Historical society plans many events for spring

Often in February we get a break from all the cold and snow. We get a week or so of sunshine and the promise that spring really will get here. So, this week in the sunshine, I thought we'd take a look at upcoming spring and summer museum events. Beautiful as they are, we've looked at enough snowy photos for a while.

The Douglas County Historical Society has some outstanding events coming up. On April 5, Student Day, Cowboy Poet Ken Gardner will be giving lessons on how to write cowboy poetry. His book, "Sleepin' in the Bunkhouse, Rhymes from Ranch and Range," is available in the Main Street Bookstore. Gardner was the sheriff in the "Whistlestop" melodrama. The April 10 lecture series will feature a panel consisting of Guy Rocha and Carol and Martin Griffith who will discuss "The Search for Stafford Hall: How Nevada History is Built."

The May lecture series will feature author and historian Bob Ellison and the June lecture series will highlight the Pony Express as the re-ride is scheduled for June 19. May and June Student Day speakers have not yet been announced.

Coming up on May 24 will be the Historic Emigrant Trail Barn Tour. This year's tour will feature barns along the historic Emigrant Trail known now as Foothill Road. This self-guided tour will end with a barbecue lunch at a local ranch where you'll get to see rural Nevada at its best.

The Genoa Court House Museum opens for the season in May and will be ready for the crowds that always gather for the Pony Express Re-ride. The museum, which is open daily from May to October, will be open early for touring while we wait. As the horses travel the original route which is not maintained, riders can only estimate their arrival time. Bring a lawn chair because the ponies and riders show up when they get there.

On July 19, DCHS is sponsoring an art festival and wine tasting. Artists' works will be on display and for sale on the lawn in front of the Gardnerville museum with wine tasting, food and music in the side parking lot. This is not a craft show, but an actual fine art show featuring our own local artists.

August is always the Taste of Gardnerville, but this year we are trying to expand to make it the Taste of the Towns, including Minden and maybe even Genoa. We are adding more restaurants, more food booths and more fun. We would love to see you all back at the museum when the food is over, dancing away the rest of the evening - and the calories.

We have several other events planned for spring and summer but not all the plans have been finalized. What we really need to have a successful year is for more of you to join the historical society and volunteer your time and energy. Membership is easy and the benefits are great. Volunteering for the historical society means you get to see firsthand all that is going on at your local museums. We would love to have you join us.

If you have any questions about anything mentioned here, please call the Douglas County Historical Society at the Carson Valley Museum in Gardnerville at 782-2555 or go to historicnevada.org.

And if you have the time, the museum is always looking for interested volunteers.

-- Contact Ellen Caywood at in2my2cats@yahoo.com

or at 790-1565.