School’s out for summer: Now what?

School’s out and after this weekend, the Carson Valley Days Carnival and associated celebrations will be in the rearview mirror, so what are the kids going to do?

A lot of stuff, as it turns out.

Before the carnival even gets underway this week, the River Fork Ranch Preserve is hosting a Family STEM Night and open house 5-7 p.m. Thursday.

Last weekend, the Carson Valley Museum & Cultural Center hosted Family Day, featuring bubble blowing on the lawn and miniature golf. The museum is open for free on the first Saturday each month and usually has an associated program.

There are a few weeks before all the excitement surrounding Fourth of July, which sounds like it will be a doozy, with music, food and fun across Carson Valley.

In the meantime, the Pony Express Re-ride will be making its way south along the Sierra Front on June 15. The rider is scheduled to be in Stateline by 5:30 p.m., which means they’ll be in Genoa around 3:30 p.m., but that’s a guess. They’ve got a lot of Nevada to cover that day, so the rider could be early or late.

Gardnerville will be hosting free movies in Heritage Park on June 24, July 8 and July 29.

School starts up again on Aug. 22, too long for parents and far too soon for kids.

VACATION BIBLE SCHOOL

Three Carson Valley churches have vacation Bible schools over the coming weeks.

Trinity Lutheran Church hosting Monumental Vacation Bible School 9 a.m. to noon June 13-17. Preregister children by visiting Trinity’s website at trinitygv.com

Trinity is located at 1174 Mill St. in Gardnerville.

A summer family event called “Jerusalem Marketplace: Where Jesus Walked to the Cross” will be hosted June 20-24 at Shadow Mountain Church. Jerusalem Marketplace is 9 a.m. to noon each day. For more information, call 775-782-5513.High Sierra Fellowship will host a Vacation Bible School 9 a.m. to noon June 27-July 1 for children ages 5-12. Register at hsfellowship.org or come down to the church. For more information, call (775) 782-7486

SWIM CENTER

Carson Valley Swim Center is hosting a Teen Night June 17, July 15, and Aug. 12.

The event is 7:30-9 p.m. for children age 13-17 only. For more information visit cvswim.com

AT THE LIBRARY

The Douglas County Public Library is hosting a Summer Lego Challenge focusing on National Pollinator Month in June for children 6-12 with prizes offered by the Nevada Cooperative Extension.

The library’s hosting its Summer Reading Program focusing on the theme “Oceans of Possibilities,” with activities for babies, toddlers, children, teens, and adults.

The program runs through July 30 at the Minden and Zephyr Cove branches. Children and teens who participate will earn prizes while they maintain and build their reading skills during summer break. Set up an account on the library’s Beanstack webpage at douglascountynv.beanstack.org to register. Log reading, earn prizes, and enter drawings on your Beanstack account.

The Library’s Summer Reading Kick-off events will feature a Puppet Theatre performance by Nazanin Arastoo 5 p.m. today at the CVIC Hall in Minden. A children’s book sale will begin at 4 p.m. and the ice cream social will begin at 6 p.m.

A performance by the Japanese drum group, Taiko Tsurunokai, is 4 p.m. June 30 at the CVIC Hall in Minden. The group plays traditional Japanese folk music as well as original songs.

The Summer Reading Finale will be a Wildlife Show by the Conservation Ambassadors 4 p.m. July 28 at the CVIC Hall.

The Summer Reading Program Kick-off events are sponsored by the Friends of the Douglas County Public Library and the Pioneer Center for the Performing Arts. The Summer Reading Program was made possible in part by the Institute of Museum and Library Services and the Nevada State Library, Archives and Public Records.