I have never been to this festival before, but some of my friends told me about it and recommended…read moreit to me, so I decided to come by and check it out. When I first showed up I was quite surprise to see that it looked very similar to the Rib Cookoff, a yearly event that I go to every year! Lots of the streets closed off from traffic for foot walk, with several stands of shops, food, drinks and more! A live band performance, and people everywhere! I got food from one of the stands, Meatballs and Polenta. I got meatballs and garlic bread. The meatballs were really good but the garlic bread got very hard by the time I started to eat it. Pretty fun. Fun little event for sure! Definitely go check it out if you enjoy Italian food whenever you're in the area!

Although the weather wasn't perfect, this event was busy. We ended up going once to shop the booths…read moreand see all the neat stuff people make and sell. We went another time to eat when the food vendors were less busy. The artichoke/italian sausage was amazing. The mushroom ravioli was tasty, we found some pastries with cinnamon and sugar but I can't remember what they were called. There was a wine walk (we didn't partake in) but there were lots of wines to taste. Thanks to the Eldorado for this 12th straight year that I have attended.

I hadn't been to the Reno River Festival in along time. I remember when it was free to go and it…read morewas in Winfield park. I have to say it sure has grown into a top notch event! I really love the new location at Idlewild park! There were many Vendors, Food and Drink Choices. One of my favorites is Mr Margarita. I love to mix the two choices together $9. I was starved and I had a $5 hot dog that hit the spot. Then my husband tried a hand dipped foot long corn dog which I had a bite of and it was tasty. What's not to love at the festival, I think any choice is a win! The musical was good, I found it interesting you can now purchase VIP tables each day. What a nice added touch to the event. There are many add ons you can purchase as well. Something for everyone, craft beer tasting, rafting, golf, rock climbing or just sit back and listen to the entertainment while taking in the beauty of your surroundings. If you haven't gone to the festival I definitely suggested going, you can take blankets, low back chairs, but no pets or outside food or drink. General admission is a weekend pass only $15 no exceptions.

This was my first time at the Reno River Festival and I had a good time. The vendors were nice,…read morefriendly, and genuinely passionate about their craft which was very refreshing. The live performances were fun, and I can definitely see this becoming a staple for Reno Events. I didn't expect to pay $20 for entrance which was a bummer as we were going to bring more family and friends but the entry cost was a little too high for bringing kids. There were a nice set of carnival rides, but I was discouraged on buying tickets as we had already $40 to get into the event and wanted to save some of our budget to buy things from vendors. We went on the last day of the event, in the early afternoon and it was nice to see more locals enjoying themselves and it wasn't too crowded which was a plus in our book! My fiancé and I loved that dogs are welcome to join us as some other outdoor events do not allow us to bring our puppy. Overall, the variety of food, atmosphere, and performances were awesome! I only wish the entry price was reduced as I would've brought more people and would've had more money to spend on the vendors. Final verdict... I would definitely come back, but only if the entry prices come down or are removed. If this is your first time attending the event, the $20 is not so bad to see the art installations and see the live performances. I would recommend this for first timers.

7/25/25 Always look…read moreforward to this event- My out of town relatives showed up and they were expecting more-(so was I).. Wings weren't too appealing.. Ended up only visiting two booths.. Glad it brought in the out of towner's..

Flew all the way down from Las Vegas for this week. It's the 10th anniversary. So many vendors and…read moreso many restaurants are going to to tow for the title of best wings. The competition here is amazing. The tide raises all ships and that's what happened here. Every restaurant tried to outdo each other. The customers were the winners here.

8/27/2025- I can't…read morebelieve it's been a year! A little different with the weather this year, but it could have been hailing.. Minus a star- because we used to be able to park in the garage area- but now it's for high players and & $20.. Lucked out, and parked in the other lot near the freeway. Shocked that we were able to get free VIP tent tickets- ( rarely visit in the area).. how could I say no.. My youngest wasn't able to attend, so I sacrificed and enjoyed AYCE ribs.. I was set on visiting the other vendors to take some ribs home, but I ate too many-.. Rain stopped and enjoyed the festival ! Looking forward to another year..

This was probably an awesome event back in the day prior to all the inflation, but in today's…read moreworld, it's just so-so. The rib cook-off is definitely worth going to at least once, but honestly how many ribs can one eat?? It almost should be called a BBQ sauce smackdown rather than rib cook-off because seems like the sauce is the star nowadays. The ribs itself were ok. It was lacking the smokiness, some were hit or miss, being dry or not fall-off-the-bone tender, or were slathered in so much sweet BBQ sauce that you couldn't even taste the meat. - The juiciest ribs were from Aussom Aussie. - Butch's wasn't what I remembered years ago, not much flavor on the meat but the spicy BBQ sauce was my favorite. - BJ's was a total letdown. The sticky BBQ sauce was too sweet and covered up the too-dry ribs. - Bone Daddy's had a nice sear on the outside and had a bit of a smokiness. - Bison Rib from Montana was huge! But the meat was lean and SO chewy, I looked like a bison chewing on it. The prices now are insane. All samplers are an agreed upon monopolized price of $12 for 3 pork ribs. Every vendor sells the same price. Beef bones average $45-50. The VIP AYCE is so pricey that it's not even worth it. Enticing but who can possibly eat 20 ribs plus sides, beer and ice cream?! The setup is very nice and spaced out. There are trash bins everywhere, so the space is pretty clean. I liked how they have hand washing stations around also. The event is enjoyable only early morning or evenings. During the day is way to hot. Parking wasn't too bad since ppl come and go constantly and by the freeway, it's only a short 2 block walk. Fun event, but I left feeling greasy yet unfulfilled.

Free Event yearly!!! It was an amazing experience seeing all the balloons up close. Rancho San…read moreRafael is such a big place it can accommodate all balloons that are joining the race. It's not a regret waking up 2 in the morning to see this magical event. The dawn patrol started at 5am so we were there about 3:30. Parking starts to fill at that time and we were all bundled up. If you plan to do this event, wear comfy shoes as there's a lot of walking to get to the parking and going into the park itself. There's $25 cash parking fee if you park at San Rafael. But if you park outside, it's always free. Bring blankets and folded chairs. There's merchants selling food and other things which start serving at about 5:30 am. The place is almost at full capacity as early as 5am so be there at least 3:30am. I'm sure you will have an amazing time! All balloons for Dawn Patrol ascended at 5:30. Then about 7am all the other balloons started going up. See you again, next year!

What a cool event!! I am kicking myself for being here in town for the last 4 years and not…read moreattending this awesome event. Its an early wake up for sure as the gates open at 3:30 and you should probably be there by 4:30 at the latest. the illuminations (glow) of the balloons before dawn is an incredible sight. They have all kinds of vendors selling food, drinks (including good bloody marys) and crafts. Its super cool being so close to the balloon crews and pilots. You are right there it the mix of it all and sometimes they might even ask you for a little help, which is fun. I got to help hold down a balloon basket just before launch. You can bet that I will be back each and every year to this very fun event. Another feather in the cap for Reno!

This is the kick-off for what will be a monthly event in conjunction with the Wine Walk on the…read morethird Saturday from now until October. It is sponsored by the TMCC Alumni association with the proceeds going to support first generation TMCC students. This was a really nice event and really kept to the theme of local arts and crafts. There are booths with jewelry, pottery, hand crafted glassware, photography, visual arts, health and beauty items as well as wine snobs paraphernalia. There was live music which adds to the festival atmosphere. The items for sale were of nice quality and really ranged in price. I think it would be a great place to buy unique items that are not available at every other street fair around. Not a tie-die t-shirt or funky sunglasses to be found here. This is really a nice quality Arts and Crafts event.

This was a nice little afternoon diversion for the wife and me. We were able to walk around a bit…read moreand take in the scenery. So super conveniently located to Baldini's where we were able to go and have some lunch! Walking around we saw lots of cool little things and plants we might get at a later date. If we had smaller kids they probably would have loved the police vehicles that were on hand to ooooh and ahhhh over. We had too much planned out in the asphalt and concrete world we weren't able to stay for the different talks that they had planned throughout the day. Plus our brown thumbs probably would have started killing everything in sight. We aren't really crafty or gardeny ....not a word. Anyway maybe by next year we will have sprouted a green thumb to be nurtured by this event.

2018. Part 2 Two…read moreweeks really meant dividing the review into two parts. Over the weekend I stopped in at one of my most favorite places- SÜP, for their RBW special trio of soups and a mini loaf of bread for $10. They have participated all seven years. I get this to go, and it becomes lunch for three days. Always delicious. Not on Monday, I finally got to Moo Dang. I am such a wimp when it comes to spicy, but I still enjoy Asian foods. The RBW special was Drunken Noodles (zero spice for me) and a Big Chang Beer for $10. The noodles still had fabulous flavor and the beer I sent to another table- cheers. Wednesday was continuing the RBW dine with friends. Erica and went to Zozo's for their over the top $30 RBW special. So many choices !!! Probably the best bargain during the event. Appetizer, soup or salad, main, and dessert all for $30. Oh, and don't forget their very addictive basket of garlic bread. Yep, easily two meals here. See separate Zozo's review for all the food. So indecisive and running out of time. Thursday I ran up to Skyline Kitchen and Vine. $30 for an adult beverage, appetizer, main and dessert. Craving a burger, I did the 8 oz Kobe Burger, topped with caramelized onions, white cheddar, and a steak sauce aioli. Check restaurant review for full food description. Another busy Friday, but Claudy came up from Carson to try the RBW $10 lunch special at Chihuahua's on South Virginia across from the Lexus dealer. Plenty of food for the price. Chips and salsa arrived first. Then platter of a beef enchilada and a chili Relleno with beans and rice. The meal was good, but nothing wowed me. And the food chilled off rather quickly. That didn't matter because the waitress took my plate before I was all thru. Claudy and I ordered each of the desserts. Both were very sweet. The place wasn't packed during lunch, but I did feel rushed. Saturday!! Oh no RBW is over. The fabulous finale is always the Chef Showdown. This year 6 chefs who participated in RBW sliced, diced and sautéed against each other for bragging rights of the best in Reno. They an hour to create a vegetarian plate using butternut squash, couscous, turmeric and pomegranate. Mmm the aromas that filled the air. The best part is you get to walk around all the kitchens and see how they cook and ask questions. Brett Moseley won best use of ingredients and Joe Bell won best plating and overall WINNER. Congrats to everyone!!! Now after two weeks of having so many fabulous food specials with lots of friends- I'm off to the gym. See you next year. Or in any locally owned restaurant. Remember- Break the Chain, Reno has fabulous food.

This year was the 7th Annual Reno Bites Restaurant Week, however for me, it was my very first…read moreparticipating in it. It was two weeks of absolute fun as my room mates and I made an effort to visit as many restaurants as we possibly could. I already made separate reviews for all the places we dined at for the Reno Bites Restaurant Week, but just in case you missed it, we visited: Liberty Food and Wine Exchange, Chihuahua's Cantina and Grill, Skyline Kitchen and Vine, Sierra St. Kitchen, Moo Dang, Shore Room, and lastly Fin and Filet. Of course, I would have loved to try them all out, but there's only so much we could visit with work and what not. I love food and I love to eat. Whether it's breakfast, lunch, dinner, or dessert, I love them all. Not to mention there are countless restaurants and new ones keep popping up. With Reno Bites Restaurant Week, there are those selected and highlighted restaurants advertising their specials for those two weeks, making it very appealing to want to try them out. I, personally, was able to dine at many restaurants that I always wanted to try out, but never got the chance to. It was not just the food, but the experience as a whole. For those selected restaurants, it was great exposure and they were able to showcase a little taste of what they were about. And for us, it was fun and delicious experience. Unfortunately, we missed the Chef Showdown because we were out of town for the weekend. But, there's always next year and many years to come. Overall, this being my first ever Reno Bites, I have to say I loved every minute of it. Prices were very affordable and the foods were all so tasty. Sad to think we'll have to wait a whole year until the next one rolls around, but when it does finally come, I'll be ready!