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It’s a big, blue party at the lake

Tim Parsons
The losing captain of the paddlewheeler race between the MS Dixie II and the Tahoe Queen must walk the plank.
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Opening Day Lake Tahoe is so big it will last two days. And organizers would like to remind visitors the summertime fun won’t actually stop until after Labor Day.

The casino corridor will be closed to through traffic in order to make way for a rock ‘n’ roll motorcyle demonstration, geocaching, a suntan competition, live music and more than 30 food and beverage booths. There’s plenty of action on the lake as well, including the annual paddlewheeler race between the Tahoe Queen and the MS Dixie II, a parasailing competition and boat parade.

“When the party’s so big that you have to legally close the road, wouldn’t you want to be here?” Tahoe marketer Phil Weidinger asked. “With everything that’s going on, it’s going to be fun. There’s local participation from area restaurants. We’re trying to make it the official kickoff to summer season in a big way.”



The casino corridor is closed to traffic every New Year’s Eve for safety reasons. This will be the first time it’s closed for an event. Motorists will have to take the loop road to cross the state line. People are encouraged to park in the casino parking lots or take public transportation such as the Nifty 50 Trolly or BlueGo. People who ride their bicycles to the event can use a free bike valet at the entrance of Harrah’s Lake Tahoe. The corridor is closed from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Saturday. It will be open on Sunday.

“The Lake Tahoe Visitors Authority and the Tahoe Douglas Visitors Authority are investing approximately $118,000 in Opening Day Lake Tahoe and this is the second largest event that the LTVA puts on annually,” said Nicole Cox of the LTVA.



The largest event is mid-July’s celebrity golf tournament. In between is the Fourth of July.

In the evening, each of the casinos will feature major performers. Sammy Hagar and the Wabos open the Harvey’s Summer Outdoor Concert Series with a Sunday night show. Jewel plays at MontBleu Saturday, and next door at Harveys it will be Lindsey Buckingham. TV’s Magic Stars will be presented at the Horizon Resort and Casino.

The daytime events will be filmed and sent out to news outlets across the nation, Weidinger said.

“We’re gonna have a couple of cameras up here shooting it,” Weidinger said. “We’re gonna edit it. We’re gonna have a satellite truck. We’re gonna put somebody in a helicopter. We’re gonna have guys on chaseboats on the Dixie and the Queen. It’s just going to be wild.”

The annual paddleboat race will be at 9 a.m. on Saturday.

The tradition began in the 1980s. Headquartered at the end of Ski Run Boulevard on Memorial Day Weekend, unpredictable weather dampened its popularity and the “sternwheeler” race was shelved for several years. In the late 1990s the race was resurrected and conducted on Labor Day Weekend. Now it is the signature event for the third annual Opening Day Lake Tahoe, and scheduled in the weather-friendly time of mid-June.

Below, the LTVA provides a synopsis of this weekend’s activities:

n Saturday’s festivities kick-off with adventurous water activities. Tradition begins with the Great Lake Tahoe Paddlewheeler Race from 9 a.m. Ð 12 p.m. The area’s two largest vessels grace the waters to battle for Lake Supremacy. The M.S. Dixie II departs Zephyr Cove at 9:00 a.m., followed by the Tahoe Queen at 9:30 a.m. from Ski Run Marina. VIP guests on the losing vessel will plunge into the sub-55 degree Lake! The public is invited to cruise with tickets available at $30 for adults and $18 for kids 11 and under to include the race, breakfast, live music and champagne or mimosas.

— Look to the sky as the World’s Highest Parasailing Competition takes flight at 9 a.m. Watch parasailers tackle an obstacle course high above the waters of Lake Tahoe. In a harness with a rope connected to a speed boat and a parachute overhead, participants will soar to new heights!

— Action-filled lake activities continue to make a splash on Saturday with the Mardi Gras Boat Parade beginning at 11 a.m. and annual boat christenings, welcoming the opening of summer boat season. Hosted by the South Lake Tahoe Yacht Club and the Tahoe Windjammers Yacht Club, members will parade their vessels along the shoreline before passing between the two sternwheelers. Onlookers will see decorative vessels such as sailboats, yachts, cigarette boats, and parasail boats as they ply the azure, Tahoe waters.

— On the Hawaiian Tropic Stage festivities begin Saturday with reggae sounds of Zion Roots from 12 Ð 2 p.m. The Silver Boom Box Thief’s B Boy Exhibitions will continue rocking the streets from 2 Ð 3 p.m. Concluding the activities on the Hawaiian Tropic Stage is none other than the first round of bronzed beauties tanned like no other, heating up the stage in the preliminary round of the Miss Hawaiian Tropic Northern Nevada State Finals from 3- 4:30 p.m.

— Down the highway on the Xtremely Amped Stage, motorcross stunt jumping daredevils will show off their tricks during any one of the three performances of the Xtremely Amped Freestyle Moto-X Rock Show from 12:30 Ð 1 p.m., 1:30 Ð 2:00 p.m., and 2:30 Ð 3:00 p.m. In between the stunts, live music and variety acts will keep the audience on its feet. Concluding the Blue Avenue Block Party on Saturday is the surprise concert on the rooftop of the Horizon Casino Resort.

— The Blue Avenue Block Party will also feature custom Harley and Hot Rod Displays, food vendors representing some of Tahoe’s finest restaurants, street performers and the Robo-Surf where participants can hang ten on a robotic surf machine. Those interested in entering the Harley/Hot Rod competition should contact Tom Argo at (530) 541-7300.

— At the Heavenly Village from 12 Ð 5 p.m., the Step Into The Blue Recreational Expo will offer an afternoon of entertainment, food, shopping, miniature golf, and much more. The Expo will provide information on the best places to hike, swim, kayak, fish, and enjoy other fun-filled activities around Lake Tahoe.

— The Geocaching High-Tech Treasure Hunt, which drew hundreds of treasure hunters last year, returns for its second year and will span two days. Everyone is invited to roam the streets and shores of South Shore Lake Tahoe in search of a cache, or prize box, and win one of 50 prizes. The only experience required is a passion for seeking and finding treasures! The event starts on Sat. at 11:30 a.m. and continues until 4:30 p.m. GPS devices are available both days with free rental to the first 100 teams each day. Teams are also encouraged to use personal GPS devices.

Geocaching utilizes free Global Positioning Systems, and the Tahoe event is known to award some of the most valuable prizes given at geocaching events throughout the world. Prizes include show tickets, rounds of golf, dinners, accommodations and admission to area attractions. Families, friends, strangers and individuals explore South Shore Lake Tahoe in search of multiple caches. Caches are hidden in various places of interest like the Emerald Bay look out point, behind a slot machine in one of the many casinos, along the Lake Tahoe Rim Trail, near someone’s lucky tree or where people rest in peace.

Geocachers can register online at http://bluelaketahoe.com/geocaching.php http://bluelaketahoe.com/geocaching.php or in the atrium at Embassy Suites Lake Tahoe both days of the event. Registration is required in order to receive the passport containing clue information along with special offers for visiting geocachers.

— Sunday’s activities consist of the anticipated conclusion of the Miss Hawaiian Tropic Northern Nevada State Finals and the Geocaching Treasure Hunt. The winner of the Miss Hawaiian Tropic Northern Nevada State Finals will be announced during the pageant on Sunday from 1-3 p.m. at the Horizon Casino Resort. The treasure hunt will conclude on Sunday at 3 p.m. The final raffle and celebration party will be held at 5 p.m. on Sunday, June 17, at Embassy Suites. At the Celebration (Awards) Party, geocachers turn in their Treasure Maps and receive a raffle entry for every correct stamp.

— Guests are encouraged to use alternative means of transportation to get to all Opening Day Lake Tahoe activities. The Lake Tahoe Bicycle Coalition will offer complimentary Bicycle Valet service for cyclists wishing to safely store their bike during the Blue Avenue Block Party. The LTBC is a citizen advocacy organization dedicated to building Lake Tahoe into a bicycle friendly destination for recreation and transportation. Other alternatives include riding the BlueGo shuttle or the Nifty Fifty Trolley, leaving the driving to the professionals. Schedules and information can be found at http://www.bluego.org/.

For more information about any of the Opening Day Lake Tahoe activities, call the Lake Tahoe Visitors Authority, 1-800-AT-TAHOE (1-800-288-2463) or visit the Web site at http://www.BlueLakeTahoe.com.


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