12 festivals happening in Nevada to put on your calendar in 2024

Festivals in Nevada are filled with fun for the whole family all year long. They also run the gamut of themes from fire and ice to rocks and bottles. Balloon festivals, dance festivals, stargazing festivals–there’s something to celebrate for everyone, January through December, in the Silver State.

If you’re looking for a way to feel festive all year long, be sure to check out these 12 festivals in Nevada.

January

Fire & Ice Winter Festival

Ely

The holidays are over and the new year has begun but you can still celebrate the winter season at the annual Fire & Ice Winter Festival in Ely Jan. 12-14. It’s three days of action-packed fun and games including an ice sculpture competition, a cross-country ski race, a Burning Man-style art sculpture bonfire and historic steam train excursions with the Nevada Northern Railway. For more information, visit the White Pine County website.

February

Lover’s Aloft Balloon Festival

Lovelock

All you need in love (and a lock) at the Lover’s Aloft Balloon Festival Feb. 8-11 in Lovelock. During this festival, couples, families and friends symbolically lock their love per an ancient Chinese tradition by fastening a heart-shaped lock in Lovers Lock Plaza. There are also hot air balloon races and rides, marriage vow renewals and all sorts of festivities. For more info, see Lovers Aloft on Facebook.

March

Death Valley Dark Sky Festival

Amargosa Valley

Escape to Death Valley with your family for pitch-black skies and shimmering stars during the Death Valley Dark Sky Festival March 1-3. Take part in talks, activities, astronomy programs and astrophotography meetups beneath some of the darkest skies in the world, according to the International Dark-Sky Association. Lodging is available but if you’re there, you may as well camp beneath the stars. For more information, call the park at (760) 786-3200.

April

Genoa Western Heritage Days

Genoa

Pay tribute to Nevada’s American West legacy in the state’s oldest town during Genoa Western Heritage Days April 26-28. The weekend is filled with food and festivities fit for cowboys and cowgirls including live performances by Western artists, American Indian demonstrations, dutch oven cooking, live music, cowboy poetry readings, horse parades and historic tours, plus a chance to learn about the state’s most iconic historical figures. For more information, call (775) 782-8145.

May

Electric Daisy Carnival

Las Vegas

The Las Vegas Motor Speedway becomes a multicolor dreamland infused with heart-thumping electronic dance music, flashing lights, pyrotechnics and people during the Electric Daisy Carnival May 17-19. One of the country’s largest electronic dance festivals, nearly half a million revelers are expected to flock to this racetrack-turned-dance floor to party the nights away beneath the electric sky, and you can be one of them. For more information, see the EDC website.

June

Reno River Festival

Reno

A massive three-day outdoor celebration of the local community, the Reno River Festival unites vendors, food trucks and live music in Reno’s Riverwalk District and Wingfield Park June 7-9. This year’s event will also include private rafting tours, bike rides, carnival games and cornhole tournaments. For more information, call (775) 851-4444.

July

Tonopah Rock & Bottle Show

Tonopah

Calling all rockhounds and crafty types! Make your own jewelry from start to finish at the 2nd annual Tonopah Rock & Bottle Show July 19-21. A fun event for the whole family, attendees will learn the arts of silversmithing, wire wrapping, turquoise picking and more at the Tonopah Convention Center. There will be gem, fossil, rock and bottle vendors, blacksmithing demos, lapidary classes and other rock-related activities as well. For more information, call (775) 277-0804.

August

Fallon Cantaloupe Festival & County Fair

Fallon

The Fallon Cantaloupe Festival & County Fair pays homage to a beloved melon with a long history in Fallon–the locally grown Hearts of Gold Cantaloupe. Called a slice of Fallon, this agricultural festival Aug. 23-25 is a bounty of educational activities, exhibits, carnival rides, food and shopping vendors, live music and entertainment, old-fashioned fair games, pageants, a fun run and a petting zoo. You can even try a locally brewed cantaloupe draft. For more information, visit the festival’s Facebook page.

September

Great Basin Astronomy Festival

Baker

The Great Basin Astronomy Festival at Great Basin National Park includes three days of star-studded events and activities Sept. 5-7–many of which happen after dark. The Dark Sky-certified park becomes a flurry of star parties and constellation talks as well as astrophotography workshops, observatory tours and kids’ art projects. Activities are catered to people of all levels of interest and telescopes are set up for everyone to use near the Astronomy Amphitheater. Camping and lodging are available. For more information, visit the festival’s website.

October

Rise Lantern Festival

Jean

The lights of the Las Vegas Strip seem dim compared to the floating orbs to fill the sky at the Rise Lantern Festival Oct. 4-5 in the Jean Dry Lake Bed. A celebration of art, individuality and sustainability, the annual event kicks off with music, vendors, food, drinks and art before culminating at sundown in the lighting and release of biodegradable lanterns. Every attendee receives two lanterns. For more information, visit the Rise website.

Beatty Days Festival

Beatty

Celebrate the sassy spirit of the southwest with a mixed bag of silly competitions like root beer belching and chicken drop bingo, plus a main event that has grown-ups and kids racing their beds down the street during the Beatty Days Festival Oct. 25-27. This funky festival is action-packed with parades, chill cook-offs, art shows, historical reenactments and gunfights as well as trunk-or-treating, a pet parade, pumpkin carving, tricycle races and even more crazy antics that are fun for the whole family. For more information, call (775) 553-2424.

November

Day of the Dead festival

Las Vegas

Las Vegas’s most authentic and largest cultural Day of the Dead event is at the Springs Preserve, Nov. 1-3 only! Celebrate life at our outdoor, family-friendly festival.

This centuries-old celebration—rooted in Latin American cultures—honors loved ones through colorful and joyous traditions. Our event blends rich customs with exciting activities for all ages such as live theater and dance performances, music and mariachis, entertaining games, arts and crafts, food vendors, and much more.

A highlight of the event is the display of altars that local artists, residents, and community groups create to remember their dearly departed. Participants decorate the altars with photographs, poems and fun phrases, burning candles and incense, and offerings of their loved ones most cherished food and drinks. Event attendees will have the opportunity to vote for their favorite altars and the “People’s Choice” winner will be announced at the conclusion of the festival. For more information, visit springspreserve.org/events.

December

America’s Party

Las Vegas

Though it’s not officially a festival, America’s Party is a one-of-a-kind event everyone must attend at least once. This wild New Year’s Eve extravaganza has headquarters at two locations on Dec. 31–the world-famous Las Vegas Strip and the Fremont Street Experience in downtown Las Vegas (for ages 21+). Attendees at both locations are at the center of all the New Year’s Eve action with an explosive fireworks show on the Strip and live music and LED fireworks on Fremont Street. More details will be available in 2024.