Anyone who has spent any time in Reno in the last few years know that the city is turning into a vibrant, thriving…well, it’s not quite a metropolis, but it’s a pretty great place to be. The art scene is growing – there are galleries, Artown, Burning Man, and more. The foodie scene is fabulous – Campo, Wild River Grille, plenty of cool bars, like The Depot. The music scene attracts both well-known and local artists, with venues such as Cargo, inside The Whitney Peak Hotel, and The Knitting Factory, both located in the heart of downtown Reno and offering affordable concerts in intimate venues.
That brings us to the Off Beat Arts and Music Festival, which is scheduled to debut November 5-8 this year and will put the spotlight on Northern Nevada’s food, music, and arts scenes, as well as showcase some of the great things happening around the region.
“The beauty of this festival is the fact that it revolves around the community coming together to create a new event that is representative of the evolving identity of our town,” said Rémi Jourdan, festival co-organizer. “We are looking to partner with more businesses that want to celebrate what is happening here and want to help put their own unique spin on the “offbeat” nature of the festival.”
Lots of restaurants and businesses throughout Midtown and Downtown have already joined in and the Festival is looking for more participants. While not all the participants have been revealed yet, some of the music venues include The Loving Cup, Chapel Tavern, The Morris Burner Hotel, Jub Jub’s Thirst Parlor, and more.
Besides music, the Festival will include retailers, artists, and culinary delights from throughout the city. “We knew that everyone would have to embrace the right attitude to be successful with this type of not-for-profit event,” said Baldo Bobadilla, Future Kind executive director and festival co-organizer. “Now that we are all seeing such great things happening here, the support that we are getting from local businesses to be a part of this and help it succeed has been truly amazing.”
Not only does the Festival promise to be four solid days of fun and excitement and exploring a different side of Reno, but it’s all for a good cause: the proceeds will help fund art and music classes for the community, through the local non-profit program Upbeat Reno created by Future Kind.
For more information, visit offbeatfest.com
