The country’s favorite free rib festival is back! The 22nd annual Best in the West Nugget Rib Cook-off will run Wednesday, September 1 through Monday, September 6, 2010. Once again transforming the Labor Day holiday on Victorian Square in downtown Sparks into a must-attend culinary, music, craft, and family end-of-summer affair. Victorian Square, Sparks, Nevada on Victorian Avenue, between 14th Street & Pyramid Way. All food booths will be open from 11:00am—9:00pm, Wednesday—Sunday and from 11:00am—5:00pm on Monday. Food and concessions will be available during event hours only. The Kids’ Area is open every day. The VIP Rib Village is open Wednesday—Sunday from 4—9pm, and Monday from 12—5pm. Click here for more information on the Rib Village. Enjoy great food and FREE top-name entertainment on five different stages all weekend long! Don’t miss the 4th Annual Rib Eating Competition on Wednesday, September 2nd at 6pm on the Main Concert Stage featuring top professional eaters from around the world!

Double Diamond Elementary School will be holding our third annual Coyote Carnival. Last year this event was a huge success. Our community came together for an afternoon of fun and family time. These fundraising events help to raise money for our school to provide the best educational experience for the students of our Double Diamond community. - 1200 S. Meadows Pkwy. in Reno

The Great Reno Balloon Race is the largest free hot air ballooning event in the Nation. During three days in early September, you can look up into the Reno skies and see a rainbow of hot air balloons soaring about. From its humble beginnings in 1982 with just 20 balloons, The Great Reno Balloon Race has taken flight with more than 100 balloons each year. Taking place just a few miles north of downtown Reno, the event enchants both young and old with its vibrant colors and inspiring music. The Balloon Race has won many awards over the years including 'Best Special Event in Reno' and 'Best Special Event in Northern Nevada.' With an average of 140,000 spectators attending the event each year, the number of lives touched by this beautiful spectacle continues to rise just like the balloons themselves. If you're looking for an aerial event that will leave you with a sky-high feeling, don’t miss The Great Reno Balloon Race. - http://www.renoballoon.com

Grand Sierra Resort - Join us for a day full of fun and prizes. Call (775) 287-8773 or visit nevadapageants.com For More Information.

Thanks to the Nightingale Family Foundation. Introduce your family and friends to the Museum this summer for free! Bring a friend, relative or neighbor and enjoy a guided tour or cell-phone scavenger hunt. www.NevadaArt.org

We invite you to be delighted by the speed and grace of our cheetahs as they race around an oval track at speeds in excess of 60 mph. Special guest speaker Vanessa Bouwer Bezuidenhout from the Endangered Wildlife Trust in South Africa will join us. www.ewt.org.za She will talk about a number of endangered species in South Africa, update us on the Anatolian Guard Dog Project (protecting livestock from cheetah predation) and of course, share her knowledge about cheetahs. This is a unique opportunity to view these magnificent animals up close and personal. Please join us to welcome Vanessa and benefit from hearing an expert’s view on current wildlife conservation projects. Tickets sales support the Animal Ark as well as the conservation of cheetahs in their natural habitat. - www.animalark.org

Schedule a FREE trial class during our Open House Week and your first month is FREE with a new enrollment! See why Gymboree has been the GLOBAL leader in child development programs for over 30 years! Gymboree offers a variety of stimulating classes for newborns through 5 years including Play and Learn, Music, Art, School Skills and Sports! Returning clients can receive $10 off their first month, offer not valid for school skills. Call 852-4FUN for more information and to schedule your free trial class, SPACE IS LIMITED!!

In addition to our normal Open Jump™ schedule, we are holding special jump times in September for all you Tweens & Teens. On September 3rd and September 17th, if you are between the ages of 11 & 16 years old, have we got a special night pegged for you! This is YOUR jump, no young kiddos to get in your way, and ONLY Tweens & Teens are allowed. Your $10 admission for the 7pm - 9pm session includes time to play, plus pizza & a drink. No reservation required, but we strongly recommend to come early as we do sell out. We open our doors at 6:45pm. Please note: Only family-friendly music will be played! Age restriction is enforced. Please call us if you have any questions! Come on, Get Your Jump On! We are located at 335 Edison Way, South of Mill & east of the Reno/Tahoe airport. Waiver of Liability REQUIRED.

Come Early and See Yogi the Bear Eat His Breakfast at 11:00 (You won’t want to miss Yogi eating his food as it is hidden throughout his enclosure) - Special Bird Show at 2:00 - Docents Available Throughout the Day to Answer Your Questions - Get a Special Behind-the-Scene Tour of the Feed Kitchen & Learn About the Special Diets & Needs of the Animals - Talk With the Animal Keepers & Learn What it Takes to Care For These Exotic Animals - Learn About Exotic Animal Biology - Reserved Picnic Area, Bring a Lunch! - www.animalark.org