Prepare to attend The Great Reno Balloon Race

Organizers of The Great Reno Balloon Race have put together some helpful tips for spectators of the event’s 27th year of high-flying fun, Friday, Saturday and Sunday at Rancho San Rafael Regional Park. Tips include important information on how to get to the event, where to park, what to wear, things to do and what not to do.

Wear your pajamas on Saturday, for The World’s Largest Pajama Party and hang out in the pajama party tent. Wear your bed head to enter in the Bed-Head Competition. Register at www.renoballoon.com

Dress in layers as September mornings can be quite chilly before dawn.

Please leave pets at home. Thousands of people and unpredictable sounds leave animals confused and anxious.

Do not smoke on the launch field. Propane, sparks and dry grass do not mix.

Bring a camera; you won’t want to miss a memory.

Admission is free but bring money for tethered rides, souvenirs or food and drink form a variety of vendors.

Weather information is available at www.kkoh.com

Arrive early as there is limited parking at the event site. Park for free at the University’s north lots but remember that cars must be removed by 10 a.m. For a $5 donation to the Reno South Rotary Club children’s charities, park at N. Sierra St. and McCarran Blvd. or the Coleman St. parking lot.

Autos, RVs and trailers are prohibited to park on McCarran Boulevard and will be towed.

Transportation to and from the Balloon Race is provided by RTC Ride, which will offer direct, nonstop service to the entrance of the park on Saturday and Sunday, from 4 to 10 a.m. Service is every 30 minutes and departs from CitiCenter in downtown Reno, Reed High School in Sparks and Meadowood Mall. Fares (round trip) are $5 for adults, $3 for youth (ages 6 to 18) and $2.50 for seniors/disabled. For more information, call (348-RIDE.

Handicap parking is available at the Washington Street entrance.

If you’d rather ride your bike to the event, for a donation to the Reno Bike Project, you can leave it with the bike valet at the Washington Street entrance, in front of the May Museum.

For more information about this year’s event call the Balloon Race office at 826-1181 or visit www.renoballoon.com

Reno Film Festival receives National Award

WASHINGTON D.C. — The Reno Film Festival has been selected for the 2008 Best of Reno Award in the Entertainment Bureaus category by the U.S. Local Business Association (USLBA).

The USLBA "Best of Local Business" Award Program recognizes outstanding local businesses throughout the country. Each year, the USLBA identifies companies that they believe have achieved exceptional marketing success in their local community and business category. These are local companies that enhance the positive image of small business through service to their customers and community.

Various sources of information were gathered and analyzed to choose the winners in each category. The 2008 USLBA Award Program focused on quality, not quantity. Winners are determined based on the information gathered both internally by the USLBA and data provided by third parties.

The USLBA is a Washington, D.C.-based organization funded by local businesses operating in towns, large and small, across America. The purpose of USLBA is to promote local business through public relations, marketing and advertising.

The USLBA was established to recognize the best of local businesses in their community. The organization works exclusively with local business owners, trade groups, professional associations, chambers of commerce and other business advertising and marketing groups. Our mission is to be an advocate for small and medium size businesses and business entrepreneurs across America.

Now beginning its ninth season, the Reno Film Festival’s mission is to recognize the cultural benefit of film to personal and community well-being and promote educational and entertaining activities in the Reno area that honor film and filmmakers. The next festival event will be the screenings of this year’s Manhattan Film Festival finalists where locals may vote on their favorite entry, Sept. 24 and 27, at 7:30 p.m. at the Joe Crowley Student Union at UNR. As always, the latest information on the festival is at www.renofilmfestival.com.

Nevada Volunteers event to introduce new offices to the public

To celebrate the grand opening of its brand new Reno location, Nevada Volunteers will host a ribbon-cutting ceremony and open house from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. on Friday, September 5, at 639 Isbell Rd., Suite 220.

Several dignitaries will be on hand to celebrate the occasion including Nevada’s First Lady Dawn Gibbons, Honorary Chair of Nevada Volunteers. Also in attendance will be the commissioners of Nevada Volunteers, including Executive Board members Gina Polovina of Boyd Gaming, Chairman of the Board, Brian Catlett of Jones Vargas, Vice-Chairman, Robyn Clayton of Southwest Gas, Secretary and Mary Simmons of Sierra Pacific Resources, Treasurer. A representative from the Reno/Sparks Chamber of Commerce and a representative from Sen. Harry Reid’s office will also be in attendance.

For more information on the Nevada Volunteers ribbon-cutting ceremony, call 825-1900.

Nevada Volunteers, formerly known as Nevada Commission for National and Community Service, creates countless opportunities to inspire, teach, train and recognize individuals, organizations, and businesses across Nevada to develop a legacy of service and citizenship. The Nevada Volunteers is the Governor's Commission that administers AmeriCorps programs statewide and hosts the annual Governor's Points of Light award. Since 1988, over 1,288 AmeriCorps members have served throughout Nevada recruiting more than 17,000 volunteers who donated over 117,000 hours of service to local communities.

The Website, www.NevadaVolunteers.org, will eventually become a source for Nevadans to go statewide for volunteering opportunities. Those interested in determining how they can participate should subscribe for e-mail updates at the Nevada Volunteers Website at www.NevadaVolunteers.org.

May Museum’s Wild Women Art Exhibit opens Balloon Race weekend

RENO – The Wild Women Artists of the Great Basin return to the Wilbur D. May Museum at the San Rafael Regional Park at 1595 N. Sierra St. in Reno with a new exhibit featuring 12 female artists from the Great Basin who use a variety of art forms to express their feelings about “home.”

On Friday, Wild Women ... Bring It Home opens with a “sneak peak” preview exhibit, featuring pieces from each of the 12 artists showing in this year’s exhibit. The full show and sale will take place during the weekend of Nov. 7 to 9.

The museum will be open from 7 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Sept. 5 to 7 so that Great Reno Balloon Race visitors will have a chance to see the preview exhibit.

The event is free. For details, call 785-5961.