There are some great free and low-cost events this week: The Spellbinders Magic show returns to local libraries, and the Reno Chamber Orchestra is performing at the downtown library.

There are plenty more listings on our calendar. Be sure to add your events here (free and paid options) to be considered for next week’s events preview column.

Sponsored events

• Reno Jazz Orchestra Presents “Holiday Jazz: Music of the Season.” The Reno Jazz Orchestra will present “Holiday Jazz: Music of the Season” on December 3, 2023, at 2:00 pm and 7:00 pm at The Theatre in Reno, Nevada. The Reno Youth Jazz Orchestra will open for the RJO. Guest Music Director Dr. Doug Pierce and guest vocalist Cliff Porter will present the two-hour performance of holiday jazz favorites with the 17-piece jazz orchestra.
• Disney’s THE LION KING Live On Stage. Disney’s The Lion King, live on stage at the Grand Theatre at Grand Sierra Resort for a limited two-week engagement November 9 – 19, 2023. For more than 20 years, the North American touring productions of The Lion King have been seen by over 21 million theatergoers.
• “It’s a Wonderful Life: A Live Radio Play” by Joe Landry at Reno Little Theater. It’s a Wonderful Life – A Live Radio Play is a twist on the classic holiday movie. Set in a radio studio in the 1940s, we meet an actor who plays: George Bailey, a man who’s always wanted to leave his small town for bigger and better things. But you know the story – when a financial crisis hits, and he contemplates suicide, an angel shows him what the world would be like without him. 
• When Hollywood Came to Reno. MGM’s Hello Hollywood, Hello! Hello Hollywood Hello was more than a casino show. Opening in 1978 and running for over a decade, the bombastic show had it all: talented performers in elaborate costumes designed by world-famous designers centered around the most celebrated movies in our lifetime.

Editor’s picks

1. Hans Christian Anderson’s The Nightingale presented by the Reno Chamber Orchestra. Enjoy music and storytelling with musicians of the Reno Chamber Orchestra featuring Hans Christian Anderson’s The Nightingale with music by composer Kevin Lau.
2. Apex Concerts presents Celestial Mechanics. Apex Concerts celebrates the 50th Anniversary of the Fleischmann Planetarium in a program where you travel through light-years of musical ingenuity from works by J.S. Bach and William Herschel through colorful compositions by Tchaikovsky and Stravinsky. 
3. Spellbinders, the World’s Largest Free International Festival of Magic, returns to northern Nevada November 17th – 19th, featuring World Champions of Magic from around the globe. All performances are free to the public.
4. Engine 8 Train Tours at Lillard Park. Train have returned, with tours running at 1 pm, 2 pm, and 3 pm. Come by the Sparks Heritage Museum and learn from local train experts as you walk through the Engine 8 locomotive, the executive car and the caboose at Lillard Park
5. Santa’s Wonderland at Cabela’s. Cabela’s is inviting families to the tradition of visiting Santa Claus during the store’s annual Santa’s Wonderland experience. Reservations for photo sessions are strongly recommended.