SOUTH LAKE TAHOE, Calif. – Taking place on Saturday, December 6, Lake Tahoe Wildlife Care (LTWC) is putting together its first-ever Wild Winter Festival, a family-friendly event offering fun activities, carnival-style and tabletop games, holiday crafts, story time with Santa, wildlife talks and more.

LTWC, a nonprofit organization that rescues, rehabilitates and releases orphaned and injured animals throughout the Tahoe Basin, has made it one of their main priorities to connect with the community to educate others about the importance of Tahoe’s wildlife. 

Executive Director, Catherine Mendez, said, “The basin sees 15 million tourists on an annual basis. That’s more than the Empire State Building and the Statue of Liberty, and so we believe that to be stewards of the environment is to educate the public.”

The Wild Winter Festival will be packed full of activities and education to keep everyone entertained. A human slot machine game, bean bag tosses, and pinecone catapults are just some of the fun taking place on LTWC’s 27-acre property.

In addition to all the creative games, there will be crafts like paper snowflake making, sustainable ornament making, and “at 12 p.m., we’ll have Santa come out and do a reading with kids,” said Mendez, 

There will be wildlife talks every few hours, along with a specimen table showcasing bones, furs, wings, and droppings.

When it comes to refreshments, LTWC has everything covered. The event will have a bake sale, and will be offering Christmas style drinks, non alcoholic and alcoholic, mulled wine, hot chocolate, and coffee. 

LTWC’s new merchandise line “Protect the Locals” is launched for the month of December and guests can purchase merchandise at the event. 

“We’ll also have an opportunity for folks to choose animals they’d like to adopt for the upcoming season, meaning that any funds raised for that specific species will go towards those animals, such as if you want to adopt a small mammal, those will help rehabilitate our bunnies, our chipmunks and our squirrels. They can adopt a bird of prey which are owls, hawks and eagles, or predatory animals like coyotes, racoons or foxes,” said Mendez. 

LTWC cared for 900 patients in 2025, which is a 34.3% increase compared to 2024’s 587 patients. The nonprofit doesn’t receive any money from those who find injured or orphaned wildlife. “This year alone, Lake Tahoe Wildlife Care also assisted with a multitude of other different wildlife centers. Everyone has been impacted this year, it’s been a very heavy year for wildlife centers, so we’ve accepted patients all the way from Big Bear, Santa Barbara and Monterey as well,” said Mendez.

Through events like the Wild Winter Festival, Mendez hopes the community outreach can not only shed light on what LTWC does, but also what to do if someone encounters a wildlife situation, as well as raise funds to continue caring for LTWC’s patients. 

“I always say this to everyone, wildlife rehabilitation is a fix to a problem, but it’s not the ultimate solution — education has to be,” Mendez added. “If folks have never lived among bears, they’ve never lived among coyotes, or squirrels or mice, how do we advocate for those wildlife if they don’t have a voice of their own? We’re hopeful that the new merchandise line and this event can get folks together, ask really good questions, and at the same time, have a community event that I know folks in the area are really excited about and would like.”

Everyone is encouraged to come and join the fun this Saturday at the Wild Winter Festival. The event starts at 10 a.m. and ends at 4 p.m. 

Before your arrival, guests are required to park and/or meet at the South Lake Tahoe Community Playfields – East Side Parking Lot where a shuttle will be running as needed to transport folks to and from the festival. Drop-offs at LTWC are also allowed. 

To learn more about LTWC, or to find details about the Wild Winter Festival event, visit ltwc.org. 

If you’ve found a wild animal, call (530) 577-2273.