Nevada City: Top of the Tour!

The 2010 Amgen Tour of California, America’s premier bicycling event, will start in historic downtown Nevada City on Sunday, May 16, 2010.

Seven-time Tour de France champion (and 2009 NC Classic winner) Lance Armstrong, defending Tour of California champion Levi Leipheimer and a host of top American and international cyclists will compete for the crown.

The Nevada City community is pulling together to host the best and most exciting start The Tour has ever seen. If you’d like to volunteer, call the Nevada City Chamber of Commerce office at 530-265-2692.

Celebrate the Holidays in Nevada City

Nevada City is alive with holiday spirit beginning with the popular arts and crafts festivals of Thanksgiving weekend and continuing in December with Victorian Christmas. The Artisans Festival at Miners Foundry (minersfoundry.org) and the Country Christmas Faire at the Nevada County Fairgrounds (nevadacountyfair.com) are two of the region’s premier art fests. Both run Friday through Sunday, Nov. 27-29. Nevada City’s celebrated Victorian Christmas is featured three Wednesday evenings, Dec. 2, 9 and 16, and two Sunday afternoons, Dec. 13 and 20.

Chamber Scrambles to Publish Calendar

The annual Calendar of Events published by the Joint Chambers of Commerce and Historic Bed & Breakfast Inns was not funded in this year’s allocation of bed tax revenues by the Nevada County Board of Supervisors.

Chamber leaders and innkeepers are seeking donations and scrambling to find other financial means of organizing and publishing one of the county’s most important visitor services. In past years, the calendar has included about 250 local events and been made available in print and online.

Chamber officials remain optimistic that a calendar will be published by early 2010.

A Classic Small Town

Experience California’s golden past while enjoying the charm and color of today’s Northern Sierra foothills. Visit historic Nevada City.

Walk the narrow streets, explore fine specialty shops, restaurants and watering holes. Sample fine Sierra foothills wines at three downtown tasting venues. Bed down in one of several historic hotels and bed and & breakfast inns.

Stop by the Nevada City Chamber of Commerce at 132 Main Street to learn about all the great things to do here.

Insider’s Guide to Parking in NC

Did you know there are 1000 parking spaces within a stone’s throw of historic downtown Nevada City? Sometimes it may seem hard to find a parking space, so it is helpful to know where to look.

“The Insider’s Guide to Parking in Nevada City” is a brochure distributed by the Nevada City Chamber of Commerce. It shows parking lots, metered parking areas and free parking areas. Pick up a copy at the chamber office.

Mardi Gras is Feb. 13-14, 2010

For midwinter fun -- rain, snow or shine -- there’s nothing quite like Mardi Gras in Nevada City. Pull out your beads, masks and finery and be part of the fun!

The Mardi Gras Masquerade Ball is at Miners Foundry on Saturday night from 8-midnight. The Mardi Gras Parade is at 2 p.m. on Sunday, Feb. 14, so bring your Valentine and come on out! It’s a wild time as gaily masked societies parade down Broad Street, showering the crowd with beads and trinkets. The Mardi Gras Street Faire runs from 11-4 on North Pine and Commercial streets.

Mark Your Calendar...

Fall Festival of Classics, Music in the Mountains
Nov. 6-15 musicinthemountains.org

Victorian Christmas, Historic Downtown NC
Dec. 2, 9, 13, 16, 20 nevadacitychamber.com/events/victorian.cfm

Mardi Gras in Nevada City
Feb. 13-14, 2010 (Parade on Sunday, Feb. 14) nevadacitychamber.com/events/mardigras.cfm

Amgen Tour of California
Starts in NC, Sunday, May 16, 2010 amgentourofcalifornia.com