‘Tis the Season to be Thankful, Main Street Gardnerville🦃

“November comes and November goes, with the last red berries and the first white snows.” – Clyde Watson

Snowy Greetings, Main Street Gardnerville!

What a beautiful site waking up this morning with a mist hovering over the valley floor and a fresh dusting of snow and powder in the mountains. There is something so blissful and comforting in the calm after a storm, especially after the cold, blustery days we have recently had. As Lord Eddard “Ned” Stark eloquently said, “Winter is Coming,” and boy, are we ready for winter and ALL of the festivities that come with it. We are on the threshold of the most magical time of the year, filled with thanksgiving, gratitude, and reflection of the many things we are grateful for before we head into the hustle and bustle of the holiday season. Plus Turkey and Pumpkin Pie?! Hand me my stretchy pants. I am going in for seconds.

We here at the Main Street office have many things to be grateful for as we reflect on the end of our festival and event season. Earlier this month, we finished on a high note with the most beautiful Dia de Los Muertos Festival we co-hosted earlier this month. This was the third annual festival, and we had the pleasure of partnering again with our friends at Douglas County Community Services and Carson Valley Arts Council. It was the perfect day for the event, although we were biting our nails a bit with the storm that pushed through.  It didn’t deter the vendors or community from participating.  This event has grown each year and is widely embraced by our Hispanic community and the community at large.  We estimate we saw over 3000 people throughout the day. Some came as far as Reno and beyond to participate in the festival. This event has also become a top favored event for our families and community thanks to the incredible entertainment lineup: Paso Fino, a local band of recent DHS Graduates, Mariachi Sol De Reno, dance by the Ballet Folklorico Flor de Castilla, and the highlight of the event, Latino Arte de Culture with the 12ft Catrina Dolls and Folkloric Dancers, not to mention our local vendors providing this beautiful heritage’s taste, sounds, and smells.

It is so special to see this event grow into what it is now and the families returning each year with their children, dressed in traditional clothing and painted faces.  This cultural celebration is made possible through team effort and collaboration from Main Street Gardnerville, Douglas County Community Services, the Carson Valley Arts Council, Visit Carson Valley, our fantastic sponsors Dave Taylor’s Appliance, Northwest Martial Arts, VIP Plastics, and the Town of Gardnerville.  I would be remiss if I did not pause to extend my gratitude to Jen Calabrese, Senior Recreation Coordinator at Community Services, for all her hard work in helping to organize this event.  We are excited to do it all again next year. Keep your eyes posted for highlights of the day on our Facebook Page.

Jingle my bells! The holidays are coming at you at Mach speed, and we have no shortage of festivities to get you in that holiday spirit. Even the Grinchy of Grinches will surely get a little jingle in their step.

Kicking off this year’s holiday celebrations is the Town of Gardnerville’s Annual Christmas Kickoff on December 5, 5:30 pm, at Heritage Park. This free family annual event will feature complimentary hot cocoa and Dutch Oven Chowder by the Town, popcorn from the Gardnerville water company, entertainment by local youth performers, photos with Santa, Tahoe Electric Carriage Rides, the Pavilion lighting, and FIREWORKS!

Main Street Gardnerville’s Candy Cane Main Shop Main Street is back! This year, we are excited to host a Cocoa and Cookie Crawl for the kickoff shopping extravaganza on Saturday, December 7, from 11 am to 2 pm. For a $15 registration, you can access Tahoe Electric Carriage rides to whisk you up and down the district, a limited edition commemorative holiday shopping tote to carry your unique shopping finds, a cookie box to store your treats from your favorite local merchants, and photos with Santa. Make it a complete day by eating at one of our fantastic restaurants and refuel just in time for the Carson Valley Chamber of Commerce Parade of Lights at 5 pm on Main Street.  We have a limited amount of 200 commemorative totes available for registered shoppers, so preregister today! 

The best part of the Candy Cane Main Shopping kickoff is that all the proceeds from shopper registration will go directly to the 2025 Facade Improvement Grant Program. You will not only be supporting our local business community but also directly investing in your downtown. We can’t think of a better way to spread joy that will last beyond the holiday season.

Our Candy Cane Main campaign will continue throughout December to promote our local businesses and merchants and encourage you to shop locally for the holiday season with an enhanced interactive map of participating companies and our Perfect Gift guide of hand-selected favorites from our local businesses to help you find that perfect gift from the heart for your loved one. Please watch for a special edition newsletter in December with your Perfect Gift Guide of must-haves.

According to Capital One, in a recent study, 68% of money spent at local stores remains in the local economy; that’s $68 out of every $100! Local retailers retain 289% more revenue for the local economy than chain stores. Dollars spent at an independent business may recirculate an average of six to 15 times in the local economy!

Small businesses make up to 136% more charitable donations per employee than businesses with 500 or more employees. Our small businesses are the heart and soul of our community, and by supporting them, you are also supporting a neighbor, a parent, a friend with a dream, and helping to keep the heart in our community.

Our local merchants and businesses have weathered quite the storm this year, trying to keep their doors open during the road reconstruction, not to mention supply chain disruptions, labor shortages, recession, and inflation; they need our support now more than ever. The Record-Courier recently published this article on the impacts of the highway reconstruction project our business community has endured over the last year and a half. Together, we can help to ensure they bounce back. With our support and local shopping, we can keep our downtown thriving. To our small business community: WE LOVE YOU!

Don’t forget we have our Wreaths Across America Ceremony less than one month from now! We SO CLOSE TO OUR GOAL!! We have 13 wreaths left to sponsor! On Saturday, December 14, at 9 am, we will gather at the Garden Cemetery for the Annual Wreaths Across America Ceremony, where we will honor the 225 veterans laid to rest by laying wreaths on their gravesites. The Garden Cemetery has many of our founding families laid to rest who established this beautiful place we call home and made the ultimate sacrifice by serving our country with honor. We are actively looking for military branch representatives for the ceremony. If you are interested in representing your branch of service or volunteer, check out the flyer below.

We hope to see you downtown soon, Main Street. There is never a shortage of things to do or company to enjoy on Main. On behalf of Main Street Gardnerville, we wish you and your families a lovely and safe Thanksgiving holiday filled with the same gratitude you have given us over the years. Thank you for making this community so unique and special.

We look forward to kicking off the holidays with you! Until then, remember to check on your neighbors, share a smile with a stranger, support your local businesses, and be kind to each other.

See you soon, Main Street!