Regional Planning Agency, Nevada Department of Transportation, Tahoe Fund, Nevada Division of State Lands, Nevada State Parks, and local jurisdictions to build upon many recent transportation improvements along SR 28. In addition to safety upgrades, these coordinated efforts will replace roadside parking spaces, help prevent water quality impacts from compacted road shoulders, and encourage the use of transit, biking, and other alternative transportation options along SR 28.
North Parking – 38 new spaces have been added immediately north of the existing 90-space paid parking area at the East Shore Trailhead in Incline Village. Construction is underway on a new public transit shelter on SR 28 just north of Lakeshore Drive for southbound transit passengers. Additionally, environmental restoration is now complete at Rocky Point, an eroded shoulder area along the west side of SR 28. The project helps protect the clarity of Lake Tahoe by restoring and stabilizing the area.
Chimney Beach – There are now 130 parking spaces at the Chimney Beach Trailhead, with a new transit stop for the East Shore Express and a lighted crosswalk to guide pedestrians safely across the highway. Improvements include reduction in roadside parking capacity, bear boxes for trash, and public restrooms.
Secret Harbor – The Secret Harbor Trailhead currently has approximately 30 spaces, but is undergoing an expansion to 120 spaces with additional restrooms, a transit stop, a vista point, and stormwater improvements to protect the Lake. This project is currently in design, with the final design expected in early 2027.
Spooner Mobility Huband Aquatic Invasive Species Boat Inspection Station – Significant progress was made this season on a new, dedicated transit hub, park-and-ride, and permanent watercraft inspection station. Site preparation, water quality infrastructure, and paving for the 250-space parking area was completed this season. Construction will continue next season on the restrooms, transit shelter, boat inspection facility, and crosswalk to Spooner Lake State Park.
East Shore Trail Extension – Design is underway for the next section of the East Shore Trail. The existing three-mile section of path from Incline Village to Sand Harbor State Park is providing thousands of people safer access to the East Shore every year. Next up is a nearly two-mile segment of shared-use path from Sand Harbor towards Chimney Beach, which will further connect the corridor, add emergency pullouts, reduce environmental impacts, and provide scenic vistas.
Seasonal Paid Parking – This summer, seasonal paid parking began at Chimney Beach and Secret Harbor parking areas. All revenues are returned to the corridor to pay for operations and maintenance. In addition, parking enforcement and removal of roadside parking spaces helped to improve safety along the SR 28 corridor.
To make it easier for the public to explore the East Shore Trail and stay up to date on the many improvements underway, the Tahoe Fund worked with Design Workshop to create a new StoryMap. This interactive, online resource guides the public through the experience of visiting the East Shore Trail and provides key information about the many improvements underway along the corridor.
“The first few miles of the East Shore Trail created tremendous safety and water quality improvements, in addition to being one of the most beloved recreational experiences in Lake Tahoe,” said Amy Berry, Tahoe Fund CEO. “We know the community is just as excited as we are about the next sections of the trail, and hope that this new StoryMap will make it easy for people to explore what’s happening and see how all of these improvements fit together to help transform the East Shore.”
The Tahoe Fund is offering customized trout plaques for purchase and the opportunity to add a name to the East Shore Trail Donor Wall. Funds raised directly support the next phase of the trail. Scenic vista points will also be available for purchase. Join the waiting list by emailing info@tahoefund.org.
SOUTH LAKE TAHOE, Calif. – The Lake Tahoe Unified School District (LTUSD) announced it has reached an agreement with the South Tahoe Educators Association (STEA) on Tuesday, October 12, 2026.
“This agreement reflects the District’s commitment to supporting our teachers and staff while continuing to provide a high-quality education for our students, ” the district’s announcement said.
STEA initially requested to reopen negotiations based on the Governor’s proposed Super COLA, stating that the District would receive an additional $5 million in funding. However, the District actually received $3.3 million in additional funding. This distinction is important as LTUSD works to balance competitive employee compensation with its ongoing financial responsibilities.
Under the agreement, all LTUSD certificated employees will receive an additional 1.81% salary increase effective January 1, 2027. This is in addition to the 2.5% salary increase employees received on July 1, 2026, as part of the previously negotiated agreement.
The current teacher salary schedule is available on the district’s website under “Salary Schedules and Salary Ranges” webpage and will be updated soon to reflect the additional increase.
As part of the agreement, STEA negotiated an additional $750 toward health insurance for its members. The District will also adjust contributions for other employee groups so that all LTUSD employees receive an annual District contribution of $15,250 toward health insurance.
STEA members will also receive a one-time payment of $750 in December.
“LTUSD recognizes the importance of offering competitive salaries and benefits to attract and retain highly qualified teachers and staff,” the district said. “Our employees are central to student success, and retaining experienced educators provides the consistency, strong relationships, and quality instruction our students deserve. We want LTUSD to remain a place where talented educators and staff choose to work, grow, and build their careers.”
While LTUSD is pleased to have reached an agreement with STEA, the District says it continues to face budget challenges. “It said the additional commitments will require careful financial planning and thoughtful decisions about future spending,” the district said, “including curriculum, programs, and other District priorities, to maintain a balanced and sustainable budget.”
“LTUSD values the dedication and hard work of all employees who support our students every day. We remain committed to supporting our staff, being responsible stewards of public funds, and keeping students at the center of every decision,” the district said.”
Adding, “Our vision continues to guide our work: To discover and foster the unique talents and potential of all students.”
SOUTH LAKE TAHOE, Calif. — Barton Health welcomes Nathan Lease, MD, to Barton Primary Care; Mackenzie Bronson, MD, to Barton Pediatrics; and Brent Wilkinson, DO, and Keith Lemay, PA-C, to Barton Community Health Center. The four providers join Barton’s primary care network as part of its ongoing efforts to expand access to primary care for individuals and families throughout the Lake Tahoe region.
“We recognize the demand for primary care in our community and are committed to helping more families connect with a trusted provider,” says Dr. Kandra Yee, Chief Medical Officer at Barton Health. “These relationships are essential to keeping people healthy through routine checkups, screenings, and management of ongoing health concerns. Welcoming these four providers expands access to family and pediatric care, giving more patients the support they need close to home.”
Barton Primary Care, Barton Pediatrics, and Barton Community Health Center offer comprehensive care for individuals and families, including preventive visits, well-child checkups, immunizations, treatment of illnesses, and management of chronic conditions. Patients can work with their healthcare provider to develop personalized care plans, review medications, and receive coaching and advice to meet their health goals.
Barton Primary Care has locations at 1108 4th St. in South Lake Tahoe and 155 Hwy 50, Suite 100, in Stateline, NV. Barton Pediatrics and Barton Community Health Center are located at 2201 South Ave. in South Lake Tahoe. To schedule an appointment, call 530.543.5623.
KINGS BEACH, Calif. – What happens when two chefs from very different culinary traditions meet around a shared fascination with cooking over fire?
For one night only, Chef Earth (Saritwat Wanvichitkun) and Pastry Chef Pond (Chayanin Tanapradit) of Bangkok’s Saawaan are coming to Lake Tahoe for a special collaboration with Chef Koji Hanada and Pastry Chef/Culinary Director Matt Tinder of Smoke Door Lake Tahoe.
Saawaan is one of Bangkok’s acclaimed contemporary Thai restaurants, having held a Michelin star for four consecutive years. Its tasting menu explores regional Thai flavors through techniques including fermenting, steaming, boiling and charcoal grilling.
Chef Earth, a Phuket native trained in both French and Thai cooking, leads the savory kitchen, while Chef Pond brings a pastry approach that combines classical technique with Thai ingredients and flavors.
Chef Earth (Saritwat Wanvichitkun) and Pastry Chef Pond (Chayanin Tanapradit).Provided
Recently, Earth has become increasingly interested in wood-fire cooking and the possibilities it opens up, making Smoke Door – and its fire-driven kitchen in the mountains – a particularly interesting place for this collaboration.
Rather than creating a conventional fusion menu, the chefs will cook side by side across eight courses, alternating between Saawaan and Smoke Door. The dinner becomes a conversation between two distinct perspectives: Earth’s modern interpretation of Thai cuisine and Koji’s contemporary Japanese cooking, connected by a shared curiosity about fire.
It’s an especially natural meeting point for Koji, who spent four years at Tokyo’s two-Michelin-starred Den before joining the opening team of wood-fired Jiu, where working with live fire and seasonal Japanese ingredients became central to his cooking.
Pastry will have its own dialogue as well. Chef Pond will collaborate alongside Matt Tinder, whose career has included leading pastry programs at The Restaurant at Meadowood, Saison and Coi, as well as earning a James Beard Award semifinalist nomination for Outstanding Baker for his bakery, Saboteur.
Saawaan x Smoke Door Lake Tahoe October 15th Eight-course collaborative tasting menu $168 per person (+ tax, gratuity). Reservations via Opentable (under Experiences) Two seatings: 5:00 PM + 7:30 PM
Who doesn’t love that cozy autumn feeling of walking to your mailbox, or a drop box, or an in-person voting center to cast your vote for local, state, and national leadership?
2026 is a midterm year, meaning no voting for the U.S. president and vice president. With that spotlight off, local races receive more, much-deserved attention. Ideal, since that’s where voters have the most power to effect change. But without presidential candidates on the ballot, there tends to be considerably less participation. In 2022’s midterm election, 36% of California’s voting age population cast a ballot compared to 53% in 2024’s general. In Nevada for those same years, 41% bumped up to 58%.
The irony isn’t difficult to spot: Rules and codes over local development, utility rates, transportation options — these and hundreds more decisions happen in your neck of the woods and are made by the people you vote into office. But it doesn’t have the same drama or them-versus-us vibe, so it might not feel as critical to participate.
We hope reviewing the answers provided by candidates in the following pages adds a reason to your pros and cons list about voting on or before Nov. 3. There are very real issues at hand and critical decisions being made, and who you vote for could turn the tide one way or the other.
For our election coverage in our October edition, we took a methodical approach to the jurisdictions and special districts featured: Those we questioned in person as part of the Truckee Candidate Forum on Oct. 8 — Truckee Town Council, Tahoe Forest Hospital District, and Truckee-Donner Recreation and Park District — were not included in print. (You can re-watch those forums, which took place Oct. 6 and 8, at ttm.ompnetwork.org.
A North Shore Election Forum took place Oct. 6, where state candidates participated in a Q&A. Find the recording at firsttuesdaybreakfastclub.com.
Incline Village Crystal Bay Business Association is hosting an IV-CB Community Forum on Tuesday, Oct. 13, at 6 p.m. in the Duffield Theater at Incline High School. It will be broadcast live and available afterward at youtube.com/@iv-cbcommunityforum9730.
We also touch on Measure P, which goes before all voters within the TTUSD boundaries.
You’ll find three district-specific questions asked of the candidates, who were allowed no more than 125 words in response per answer. Please sit with their answers and mull over who you believe would best fill an empty seat on a board, then responsibly fill out your ballot and cast your vote by Nov. 3. A healthy democracy depends on participation.
For uncontested races and other information, view our 2026 Election Tracker at tinyurl.com/5f4w5j4c.
Residents must register to vote by Oct. 19. Same-day voter registration is possible, but must be done at a county elections office, polling place, or vote center. Visit caearlyvoting.sos.ca.gov for a list of early voting locations.
Residents must have registered to vote in person or by mail by Oct. 6. Same-day voter registration is possible and must be done in person at a polling location. Visit tinyurl.com/mrfcsc7p for a list of early voting locations.
Two years ago, the Incline Village General Improvement District was in a precarious spot. Fraud allegations, financial issues, failed recalls, and a general manager spot that couldn’t seem to be kept filled — interim GM Bobby Magee, who resigned after three months, followed by Kent Walrack, who lasted a similar length of time before being terminated by a new board. That same month, January 2025, the still-current GM, Bob Harrison, was put in place.
Earlier this summer, Trustee Mick Homan wrote a piece for Moonshine saying that at long last, things are looking up. “With key hires in HR and finance to supplement the existing team, focus shifted to three priorities,” he wrote. “Improving organizational health, restoring financial discipline, and advancing long-term capital planning.”
The shape of that progress looks different to different people. There are three candidates running for two seats on the IVGID Board of Trustees, with only one incumbent running for reelection: David Noble. That means there’ll be at least one newcomer, either Harry Swenson, who ran in 2024, or Ryan “RB” Brooks. The candidates touch on cost discipline, transportation, and utility management.
Candidates were limited to 125-word responses per question, and they have been edited for style and clarity. Order of replies determined by a randomizer.
1. Public transportation has been identified as a critical option to reduce traffic, lower pollution, expand mobility, and more. December 2025’s cancellation of TART (Tahoe Truckee Area Regional Transit) Connect’s microtransit services and the Aug. 1, 2026, discontinuance of IVGID’s Senior Transportation Program have created a gap in public transportation needs across Incline Village/Crystal Bay. What do you see as the most critical way(s) IVGID can support or encourage expanded public transportation options?
Brooks: The end of these programs left us without on-demand transit for the residents who depend on it most: seniors, workers, and people without a car. As I see it, IVGID’s most critical role is to restore service quickly and on solid legal footing. IVGID’s counsel has advised that [Nevada Revised Statute] 318 doesn’t allow the district to operate transportation directly. Rather, we should let a local 501(c)(3) run the service and receive state and federal funding directly, including [Nevada Department of Transportation’s] [Federal Transit Administration] Section 5310 and Older Americans Act funds and Washoe County senior service contracts. IVGID’s role would be to convene partners and help prepare grant applications. Any direct financial support would be reviewed by legal counsel first, so we don’t trade one lawsuit risk for another.
Editor’s note: Words in brackets were added by editors and do not count against word count.
Noble: IVGID representatives have been in discussions with county representatives since April to strongly encourage restarting/funding TART, which would assist all residents, including seniors. Those discussions have included the use of at least some of the taxes generated from STRs in unincorporated Washoe County (over 90% of those revenues come from STRs in Incline Village and Crystal Bay), which currently go to the county, Travel North Tahoe Nevada (formerly the Incline Village Crystal Bay Visitors Bureau), and the Reno-Sparks Convention Center. Unfortunately, IVGID is prohibited from providing public transportation service, unless it is tied to at least one of IVGID’s recreation venues.
Swenson: I would work with the board and amend the long-standing contract with Washoe County to ensure senior transportation services are fully funded by the county and are consistent with services offered in other towns/districts of the county. For instance, the county provides discounted Lyft rides and taxi services for seniors, people with disabilities, and low-income residents. We need to ensure our community is aware of the services available.
IVGID has the responsibility of providing transportation according to the contract with Washoe County; therefore, the elimination of services was wrong. The problem appears to be budgetary and due to the services provided by IVGID going beyond what the county provides in other communities. Services should have been reviewed and refined rather than eliminated.
2. IVGID provides essential utilities while also operating an extensive recreation system. How would you determine which responsibilities should take priority when the district faces competing financial, infrastructure, and community needs?
Swenson: Maintaining and updating our water and sewer infrastructure is critical. Much of it is still original and in state of disrepair. We’ve had too many water main and line breaks. We need to budget and execute on a plan to get it upgraded and properly maintained. At the same time, we need to make the maintenance of our existing facilities, such as the recreation center, a priority. We should budget for these things first and then determine what additional projects can be accomplished. Only projects that can be delivered should be contained in the budget that results in your beach and recreation fees. This would resolve the over-collection of fees from our community while keeping our facilities in good repair.
Brooks: Tier 1 – Public health, safety, and legal obligations. Water, sewer, and effluent systems come first because they protect residents and the lake, and regulations aren’t optional.
Tier 2 – Taking care of what we already have. Before paying for anything new, IVGID should fully fund the repair and replacement of its existing pipes, pumps, facilities, and equipment.
Tier 3 – Core recreation at the heart of our community. Each IVGID facility should be evaluated on cost, usage, and how close it comes to covering its expenses. But keep a holistic approach.
Tier 4 – Wants. New amenities, expansions, and nice-to-haves come last.
Three rules would guide me in how I apply this:
Keep the money where it belongs.
Plan on a five- to 10-year horizon.
Show our work.
Noble: Water and sewer services take priority over all recreation venues because those services are essential to daily life. IVGID recently completed the effluent export pipeline project under Highway 28 — a $62 million-plus project finished a year ahead of schedule and $13 million-plus under budget. Looking forward, I believe reinvestment in IVGID’s water service and ski area should be priority. Wildfire preparedness measures (pipe replacement, backup generators, etc.) need to be accelerated for our water delivery system to be better prepared for future wildfire events. Diamond Peak is the only venue that generates a profit for the community ($1 to $5 million/year), yet no meaningful investments have been made in nearly 20 years — lodge, lift, and snowmaking upgrades are long overdue to address declining skier visits.
3. The past few years have seen ups and downs in the facility fee amounts district property owners pay annually. For example, in the fiscal year ending 2023, residents paid $780. In 2024, that amount dropped to $455. In 2026, due to impacted district finances, the annual fee went up to $1,375. The current IVGID board said the latest increase will help ensure district financial stability and the ability to manage current and future capital facilities. Do you think the board and staff have handled the financial instability well? How would you seek to maintain or improve district financial management moving forward?
Noble: The facility fee was kept flat from 2010 to 2023, while construction, labor, and food prices rose considerably over that period. The fee went up to $1,375 to begin addressing years of deferred maintenance and capital projects that languished due to analysis paralysis. I led the effort in early 2025 to hire IVGID’s new GM, who has rebuilt the finance department. We now have the right personnel in place for IVGID to comply with all applicable fiscal and accounting protocols, resulting in a clean (no exceptions or disclaimers) [Fiscal Year] 2025 audit. IVGID will be removed from the state’s fiscal watch list once the anticipated clean audit for FY 2026 is filed in November, which will enable IVGID to access additional financing tools for future projects.
Swenson: IVGID is collecting money for projects without the ability to complete in the budgeted year for many years; it’s resulted in excessive cash reserves. The excessive cash build-ups have also allowed your money to be used where it wasn’t intended or budgeted. The lower-fee years were during a time when the board linked the fees to the ability to deliver projects and services; they didn’t over-collect but collected for what was achievable. Last year’s capital improvement plan was for $30 million of projects and barely executed on $6 million. Now, with the tripling of fees, they’ve collected another $40 million out of your pockets. The board needs to budget and collect only for projects and services it can deliver, nothing more. Apply proper fiscal management!
Brooks: The current board and staff faced the problem honestly. They built a long-term capital plan, ranked the most critical projects, and stabilized the general fund. The effluent pipeline replacement finished a year early and under budget. That’s real progress.
Going forward, I would:
Instead of raising fees, pursue cost savings and revenue generating opportunities. For example, we have a $400,000 line item for the replacement of golf carts. Let’s solicit sponsors like Titleist or Nike to brand and sponsor the golf carts.
Index the fee to construction costs every year with a published formula.
Autumn Color Reflected in the Twilight
Caples Lake, Calif.
Fall is here, and for photographers, it’s the most exciting time of the year. Grab your gear and head to the mountains. Great images may seem easy, but capturing world-class ones is not as simple as it appears. I have five key elements that I look for in a single image:
1. Color: The sky and landscape should be bursting with color. Brilliant blue skies, glowing sunsets, and vibrant fall foliage make images pop.
2. Water: I prefer a one to three-second exposure to soften the water into a creamy flow of motion. Reflections double the foliage and sky color, creating beautiful, mirrored compositions.
3. Strong Compositions: Find a solid center point, such as an is
olated tree or a splash of color. Your eye should wander around without being led out of the frame. S-curves and diagonals make images more dynamic.
4. Old Things: Ghost towns, dilapidated buildings or barns, and remnants of bygone eras are not only enjoyable to discover, but they are often weathered, rusted, or in disrepair, captivating viewers.
5. Weather: Clouds, snow, and rain can all enhance an image. Cloudy days reduce the contrast of shadows. The first snowfall of the year is a must-see, and a gentle rain to wash away dust is always welcome.
I haven’t yet captured a photo that incorporates all five elements, but I’ll keep trying!
It being a midterms year, Moonshine Ink sought to create a political education column, speaking with academics on the state of politics in the country. In this edition of the Politics Brief, Moonshine spoke with Teaching Assistant Professor Owen Fite, Ph.D., from the University of Nevada, Reno’s political science department. Answers were lightly edited for style and clarity.
You teach a class on political philosophy, so I’m wondering if you can define democracy and tell me about how it has evolved since its creation? Why didn’t the founding fathers go with a direct Athenian democracy?
To give the general synopsis of what Athenian democracy was, it wasn’t monolithic, it wasn’t static. It changed over different years in which it existed. But the most radical take … that I think is worth juxtaposing from today is a democracy in which you had 6,000 citizens who showed up to the Pnyx — the assembly. It’s this hilltop in Athens. And the first 6,000 citizens that showed up there got to be essentially congress members for the day.
Those citizens would be voting yea or nay on the various proposals that were submitted by [a] council of 500. This was still restricted to Athenians, even if there were other city-states and areas that were under Athenian rule. This was still a very exclusive form of citizenship that also did not include women or children or slaves. But these people also were paid.
As a way to make this more accessible even to the poor, you could get paid essentially a day’s wage to show up and do your citizenry duties. And so you had a form of citizenship that allowed for such participation and allowed for real engagement, whether it’s because you were picked by lottery to be one of these more deliberative council members in this smaller body of 500, or you always having this right to show up early to this assembly with 5,999 other folks and vote yea or nay on these various proposals. I don’t think I need to explain to you how different that is from democracy today.
Aristotle gives you a theory as to three noble forms of government — what are pure, virtuous forms of government: benevolent kingship, aristocracy, and polity, or what also might be translated to a constitutional polity of sorts.
The perverted forms, or the forms of government that end up taking shape if the noble ones end up being corrupted, are: tyranny, oligarchy, and democracy. Democracy is seen as mob rule, rule of incompetence, rule of those who are subject to material needs. In other words, people are selfishly going into these assemblies looking for what they can get. If they don’t have their needs met, they’re going to be even more desperate and selfish instead of deliberating and thinking of a collective communal good.
And it isn’t until we get to John Locke and what we would call the introduction of liberal democracy that we get kind of this 180, where we get essentially the English Civil Wars, and we get this re-understanding that government is based on consent, individual’s agreement to enter into a social contract and accept legitimate authority.
[The founding fathers] had a lot of liberal ideas to pull from, they draw from Lockean philosophy, and so they have the basis of a liberal democratic government, but one that is still supposed to be based on rationalism, that is still supposed to exclude women, those who are not educated enough, like children, those who are supposed to only be property owning. In other words, still this idea that those who can’t provide for themselves are going to corrupt a public body, seeking their own selfish good if they don’t have their own material sustenance met.
And what one could clearly argue as real skepticism of the everyday citizen, the fact that the Senate was not able to be elected until we get to the 1900s shows that the founding fathers didn’t want everyday people in charge of affairs. The fact that the electoral college existed meant another layer of insulation in which individual people could not express their concerns. By just keeping it in the House of Representatives, it allowed some sort of representation based off citizens, which is still a very exclusive circle.
Not everyone could be a citizen … that would be specifically capped by a Senate. It’d be capped to really make sure that all these warnings made by political philosophers over the last thousand years [about] a tyranny of the masses, a tyranny of the uneducated, would never really take shape.
ZOON POLITIKON: Politics isn’t simply Congress or voting, says Owen Fite, it’s the network of relationships and decisions that shape how we live together. File image
As politics becomes wrapped up in every facet of life, what would you say to somebody who says that they’re not political? How does this tie into Aristotle’s idea of the zoon politikon?
Zoon politikon translates to political animal.
And this is an assumption made by Aristotle that people are political creatures. In other words, politics is not something we should avoid. Politics is the very essence of being human.
The fact that humans have ideas of what is good and bad, what’s better and worse, what is righteous, what is sincere, what is emotion, these are all very human things. And all of this has to do with politics. In order to understand this you have to have a more capacious definition instead of an institutional definition of politics just being Congress or voting.
But politics at its origins is the practice of compromise, of agreeing. Well, that’s what it’s like to be a person. The only way one could avoid politics would be living out on an island by themselves with no interaction with anyone else.
But even that is still the consequence of politics. For example, [if] some different treaties or different governments agreed not to populate this one island,[then] even if someone avoids all politics, the very absence of politics … requires politics elsewhere. And so that’s a different answer, though, to how someone who tells me they’re not political, how I’d respond to them.
I would do a long Socratic kind of back and forth if I had all the time in the world and I was invested in really getting this through. I would ask, ‘What does it mean to not be political?’ I’d throw it on its head. And if someone said, ‘Oh, it’s just I like my job and I like watching my TV.’ I’d ask, ‘Well, how do you have your job? What are the economic forces at play? What are the facts of insurance, the subsidies, the workplace protections, the fact that you have a home, the zoning, the roads that get you from here to there, the fact that you have TV, that you have internet connection here and there, that everything that leads to you being a part of another’s world, that’s political.’
It is interesting because I feel like some of the people I’ve talked to think it’s pointless. They think that they don’t have influence, or maybe they think that there’s no point in voting in the presidential election because they think that the only potential power that they have is within local elections.
What I would call a meaningful distinction of what you brought up is the difference between having agency and influence versus control and masterdom. Yeah, people in the U.S. right now do not have control over their politics.
They do not have a masterdom over politics unless they are one of those few exceptions of a political party elite or Elon Musk, Jeff Bezos-type billionaires. That doesn’t mean someone doesn’t have influence. If I were to have a conversation with individuals, I would probably take it as local, scaled down as possible to think of what influence have you had on friends, on family, on the community, and I would interrogate them or challenge them to say, how is that apolitical? You convincing a friend to watch a certain show over another, going to this event versus another, joining this club, spending their time doing this and that.
Whether they’re subtle or not, they have interconnections with ideas of what is better, what is worse, what are ways that we want to associate, we want to cohabitate, we want to live together, what institutions we want to make, whether they’re formal or informal.
What I problematize about the definition that you cited is that it’s really restricted by an institutionalist type of thinking that, yes, if you only work with institutions and you expect institutions to completely reflect what you want, it’s going to feel like you have no agency, but that’s only one avenue of politics.
The most radical changes over history, the biggest political change happens outside of formal institutions. It creates new institutions over time. You as an individual are not going to do that. You don’t have that control or masterdom, but that’s where you don’t get these big critical junctures until it actually takes up across a large group, a large mass of people.
We go back to the heart of it, which is politics only exists with others. You as an individual are not going to change everything in politics by yourself. It’s all part of a collective action problem, a collective effort.
Three seats of the five seats on the Truckee Fire Protection District board are up for the midterms, but none of them are seeking reelection, which means come Jan. 1, 2027, there’ll be three new faces overseeing the fire district’s budget, policies, and overall services for the community. This is especially notable considering the district’s current legal battle against Placer County over property tax allotment, such impending capital projects as a new headquarters fire station, and the recent union formation.
Candidates were limited to 125-word responses per question, and they have been edited for style and clarity. Order of replies determined by a randomizer.
1. Truckee Fire says a decades-old property-tax allocation problem in Placer County has cost it roughly $40 million since the 1970s. What is your understanding of the district’s claim, and what role should the board play in pursuing a resolution that supports reliable fire and emergency medical services while considering the impact on other taxing agencies? (Read more on this situation at moonshineink.com: Truckee Fire Sues Placer County Over Decades of Unpaid Property Tax.)
McThorn: Unfortunately, there is a confidentiality clause with the legal case, and I do not have all the factual information. Once on the board, I can better understand the issue. From what I know, this should have been addressed many years ago by prior chiefs and boards.
I am not for taking from other special districts within Truckee. This appears to be the threat from Placer County and am not sure that is legal. If the case is won, it should come from the Placer County general fund and not our special districts. Moving forward, the funds should be allocated appropriately to Truckee Fire. If elected, I will share all factual information that is legally allowed so we can move forward responsibly.
Rintala: The district has not been receiving funding from the fire service taxes paid by residents in a portion of Placer County. The district has spent many years trying to resolve this with Placer County. The fire taxes other district residents pay should not have to make up for the funding removed from our region. As a community member, I am not convinced that our local agencies are overfunded by the taxes collected for the TFPD, as the county suggests. The board should seek out and review available information and pursue the case with the entire community we serve in mind. The district should also be ready and willing to engage with other agencies to understand potential impacts.
Witherspoon: Truckee Fire deserves fair, durable funding without destabilizing schools, healthcare, sanitation, or neighboring districts. I reviewed the Zone 7 tax-area records, and the allocation snafu locked into place after Proposition 13 is there for anyone to see. The sanity check is whether Placer County or Northstar [Community Services District] would provide fire protection with those allocations. Quite simply, they wouldn’t. Correcting this historical imbalance will have a financial impact on the county and/or our local special districts. The board should protect the district’s legal position while making settlement the priority. I would require transparent reporting on legal costs, verify the service-cost analysis, and bring Placer County and affected agencies into structured negotiations.
Brown: The lawsuit is active against Placer County by Truckee Fire. This case should be guided by fairness, fiscal responsibility, and what is legitimately owed to our fire district. We have been pursuing a fair resolution with Placer County for decades; with better communication this could have prevented the lawsuit. While retroactive funding may not be recoverable, we should establish a fair path forward. Our emergency services remain unchanged for these areas while local taxpayers bear the costs. I believe there are sufficient resources to reach an equitable solution without negatively impacting other agencies. The court should make a ruling and Truckee Fire will acceptingly move forward. If settlement is needed, I would support collaboration, transparency, and a fair outcome for all involved.
Golden: I completely agree that we cannot take resources away from our schools or healthcare district. A zero-sum fight between local emergency services and education is not the answer.
At the same time, we have to be honest about the problem. Billions of dollars of development have occurred in the Martis Valley, creating more people, more homes and more fire risk, while Truckee Fire remains understaffed. I believe Placer County needs to be part of the solution. We should work toward a long-term agreement that better recognizes the cost of protecting these communities.
My goal would be simple: make sure the tax revenue generated here is helping provide the services needed here, while working with our neighboring agencies rather than taking resources away from them.
2. Significant capital projects are on the horizon for Truckee Fire, including Station 90, a new headquarters fire station, and a regional training facility for Truckee and its partner agencies. What are three specific ways the board of directors might hold the line on fiscal discipline during the planning and implementation of these and other projects?
Golden: Fiscal discipline doesn’t mean saying no to every major project. It means making sure we’re building what our community actually needs and getting the most value for every taxpayer dollar.
I’m particularly supportive of seeing the regional training facility through because I believe it can make Truckee and our neighboring agencies better prepared while sharing cost and resources. I would work directly with partner agencies to make that happen.
Training matters. Firefighters cannot be expected to perform at their best during a structure fire if they can’t regularly practice those skills. Technology, equipment, and fire behavior continue to change, and we have to keep our firefighters current. I would expect strong budgets, accountability, and regular oversight while investing in training that keeps our community safe.
McThorn: The new station 90 is still in the early phase and changes can be made. From what I know, there is not a definitive funding plan. There should be a collaborative effort moving forward with all stakeholders, Transient Occupancy Tax, and community input. Fiscal responsibility is always a priority with public funds. It is a good plan with an attached fire station from what I have seen.
The need for a regional training facility should be a priority. Our goal should be to keep our firefighters within or close to our district when training. Training is a top priority, and Truckee is one of the most uniquely challenged areas in the country. Our firefighters need to be ready at all times.
Rintala: With three new board members, the prospective capital projects should be reviewed starting with a thorough needs and benefits analysis as we look to modernize and grow with our community. The district is healthy and should explore accessible funding options while prioritizing the most important capabilities we can afford to pursue. These are high-impact projects that can improve capability and service quality if well planned. A fire station is a large investment. Community-supported funding must be considered in the context of overall community needs, aging infrastructure, and resource availability. The board needs to honor and protect the existing partnership with voters that brought us wildfire risk reduction through Measure T funding and plan to build forward in concert with other community providers.
Witherspoon: Representing taxpayer interests starts well before construction. Station 90’s 18,000-square-foot concept carries a preliminary estimate of about $24 million. At that scale, the district must validate and prioritize needs, compare smaller and phased alternatives, identify external funding, and show that construction will not weaken reserves or service levels. Any capital plan must address upgrades to aging stations and prioritize the highest needs. For greenlit projects, I would require updated cost estimates and public board approval at design milestones, bid awards, and significant change orders. For a regional training facility, each partner’s capital contribution, operating share, governance rights, maintenance obligation, and exit terms should be documented before Truckee commits. We should fund what crews need, what population growth demands, and what the tax base can sustain.
Brown: I believe a new fire station can be an important investment in our community’s safety, but we need strong safeguards before committing significant taxpayer dollars. I would support a thorough feasibility study, independent cost estimates, realistic construction timelines, and a clearly defined project scope. The board should establish a firm budget with appropriate contingency reserves, require competitive bidding, and have any significant scope or cost changes return to the board for approval.
We should also evaluate long-term operating and maintenance costs, secure outside funding where possible, and regularly review the project against established milestones. Most importantly, the community deserves transparent reporting throughout the process. Good planning means anticipating challenges before they become expensive problems and ensuring we build what Truckee needs while protecting taxpayers.
3. Earlier this year, Truckee firefighters joined the Sierra Nevada Firefighters Local 3800 union. What changes, if any, have you observed in the district’s internal communication, collaboration, or service delivery since then? As a board member, how would you support a constructive working relationship among executive staff, the board, and union members?
Brown: I respect the employees’ choice to go union and encourage good collaboration. The transition and relationship are new and priorities should be open communication to build trust, accountability, and a strong working relationship. We can work together to build a problem-solving partnership and I’m positive the union relations will continue to develop. Since the unionization, the board has approved a change in service for the better with regard to daily minimum staffing levels. The staffing levels are now increased by two personnel, making a mandatory of 10 personnel. This is an important improvement from the previous minimum staffing of eight. There is always room for revision and conversation to increase these levels in the future based on district needs and fiscal availability.
Golden: I believe the most important thing is that everyone remembers we’re on the same team. Our firefighters, executive staff, and board may have different perspectives, but we all have the same responsibility: providing the best possible fire and emergency medical service to our community.
Since firefighters joined Local 3800, I believe the board should embrace that relationship, not treat it as an obstacle. I would make a point of listening to our firefighters and understand what they’re seeing on the ground, while also respecting the responsibilities of the chief and board.
Good organizations communicate openly, address problems directly, and hold each other accountable. I would work to build that relationship: one that’s based on respect, transparency, and a shared commitment to the people we serve.
McThorn: Since unionizing, the internal communication seems to be strained. With my experience in labor and management communications and negotiations, I will bring stability, open lines of communication, and straightforward discussions. I have learned over my career that such communication will always prevail. It will unify and gain trust among labor and management and build a stronger fire district. The firefighters and prevention officers are front line and have the best insight for positive change. As a board member, I would like to see monthly labor and management meetings with set achievable goals, and a monthly report to the board. To be a truly effective union it takes the labor group to be proactive and communicate factually. We must work together to better serve our community.
Rintala: The union relationship is new and all parties still have to learn how to work with each other under a new system. Attending board meetings over the last year and listening to firefighters, I’ve observed difficulty from all sides while individuals remain mission-driven and strive to deliver outstanding service to our evolving rural community. TFPD’s extraordinary firefighters, staff, and leaders work with many response partners for rapid, scalable, and reliable emergency response. The national advocacy from the union promises to bring guidance to our team that helps keep our firefighters, residents, and visitors ever safer in emergencies. The board should actively guide respectful engagement from the boardroom to the front line putting our community and our Truckee Fire team ahead of turf battles.
Witherspoon: I am not inside the organization and will not claim firsthand knowledge of private workplace dynamics. Public statements surrounding the unionization suggest employees wanted a more consistent voice in district decisions. I have seen no evidence that unionization has diminished service, and I support employees finding a constructive way to be heard. I welcome the perspective a regional union can bring from peer fire districts. As a board member, I would support scheduled labor-management meetings, anonymous employee climate surveys and more transparency with staff, e.g., livestreaming board meetings so employees can follow them remotely. The board should respect collective bargaining and the chief’s chain of command while ensuring employees can raise concerns safely. Constructive labor relations are necessary to sustain excellent public service.
Inventory levels are down from 2025 in nearly all Tahoe submarkets. In September 2025, there were 327 homes listed for sale in the Tahoe Sierra MLS compared to 272 in 2026. The homes that sell are moving faster than last year, with average days on market dropping across every market except for the NV Tahoe Basin, where days on market jumped from 70 to 146 along with a 37% rise in median sold price year over year. This suggests a smaller pool of higher priced sales rather than a cooler market. Month-to-month, most submarkets saw sales volume increase into September where prices decreased slightly, consistent with the overall trend of sellers adjusting pricing to move inventory as we move into the shoulder season.
Enter a stand of aspens and all of the senses awaken. Leaves flutter in the slightest breeze, brilliant shades of green fill the canopy in summer, and glowing yellows and oranges emerge in autumn. The forest understory carries the earthy scent of saturated, nutrient-rich soils, while temperatures drop within these pockets of moisture and life. Surrounded by Tahoe’s conifer forests, an aspen stand can feel like an entirely different world, and in the fall, these forests become especially striking, showcasing a vibrant display of seasonal transformation.
Aspens carry a lot of significance for Tahoe, both metaphorically and ecologically. As one of very few deciduous trees native to the region, their dramatic color shift each fall is a reminder of summer’s closure, capturing memories made in the warm months. The transition through autumn prepares us for the cold temperatures and snowfall ahead. Ecologically, aspen habitats are refuges of utmost importance scattered throughout our dominant evergreen forests, creating biodiversity hotspots that support an abundance and diversity of plants, animals, and other organisms.
Meet the Aspen
Quaking aspens (Populus tremuloides) are the most widespread native tree in North America. Their name comes from the way their leaves shimmer and quake in the wind. An aspen’s round, heart-shaped leaf attaches to its flattened leaf stem, called a petiole. This structure helps sunlight penetrate deeper and more evenly into the tree canopy, prevents heat stress, makes it harder for fungal spores to settle, helps shake off insect pests, and even reduces the risk of damage to the tree on windy days.
BACK SCRATCHER: Black bear claw marks scar the trunk of a quaking aspen along the Legacy Trail in Truckee. Photo by Sarah Hockensmith
Some aspen stands consist of genetically identical trees, or clones, connected by a shared root system. Although we don’t have the enormous clones found in Utah or Colorado, pockets of these trees in the Tahoe Basin can also be a combination of individual trees that make up one large organism, spreading through the landscape through new shoots, or suckers. Each new shoot grows from the parent root system and shares identical DNA, creating a genetic clone. Aspens can spread sexually by seed, but most aspen in the western United States reproduce primarily through these connected root systems and clonal suckering. In fall, aspens with the same DNA typically change color synchronously, exposing genetic relationships within a stand to sharp-eyed observers.
From afar, aspens may look as if they have white bark, but a closer look reveals that the outer layer has a greenish tint. That is because the bark contains chlorophyll, green pigments that allow the tree to perform bark photosynthesis, even when leaves are absent in the cold months (so long as temperatures allow water to remain liquid). Unlike most local trees that grow thick, woody outer bark, aspen bark is soft and sensitive, and even a small scratch can create scarring. When visiting aspen stands, look for evidence of bear scratches on the trees and try to ignore the human-caused scars. Aspen trunks tell stories of history and wildlife, holding clues about the animals that live among them, from Tahoe’s largest mammals to smaller creatures like birds, insects, and caterpillars.
Aspen’s Unique Ecological Roles
I spent a summer studying nesting songbirds in quaking aspen stands, and that experience gave me a deeper appreciation for just how much life this habitat can support. Although the Tahoe region is home to a variety of plants and wildlife, large aspen groves are important for the variety of microhabitats they create. Unlike dense evergreen forests, aspens have a canopy that allows more sunlight to reach the forest floor. Their leaves decompose relatively quickly and produce less acidic litter than evergreen needles, helping create nutrient-rich soils that hold moisture better and support a lush understory of grasses, forbs, and wildflowers. Together, these conditions create a mosaic of food, shelter, and nesting opportunities for an impressive range of species.
Aspen communities can be alive with activity. Look closely and you may find mountain beaver burrows beneath the forest floor, incisor marks from American beavers along the trunks, or a sapsucker drilling neat rows of rectangular holes into the bark. During the spring and summer, the leafy canopy provides cover for nesting songbirds such as warbling vireos, dusky flycatchers, and thrushes. The abundance of flowering plants that thrive on the forest floor among the aspens attracts insects, which are an important food source for birds and other wildlife throughout the summer season. Even the bark itself has sugars that provide carbohydrates and quick energy for feasting mammals such as deer, porcupines, and hares.
QUACKING ASPENS reach their full fall glory at Page Meadows, a popular viewing place, where entire stands transform into shades of yellow and orange. Photos by Jennifer Coon
Aspen are highly susceptible to heart-rot, a fungal disease that decays the inner heartwood at the center of a tree, and woodpeckers move right in. Many species excavate a new home each year as the heart-rot climbs higher, and over time large aspens become natural apartment complexes for wildlife that depend on cavities. Old woodpecker holes in aspen are reused by our smallest owl and duck species, swallows, bats, flying squirrels, and many other cavity-nesting birds. In this way, an aspen stand continues to provide habitat throughout the life and death of its individual trees, making these forests some of the most dynamic wildlife places in the Tahoe region.
From Green to Gold: Why Some Trees Change Color
So, what makes aspens turn from green to gold? Chlorophyll is the green pigment that allows most plants to photosynthesize, and when a leaf is packed full of chlorophyll, it appears green. While conifer trees retain their needles through winter, deciduous trees, like aspens, shed their leaves. As days become shorter and temperatures drop, aspens begin preparing to drop their leaves. The tree forms a barrier, called an abscission layer, between the leaf and the rest of the tree, gradually cutting off the flow of water and nutrients. As chlorophyll degrades and new chlorophyll is no longer produced, the green color disappears, revealing other pigments and their colors that have been present in the leaf all along.
The yellows and oranges of autumn come primarily from pigments called carotenoids. These are present in aspen leaves throughout the life of each leaf, but are masked by the sheer volume of chlorophyll during spring and summer. Once the green fades, these hidden colors emerge, creating the gold and yellow hues that make aspen stands so striking.
Bright reds are less common in Tahoe’s aspens. When they do appear, they come from a different pigment called anthocyanin. These red pigments can form when sugars become trapped in the leaf as the tree seals it off from the rest of the plant. Under the right conditions, those sugars trigger chemical processes that produce red and sometimes purple pigments. In many places, the strongest reds develop when sunny days are paired with cool temperatures and at least a little bit of moisture to keep the tree trying to cling to the growing season. Those conditions may be less consistent in Tahoe’s high-elevation climate, which could help explain why our aspens are more often golden than red.
Eventually, the leaves fall to the ground, allowing the aspen to enter a dormant state and conserve energy through the coldest months.
Where to Find Fall Color
For those hoping to experience the brilliant fall colors of aspen, there are plenty of places around the Tahoe Basin and surrounding Sierra to explore. The best place to look for them? Tributaries and water’s edge. On the South Shore, Taylor Creek is a great place to see aspen changing color, with easy, flat trails and beautiful views along the creek. For a more adventurous challenge, some of the largest aspens at Tahoe can be found along the Upper Truckee River in between Christmas Valley and Meiss Country. On the West Shore, Blackwood Canyon and Page Meadows offer excellent opportunities to wander through aspen groves and catch the seasonal transition. On the North Shore, head to Spooner Lake, North Canyon, or Marlette Lake, where some of our largest aspen stands provide a spectacular contrast against the surrounding evergreens and mountain landscape. North of Truckee, most of the Little Truckee watershed has stringers of aspen lining the watercourses, although most of the trees aren’t very large. South of the Basin, Hope Valley, Monitor Pass, and the Eastern Sierra extending further south offer countless additional opportunities to see aspen turning shades of yellow, gold, and orange. Wherever you go, fall is a wonderful time to slow down, explore a familiar trail from a new perspective, and enjoy one of the Tahoe region’s most beautiful seasonal changes.
~ A naturalist and adventure seeker, Sarah Hockensmith finds inspiration in wild places. Whether hiking a rugged trail or wandering through a meadow, she slows down to observe the flora and fauna around her. She enjoys researching and sharing the stories of nature’s often overlooked treasures.
The election of 1912 has always fascinated me. It was when Teddy Roosevelt broke from the Republican megalith to form a new political party.
Roosevelt didn’t like the direction that his successor, William Howard Taft, was taking the GOP. Teddy felt that his legacy of progressive economic and social policies was being undone by a party increasingly entrenched with big industry and business.
When it became clear that the Republican Party did not want the reform-minded Roosevelt to return, ol’ TR donned his bifocals, twisted his walrus mustache, and created his own path.
He called it the Progressive Party, but history remembers it by another name. “I’m as fit as a bull moose,” he bellowed when a reporter inquired about his health, and the name stuck.
The Bull Moose Party platform called for business regulations and tariff reductions, increased workers’ rights, conservation efforts, aid to the poor, and women’s suffrage. Roosevelt’s Square Deal policies aimed to “give a fair shot to everyone.”
A war hero and carrier of a big stick, Roosevelt could also walk softly. He was self-effacing, could admit when he was wrong, could learn from a mistake, and showed the capacity to unite across party lines.
Roosevelt gave speech after speech. Americans saw that the Bull Moose offered them another option. The movement gained steam. Election day arrived. And for the only time in American history, an independent party received more votes than a major party.
Alas, though, the third-party curse of split votes reared its head and hamstrung the moose. While Taft’s 21% of the popular vote only garnered him eight electoral votes compared to Teddy’s 88, it was more than enough to allow Democrat Woodrow Wilson a landslide electoral college victory.
That’s just how it is, right? Ever since the squabbles between Federalists and Anti-Federalists in the earliest days of our American Experiment, we’ve been a two-party land, any independent momentum fleeting and bound for relegation.
Perhaps not forever.
A Gallup Poll released earlier this year shows that a record 45% of Americans now identify as independents. And with GenZ and Millennial voters polling at roughly 55% independent, the trend away from Republican and Democrat alignment may only grow.
The nation, it seems, is seeking a different direction, something more than the rock-and-a-hard-place option so often doled out by the two major parties.
Which brings us to the upcoming election.
The 2026 midterms will see sharp increases in independent candidates nationwide, with 129 of the 435 House district races and 24 of the 35 Senate races featuring a candidate other than a Democrat or Republican. A strong signal of the times and trends, no doubt.But without major party backing, the path to independent candidates actually winning races remains an uphill battle.
Currently, there are only two Independents in the Senate, Angus King of Maine and Bernie Sanders of Vermont, and both caucus with the Democrats. In the house, the lone independent is Kevin Kiley, who represented California’s 3rd district since 2022 as a Republican before becoming an Independent last March.
To retain his seat as chairman of the House Education & Workforce Subcommittee, however, Kiley was forced to continue to caucus with Republicans, a practice, he has said, that adds to the “polarization and dysfunction that prevails in this building.”
Kiley is on the ballot as an Independent for California’s newly redistricted District 6. If elected, he has stated that he will not continue to caucus with Republicans, sticking to his independent bent even if it means exclusion from committees.
Kiley gave further teeth to his stance, when, on Sept. 15, he broke with his old party’s talking points regarding the Supreme Court’s decision against presidential attempts to block mail-in ballots.
“I support the right of Californians to vote by mail and am grateful for the Supreme Court’s decision,” Kiley stated in a release. “Election policy should result from a thoughtful and deliberative legislative process, not from executive orders issued on the eve of voting.”
Whether Kiley’s shift to independent status proves as mere politicking or an actual change that reflects America’s mode, we shall see. Whether America’s growing desire to move beyond the dysfunction of party-line politics will, or even can, be met, we shall see.
It was Roosevelt leading his Rough Riders charge up San Juan Hill in Cuba that catapulted him to the forefront of the American political sphere. In doing so, he was one of the last great leaders to truly lead from the front. Perhaps this election season we’ll see someone else, with independence, who can too.
What does the midterm election look like through the eyes of young voters in the Tahoe region? We asked five Gen Zers, ages 19 to 23, about whether they plan to vote, the issues that matter most to them, how well political parties represent them, and how they feel about voting in California and Nevada. Their answers reflect a generation that is engaged but not necessarily aligned, with concerns ranging from the cost of living and housing to international conflict, data centers, healthcare, and the economy. Respondents are listed alphabetically, with the order rotated throughout the Q&A.
Ella Brandt, 23
From Tahoe City
Ethnicity: White
Gender identity: Female
Registered as: Democrat
Ella Brandt is a Cal Poly alumnus currently working at a marina on Lake Tahoe.
1. Will you vote in the midterms? Why or why not?
Yes, I will be voting. I think it’s a pivotal and impactful time to be able to utilize and exercise my right to vote and take part in our democracy, especially given where I stand on who controls the House and Senate.
2. What do you think is the most important issue in the midterm election and why?
Cost of living and health care are two of the biggest issues in this midterm. The propositions on our ballot could bring real relief on housing, health care, and taxes. This is largely important to help the well-being of families and workers across California.
3. How well does your political party currently represent you and why?
I think the Democratic Party ultimately represents me better than any alternative. When I weigh my options, the party aligns more closely with my values, particularly environmental sustainability, access to health care, and Congress holding the President accountable.
4. In a national (political) context, how do you feel about being Nevadan or Californian?
It’s hard to sum up all Californians in one way, and voting is how every part of the state gets heard. I like being Californian overall, but living in Tahoe, I think I may have a different perspective than most Californians. For instance, we deal with seasonal crowds and a housing market that’s hard for locals to afford.
5. Will you be voting by mail or in person? If by mail, do you have any reservations about using this method?
I will likely vote in person.
6. On the ballot is a billionaires tax, a one-time tax of 5% on the wealth of individuals worth over $1 billion. The tax is meant to subsidize healthcare, education and food assistance for Californians. Are you in support of this and why or why not?
(Editor’s Note: This question was asked only of Californians.)
I am in full support of this. Individuals with that much wealth and accessibility to money should contribute to the communities around them. It would bring a meaningful influx of money to those who need it.
7. What local election are you following, if any?
I am not currently following any specific local race.
Brenna Ritchie, 21
From Incline Village
Ethnicity: White
Gender identity: Female
Registered as: Democrat
Brenna Ritchie is a Rangeland Ecology and Natural Resources Management student at Montana State University.
1. Will you vote in the midterms? Why or why not?
Yes, of course, they are still important votes because it changes options for the primary elections: if you have an opinion in the primaries, then you should have a vested interest in the midterms.
2. What do you think is the most important issue in the midterm election and why?
Economics and cost of living and also data centers! Data center policy is something that every American citizen can rally behind, regardless of party, because they affect so much of our future and use of resources. Specifically, our future water use and land use are drastically impacted by data centers, and these are the two most important things for American agriculture — which is ultimately what keeps us all alive.
3. How well does your political party currently represent you and why?
Not super well — both are quite polarized on issues. Neither party tries to see the perspective of the other- and both are losing followers because they are so far leaning. I think there is a huge hole in American politics for someone who is middle ground on issues to collect voters from both parties due to their evenness and views for both sides.
4. In a national (political) context, how do you feel about being Nevadan or Californian?
I love being a Nevadan — I love being part of a swing state where your voice actually matters — especially in a contentious time right now with data center controversy.
5. Will you be voting by mail or in person? If by mail, do you have any reservations about using this method?
I will be voting by mail, and no I don’t have any reservations about using it — I trust the mail service to send packages, cards, and more, and I see sending a ballot as the same thing. I have faith in our hardworking citizens to deliver it, and for people counting them to act as upstanding Americans and do the right thing- as long as it gets counted, I don’t care through which avenue I vote.
6. What local election are you following, if any?
I am not following many local elections because I am not currently living there, but I do hear and keep tabs on the IVGID elections from my dad.
Hazin Burtt, 19
From Truckee
Ethnicity: Mixed
Gender Identity: Male
Registered as: Independent
Hazin is a professional rock climber.
1. Will you vote in the midterms? Why or why not?
I will be voting in the midterms because I believe that one vote can make a difference.
2. What do you think is the most important issue in the midterm election and why?
I believe the most important issue is our president and getting him impeached. If we cannot loosen the control of the Republicans in Congress, then we will have to suffer the consequences of his actions.
3. How well does your political party currently represent you and why?
They represent me well, but they don’t cover all my opinions on things. But that is to be expected. They represent me more than the Democrats and much more than the Republicans.
4. In a national (political) context, how do you feel about being Nevadan or Californian?
I don’t feel terrible about it because while Gavin Newsom makes some terrible decisions, he does some good for the environment.
5. Will you be voting by mail or in person? If by mail, do you have any reservations about using this method?
I will be voting in person, I like the sticker and the small trip out to vote at a poll.
6. On the ballot is a billionaires tax, a one-time tax of 5% on the wealth of individuals worth over $1 billion. The tax is meant to subsidize healthcare, education and food assistance for Californians. Are you in support of this and why or why not?
(Editor’s Note: This question was asked only of Californians.)
I am in support of this but I do wish the percentage was higher. It would allow so many people to live their lives with what should be the basics, but who currently cannot.
7. What local election are you following, if any?
I am not following any local races currently.
Emmett Roberts, 22
From Olympic Valley
Ethnicity: White
Gender identity: Male
Registered as: Independent
Emmett is a Tufts University Alumnus currently working as an electrical engineer.
1. Will you vote in the midterms? Why or why not?
I will vote in the midterms. I mostly want my vote to reflect how I feel the president is handling his term by voting on congress members. So while I will be voting for state government and propositions, my main motivation is to vote for congress members.
2. What do you think is the most important issue in the midterm election and why?
The biggest issue for me is the international conflict and the US’s involvement. I am very against the conflicts, and our government is not only funding Israel with weapons and money, but also making little diplomatic progress towards a ceasefire with Iran.
3. How well does your political party currently represent you and why?
I am nonpartisan so I feel it represents me pretty well. I have ideals that align with multiple different parties, and even if most of them are more aligned with the Democratic Party, I don’t think its current image is one I fully support or agree with.
4. In a national (political) context, how do you feel about being Nevadan or Californian?
I feel good about being Californian, the people in California share mostly the same important social and political viewpoints as me.
5. Will you be voting by mail or in person? If by mail, do you have any reservations about using this method?
I will be voting in person.
6. On the ballot is a billionaires tax, a one-time tax of 5% on the wealth of individuals worth over $1 billion. The tax is meant to subsidize healthcare, education and food assistance for Californians. Are you in support of this and why or why not?
(Editor’s Note: This question was asked only of Californians.)
I think it is a good idea if implemented correctly. I will be voting for it, but I don’t want the money used improperly and I don’t want to drive billionaires out of the state, which could severely decrease state tax revenue and have other economic consequences.
7. What local election are you following, if any?
None.
Luke Bracco, 23
From Truckee
Ethnicity: White
Gender identity: Male
Registered as: Independent
Luke Bracco is a mountain guide and from Alamo, California. He has lived in Tahoe on and off for his entire life.
1. Will you vote in the midterms? Why or why not?
Yes, definitely. Midterms decide who’s in Congress and who sets policy at the state and local level, and those decisions affect day-to-day life more than people realize. Skipping them means letting other people choose for me.
2. What do you think is the most important issue in the midterm election and why?
The economy and unemployment are issues that have my attention. Housing and healthcare are equally important, but hinge on the stability of a consistent paycheck. Holding work is critical to being able to build a life, and for people my age, that’s a huge source of uncertainty.
3. How well does your political party currently represent you and why?
I lean Democrat and it’s the closest fit, but not a perfect one. I agree with the party on a lot of social and policy priorities, but I don’t always feel it puts enough focus on jobs and affordability, which are important issues to me.
4. In a national (political) context, how do you feel about being Nevadan or Californian?
I have mixed feelings living here. California is a leader in innovation, climate policy, and culture, but it also falls victim to political issues seen at a national level. It’s frustrating that critical issues like cost of living and housing fall behind more divisive social issues. We spend too much time fighting over ideas that affect a relatively small portion of the population and ignore ones that truly affect the lives of everyone.
5. Will you be voting by mail or in person? If by mail, do you have any reservations about using this method?
I will vote by mail. It’s convenient and I have no reservations about it.
6. On the ballot is a billionaires tax, a one-time tax of 5% on the wealth of individuals worth over $1 billion. The tax is meant to subsidize healthcare, education and food assistance for Californians. Are you in support of this and why or why not?
(Editor’s Note: This question was asked only of Californians.)
I’m torn on the billionaire tax. I like the goal of funding healthcare, education, and food assistance, and I think the ultra-wealthy can contribute more, but I worry about the application. Whether it’s a true one-time tax, how wealth gets valued, and if the money actually reaches those programs are some questions I’ve raised. It also strikes me as a headline political move, another easy to support or protest idea that keeps us from talking about long term, harder to address issues.
7. What local election are you following, if any?
I’m not following a specific local race. Honestly, I haven’t seen much coverage of local issues, and I think that’s a gap in how elections get covered.
