Speaker - "Ghosts from the Past: the History of Northern Nevada Pioneer Cemeteries"
2026-08-01 10:00 - 11:00 (America/Los_Angeles) | Festival Tent
Since a very young age, Jay Dickey has been a graveyard enthusiast, and has visited hundreds of cemeteries throughout the United States. Since moving to Nevada, he has explored a number of pioneer cemeteries, and has researched the histories of many of them. His talk will provide an overview of some of the leading pioneers who came to Northern Nevada, and founded the cities and towns that fueled the growth of Northern Nevada. The cemeteries of Northern Nevada contain the ghosts of many of the men and women who helped create the great state of Nevada, and who live on in our memories.
Jay Dickey is an author and lecturer on a wide range of subjects related to early American history. He is the President of American Heritage Partners, a 501(c)(3) non-profit that hosts educational programs in collaboration with leading American heritage and historical societies, educational institutions, and community groups. Jay is also a member of the Oregon-California Trails Association, the Nevada Historical Society, and a number of other historical and heritage societies. A graduate of Harvard College and the University of Michigan Law School, Jay retired from the practice of law in 2017. He currently lives in Dayton, Nevada with his wife, Angela.
Cost: Free

Speaker - "Why I Miss Miller's Market"
2026-08-08 10:00 - 11:00 | Festival Tent
Historian Dr. Michael Fischer will present “Why I Miss Miller’s Market; A Look At What Made Douglas County So Special in 1975”.
Douglas County was a unique and special place in the 1970s. The program gives old timers a chance to remember and reminisce. It gives newcomers a chance to learn what made the county so special and what set it apart from other places in Nevada. Finally, it is a chance for both groups to interact and learn! Old or new, it has something for everyone!

Dr. Michael E. Fischer was appointed Director of the Department of Cultural Affairs by Governor Jim Gibbons in January 2007 and served in the Sandoval Administration until Cultural Affairs was merged with Tourism. Prior to that, he practiced dentistry in Gardnerville for 31 years. He holds a Bachelor of Science degree from the University of Nevada, class of 1971 and a Doctor of Dental Surgery degree from the University of Southern California, class of 1975.
Cost: Free
The Ranch House will be open 11 am – 1 pm for event guests.

Speaker - "Carson Valley: Melting Pot or Salad Bowl?"
2026-08-15 10:00 - 11:00 | Festival Tent
Historian, researcher and genealogist Debbe Nye, takes a look at the different people who have called Carson Valley home, from the Washoe people to early settlers in Genoa and later arrivals. Through a mix of history and local stories, she shares how these groups lived together—blending traditions in some ways while keeping them distinct in others—and invites the audience to consider which description fits Carson Valley best.

Cost: Free

The Ranch House will be open 11 am – 1 pm for event guests.

Speaker - "In the Glow of the Sierra"
2026-08-22 10:00 - 11:00 | Festival Tent
Author and adventurer Tami Force returns to the park to speak on her second book In the Glow of the Sierra: Ghost Towns & Historical Sites of the Eastern Sierra: Southern Region, and share some of her ghost town adventures.
Force will cover a variety of locations and history from the first non-natives to enter Carson Valley, and ghost towns where many sites are close enough to visit on day trips.
Cost: Free
The Ranch House will be open 11 am – 1 pm for event guests.

Speaker - “The Most Enduring and Remarkable Tales from the Appeal's Past Pages.”
2026-08-29 10:00 - 11:00 | Festival Tent
Sue Ballew and Trent Dolan are the daughter and son of Bill Dolan, who wrote this column for the Nevada Appeal from 1947 until his death in 2006. Ballew and Dolan carried on this column after Bill’s passing, and will share many of the little known or perhaps forgotten stories that appeared over the years in the “Past Pages” of the Nevada Appeal.
Cost: Free
The Ranch House will be open 11 am – 1 pm for event guests.

Speaker - "The Great Miami Hurricane of 1926"
2026-09-05 10:00 - 11:00 | Festival Tent
One hundred years ago, an unexpected tempest roared ashore in Miami, leaving destruction in its wake. Local historian and author, Karen Dustman, will share gripping personal stories passed down from her father, who was among the survivors, recounting moments of terror, resilience, and hope as they braved the storm’s wrath and its aftermath. This devastating event proved to be a watershed moment for Miami, abruptly ending its overheated real estate boom and sending the city spiraling toward the Great Depression.
This one weather event affected not only the state of Florida, but left it’s mark nationwide in one way or another.
Cost: Free
The Ranch House will be open 11 am – 1 pm for event guests.

Speaker - "Wicked Virginia City"
2026-09-12 08:00 - 17:00
Author and historian Peter Mires will share his book Wicked Virginia City and a look the real characters who made the Comstock city so “wicked”!
Perched on the side of a mountain in the Nevada desert, Virginia City existed for one reason only: to make money. The mining frenzy of the mid-nineteenth century uncovered veins of precious metals that would be expressed in billions today, attracting the enterprising madam Cad Thompson, the charismatic highwayman Nickanora and a plethora of swindlers. Miners, flush with their wages, supported a healthy economy of gambling, drinking and prostitution and even launched a few political careers.
Peter B. Mires was born in Vermont when there were more cows than people. He earned a B.A. from the University of New Hampshire, M.A. from the University of Arkansas, and Ph.D. from Louisiana State University. After receiving his doctorate in 1988, Peter taught geography and anthropology at the University of Minnesota-Duluth and the University of Delaware. He currently teaches for Western Nevada College. When not reading or writing he may be found hiking the Tahoe Rim Trail or exploring the Nevada outback.
Cost: Free
The Ranch House will be open 11 am – 1 pm for event guests.
