Festival brings Magiko to Valley

The Carson Valley Visitors Authority is hosting the second annual Magiko festival Thursday through July 5 in hopes of drawing visitors into Carson Valley's melange of modern amenities, old West heritage and rugged backcountry.

"The Carson Valley Visitors Authority started Magiko as a way to bring visitors to the area by putting a bunch of different events under one umbrella," said Kristen Power, accounts manager for RKPR in Reno, which has been hired to promote the event.

The same company promotes the Art Town festival in Reno.

"Magiko has the potential to be as successful as Art Town," said Power. "Though Art Town focuses on art, and Magiko focuses more on the beauty and culture of Carson Valley."

Jenney Sartin, executive director of the Carson Valley Chamber of Commerce and Visitors Authority, said the community needs to buy into the festival.

"Bringing visitors to the Valley helps everyone," she said. "From an economic standpoint, it's a way to fill our hotels and have people spend money in the community."

Sartin said while the visitor's authority has been convincing local businesses to hang Magiko signs in their windows, it has also been promoting the event outside Nevada.

"We have made a strong, concerted effort to market the event outside the Valley," she said. "We have had exposure on the radio in Sacramento, and Spirit Magazine, which is seen across the country, did a piece on Magiko."

The festival kicks off 4 to 8 p.m. Thursday with a block party in Minden Village.

"This is our third year of the Minden block party," said Bronwyn Mason, owner of Artisans International. "It's a way to kick off the summer, and now that it has been added to Magiko, it will kick off Magiko."

The event includes live music, wine and brew tasting, barbecues, boardwalk games and dunk tanks. Participants can tour more than 30 businesses located in the Village, including the Lira's Market, formerly Sierra Nevada Trading Company, 88 Cups, Cafe Girasole, Indigo and Wasabi's restaurants, Carson Valley Dental and City National Bank, among others.

Proceeds from the sale of wine glasses and other donations will benefit the Carson Valley Boys and Girls Club and Austin's House.

"Last year, we had abut 1,000 to 1,200 people attend," said Mason. "It's nice to raise awareness of the businesses back here that aren't right along Highway 395."

Minden-based Testa Racing is hosting an ATV excursion and geocache hunt in the Pine Nut Mountains June 23 through 27.

"We want to introduce people to trails in the Pine Nuts," said Testa co-owner Karen Irvine.

Irvine said participants will start with eight raffles tickets and use global positioning systems to find canisters hidden throughout the mountains. Differing from a typical geocache where people find prizes in the cans, participants will have to find the cans in order to deposit their tickets and be considered for raffle prizes.

"We'll also be taking a side trip to Mt. Siegel," said Irvine.

Interested parties can register for the event at 1581 Highway 395, Unit B or call 782-6707.

Carson Valley's Basque heritage will be celebrated 1 to 4 p.m. June 29 at the Carson Valley Country Club Restaurant. The event will feature music by a Spanish guitar duo, food prepared by both the Country Club and the Overland Hotel, with a menu of chicken paella, lamb stew and flan, plus a full bar.

"It's the first time we've included a Basque heritage dinner as part of Magiko," said Phyllis Lemley, Chamber special events coordinator. "We have such a deep Basque heritage here, and we need to celebrate it."

The festival will conclude with the Wings of Change Hangar Dance at the Minden-Tahoe Airport 7 to 10 p.m. July 5. The event will feature the Mile High Jazz Band and food.

For more information about Magiko, visit magikonv.com or call 782-8144.