Hi, Nevadans!

Hope you had a restful Thanksgiving weekend!

Below you’ll find some local nonprofits highlighted to start off this season of giving. Speaking of the season of giving—keep an eye out for a very special edition going out Saturday, Dec. 6. 👀

We’re making some big decisions about this newsletter next year, and your voice could directly shape what it becomes. Chat with me for 15 minutes and tell me what keeps you reading.

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Wish we did something different? What makes a newsletter worth your time? I want to hear it all. Your feedback will help guide our plans.

Reserve a time here!

Jannelle Calderón

Newsletter Editor, The Nevadan / El Nevadense

🎄 39 North Pole Village — Friday-Sunday, Dec. 4-6, from 11 a.m.-9 p.m. at the Downtown Sparks Victorian Square (764 Victorian Ave., Sparks). This unique holiday lights festival features interactive art, live entertainment, a heated vendor tent, food trucks, hot chocolate, free train rides, free Santa photos, and endless amounts of holiday cheer.

🪅 Make your own piñata workshop — Fridays, Dec. 5, 12, and 19, from 5-7 p.m. at Winchester Dondero Cultural Center (3130 S. McLeod Drive, Las Vegas). Build your own piñata from scratch over the course of three Friday-night workshops. At the end, there will be a posada (similar to a potluck) where participants can celebrate in community and choose to fill their piñata with candy and break it. Space is limited, register online or call 702-455-7340.

🫔 Tamales & Mariachi Festival — Saturday, Dec. 6, from 10 a.m.-4 p.m. at the Las Vegas Civic Center’s Goodman Plaza (525 S. Main St.) Celebrate family, culture, and holiday traditions at this outdoor festival that offers an abundance of tamal varieties from all over Latin America. Festival admission is free. Come support local food and artisan vendors and enjoy live mariachi music, performances, and arts and crafts activities available for the kids.

🎅 Meet Santa Paws — Saturday, Dec. 6, from 10 a.m-2 p.m. at the SPCA of Northern Nevada Thrift Store (75 E. Moana Lane, Reno). Get a free photo with Santa and your pet! After, dive into some holiday shopping at the thrift store with up to 75% off on new and gently used treasures, check out Taster’s Paradise food truck, and write a letter to Santa. Proceeds from purchases support the SPCA of Northern Nevada, helping homeless pets in the community.

🗓 Next week: Holiday Art Bazaar — Saturday, Dec. 13, from 10 a.m.-3 p.m. at the Arts Factory (107 E. Charleston Blvd., Las Vegas). Stroll through the Arts Factory and soak in the holiday cheer with local art, creative surprises, holiday activities, pop-ups, and special deals. Shop one-of-a-kind creations and support local small businesses this season!

10 unique Nevada nonprofits in need of volunteers

Help preserve Nevada land by volunteering with Friends of the Wilderness. (A. C./Unsplash)

By Aleza Freeman

Nevada is home to nearly 15,000 nonprofits that address the population’s critical needs, providing social, educational, artistic, cultural, and health services for residents from all economic and cultural backgrounds.

These nonprofit organizations are almost always seeking volunteers to help fill gaps, reduce costs, contribute specialized skills, and expand outreach. It’s a great way to make a difference, support a cause you care about, and contribute to your community.

Highlights:

Check them out!

Nevadans brace for 26% ACA premium surge

Nevada Health Link screengrab. (Shutterstock)

By Alyssa Bickle

By January 2026, Nevadans covered under the Affordable Care Act (ACA), may see their health care premiums jump by 26%.

But for many Nevadans, like Kristine Schachinger, health care has never been affordable, and an end to ACA subsidies will only cause costs to go up further.

Schachinger is a Las Vegas resident and consultant who works in digital marketing. As an independent contractor, employer-based health insurance has never been consistently available to her. The ACA, as a result, has been her solution.

In 2021, Congress raised existing Affordable Care Act (ACA) subsidies (relief) in the form of tax credits under the Biden administration, but they are set to expire at the end of this year.

The loss of subsidies, however, likely will be the reason Nevadans see huge jumps in health care costs.

The health care subsidies are only available through plans sold on Nevada Health Link, which is Nevada’s official health insurance marketplace. As of 2025, records show that more than 110,000 Nevadans enrolled in health coverage through the marketplace.

Read the whole story

Nevada ranchers test GPS ‘virtual fencing’ to herd cattle: “The cattle wear GPS-tracking collars that emit a beep when they approach a digital boundary. If the cow crosses into a restricted zone, the collar delivers a mild pulse. Due to the support from the Bureau of Land Management, U.S. Forest Service, and U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service, researchers and ranch partners can test the collars across tens of thousands of acres in Nevada.” (8 News Now)
Federal judge rules that Kalshi must stop offering prediction contracts in Nevada: “In a 29-page ruling issued Monday, U.S. District Judge Andrew Gordon sided with the Nevada Gaming Control Board and dissolved his 7-month-old preliminary injunction that allowed Kalshi to continue operations while it fights the state’s cease and desist order. Gordon wrote that Kalshi’s interpretation ‘would require all sports betting across the country to come within the jurisdiction of the Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC)’ rather than state and tribal gaming regulators.” (The Nevada Independent)