In just a few weeks, the Reno-Sparks Convention and Visitors Authority will host the American Bus Association’s 2026 Marketplace. Mark your calendars for Jan. 10–13 as Marketplace kicks off a year of commemorations, including ABA’s 100th anniversary, the 100th anniversary of Route 66, and America’s 250th birthday. And what better backdrop for this milestone year than where an alpine lake meets “the Biggest Little City in the World” and four-season adventures await!
Reno-Sparks Convention & Visitors Authority | visitrenotahoe.com | (775) 827-7600
Thank you to our host city, Reno Tahoe, Nevada, and to our generous sponsors who are helping to make ABA’s 2026 Marketplace possible.
Magical Winter Adventures Await
A winter sunset in Reno.
Mt. Rose-Ski Tahoe.
Even in the heart of winter, Reno Tahoe offers many opportunities for groups to explore, get creative, or simply relax. Hear the sound of sleigh bells ringing through the crisp mountain air on a horse-drawn sleigh ride at Sand Harbor State Park. Sleigh rides are a genuine and nostalgic way to enjoy the winter wonderland of the Sierra Nevada. Explore the alpine landscape on foot and step into a fairytale moment by snowshoeing at Chickadee Ridge, surrounded by scenic landscapes and wildlife interactions with friendly birds.
For more winter sports, and if time permits, groups can take a 20-minute drive from the eclectic Biggest Little City to North America’s highest concentration of world-class ski resorts. Incline Village’s Diamond Peak Ski Resort offers unforgettable views from nearly every run. The epic ski and snowboarding trails of Mt. Rose–Ski Tahoe invite experienced pros and bunny-hill loyalists to shred over 1,200 acres of terrain with a base elevation of 8,260 feet. At Grand Sierra Resort, visitors can take part in a classic winter activity at the resort’s 8,000-square-foot ice rink, which offers skate rentals and cozy fire pits with hot chocolate and other festive drinks.
Plan your winter itinerary by visiting visitrenotahoe.com/things-to-do/winter.
Summer Adventures on Lake Tahoe
Conveniently located just 30 minutes from downtown Reno, Lake Tahoe features year-round, local events, outdoor recreation, and unique experiences like the Lake Tahoe Shakespeare Festival.
Conveniently located just 30 minutes from downtown Reno, Lake Tahoe features year-round, local events, outdoor recreation, and unique experiences like the Lake Tahoe Shakespeare Festival.
Conveniently located just 30 minutes from downtown Reno, Lake Tahoe features year-round, local events, outdoor recreation, and unique experiences like the Lake Tahoe Shakespeare Festival.
Blessed with sparkling natural beauty, Lake Tahoe is considered the Jewel of the Sierra Nevada and is recognized as one of the best adventure vacations, one of the best family vacations, and one of the best ski vacations in the U.S. At 6,229 feet above sea level, Lake Tahoe is the highest lake of its size in the U.S. and is the second-deepest lake with a maximum depth of 1,645 feet.
During July and August, the Lake Tahoe Shakespeare Festival at Sand Harbor State Park offers plays set against the backdrop of Lake Tahoe. From Sand Harbor, groups can walk, bike, and hike on the Tahoe East Shore Trail, an accessible paved trail along the shoreline, to Incline Village, a quaint mountain town that offers year-round activities.
Did you know golf balls fly 10 percent farther at our elevation? With more than 50 courses within a 90-minute drive to choose from, Reno and Lake Tahoe golf courses are accessible for every level of play, from quick layouts to championship-level challenges. Reno Tahoe is the perfect year-round golf destination with 300 days of sunshine per year.
Lake Tahoe tours are the perfect way to immerse visitors in the region’s beauty and history. Departing between Zephyr Cove and Emerald Bay, the historic paddle wheeler, M.S. Dixie II, takes visitors on a 2.5-hour guided tour that includes informative history and a special presentation of Lake Tahoe.
To learn more about Lake Tahoe, visit visitrenotahoe.com/regions/lake-tahoe.
Museum Adventures in the Heart of Reno
National Automobile Museum.
Nevada Museum of Art.
Did you know Reno is home to the only art museum in Nevada accredited by the American Alliance of Museums? The Nevada Museum of Art downtown features art inspired by the unique natural landscape surrounding Reno, with permanent collections, visiting exhibitions, guided tours, workshops, and talks from visiting artists. Recently expanded, the museum now includes the Charles and Stacie Mathewson Education + Research Center, which offers new galleries, collections, and a place for academic scholars and students to learn.
Named one of the top five auto museums in the nation, the National Automobile Museum is a must for your Reno Tahoe trip. Featuring a collection of over 200 classic cars known as the Harrah Collection, this museum opened in 1989 to honor casino mogul Bill Harrah, founder of Harrah’s Hotels and Casinos. Originally part of a 1,400-car collection, the Harrah Collection is a glimpse at Harrah’s largest and most historically significant automobile collection in the world.
Not only does the museum have a spectacular assortment of vehicles to excite any car enthusiast, but the National Automobile Museum also houses rotating exhibits such as “Cars of the Stars” with vehicles on display featured in films or owned by celebrities such as Elvis Presley and Frank Sinatra. The National Automobile Museum also offers both guided and self-guided tours to ensure you don’t miss a thing at this one-of-a-kind Reno experience.
To plan your visit, find information on current and future exhibits, and the vehicle inventory, visit automuseum.org.
An Artful Adventure in Reno Tahoe
MidTown Reno Mural Tour.
Calling all art aficionados! Reno Tahoe is the place for you. Downtown Reno and MidTown District feature countless murals and public art displays. Take a self-guided tour through Reno’s riverwalk district scanning QR codes along the way to learn about each mural—or opt for a guided tour through Travel Pineapple, where you can sit back and ride through Reno on a pedicab with an experienced guide who points out all the murals and the history of each one.
In the nearby City of Sparks, independent artists congregate in a local makerspace. The Generator offers guided tours, showing off its various shops including textiles, screen printing, hot and cold metals, and Paintlandia. If you time your visit right, you can also catch a preview of that year’s playa art before it heads out to Black Rock Desert for Burning Man, a festival where rogue artists gather every year to burn down creations they spent months making and celebrate the spirit of the festival. Only a three-hour drive from Reno, Black Rock Desert hosts Burning Man each August.
Explore Northern Nevada’s arts and culture by visiting visitrenotahoe.com/things-to-do/arts-and-culture.
A Tasty Adventure in Reno’s Brewery District
Just east of downtown is Reno’s unofficial brewery district, which a collection of craft breweries and taprooms call home. The Depot Craft Brewery Distillery offers more than just hand-crafted brews and spirits; it also offers a piece of Reno’s history. The Depot converted the century-old former headquarters for the Nevada-California-Oregon Railway into Reno’s first distillery and brewery in 2014. Pigeon Head Brewery is located right in the heart of Reno’s Brewery District, known for its German-style lagers. Lead Dog Brewing is a short walk from downtown Reno and offers ales that range from being heavily hopped to fruited sours. Experience something different at Black Rabbit Mead Co., making and pouring meads made from locally sourced honey. The brewery district is full of many more gems to explore while you’re visiting the Biggest Little City.
Learn more about the “land of no last calls” by visiting visitrenotahoe.com/food-and-drink/breweries-and-distilleries.
Authentic Basque Adventures Right in Reno
Louis’ Basque Corner.
Louis’ Basque Corner.
In the 1850s, the Basque people hailing from the region between France and Spain immigrated in masses to Northern Nevada to try their luck at finding gold. Instead, they found a permanent home, and the Basque culture has had a lasting impact on the area ever since. Today, you can experience Basque culture for yourself right here in Reno Tahoe.
Get a taste of Basque culture at Louis’ Basque Corner, the longest standing Basque restaurant in Reno Tahoe. Opened in 1967, Louis’ Basque Corner is still serving up traditional Basque food and drink after over five decades, including Nevada’s state drink: Picon Punch. Inside Rancho San Rafael Park lies The Basque Sheepherder Monument, a sculpture commemorating Basque culture and the sheepherding industry they spearheaded in Northern Nevada, created by Basque sculptor Nestor Basterretxea. Underneath the statue are steel plaques with the names of descendants of Basque settlers. Visit the University of Nevada, Reno, home to one of the only Basque Studies programs in the country, to immerse yourself in Basque Culture at the Jon Bilbao Basque Library or take a look at a statue of a Basque sheepherder outside of the Knowledge Center that was originally located at Nugget Casino Resort in Sparks. Travel back to 1850s Northern Nevada when you take part in the Reno Basque Festival, held annually during the third weekend of July, featuring traditional dancing, outfits, food, wine, weightlifting, and woodchopping.
Celebrate Basque culture and tradition in Reno Tahoe by visiting visitrenotahoe.com/articles/basque-culture-in-reno.
Group Adventures Start With Reno Tahoe’s Iconic Events
Great Italian Festival.
Only in Reno Tahoe can you find hot air balloons, rodeos, classic cars, and food being celebrated every season.
Reno Rodeo.
Nugget Casino Resort’s Best in the West Rib Cookoff.
All year long, Reno Tahoe hosts hundreds of iconic events like no other place you’ve ever been. In September, early morning dark skies are lit up with the vibrant colors of hundreds of hot air balloons at The Great Reno Balloon Race. Balloons take off from Rancho San Rafael Park at the world’s largest free hot air balloon festival. In August, classic car enthusiasts gather every year for Hot August Nights, a celebration of classic cars across Reno, Sparks, and Virginia City, featuring live entertainment, drag races, show-n-shine competitions and an auction to culminate the celebration. The Reno Rodeo returns every June and takes the Biggest Little City by storm, transforming the city into cowboy country. The festivities begin with a cattle drive and a kick-off concert and continue all week long with rodeo events and a nightly carnival.
Food festivals are plentiful in Reno Tahoe because we know how important good food is on any itinerary. Each October, the Great Italian Festival celebrates Italian culture with dancing, music, a grape-stomping competition, and most importantly, food. The BBQ, Brews, and Blues Festival celebrates exactly what it says: beers from breweries in Reno and beyond with a Beer Olympics contest, tasty barbecue, and blues music to enjoy. Perhaps the most well-loved of these iconic celebrations of good food is the Nugget Casino Resort’s Best in the West Nugget Rib Cook-Off, where 24 barbecue experts from across the country gather to compete for $20,000 in prizes while attendees eat over 250,000 pounds of ribs every year.
Learn more about Reno Tahoe’s iconic events at visitrenotahoe.com/iconic-events.
4 Event Venues That Bring Group Adventures to Life
The National Bowling Stadium welcomes the largest bowling tournaments in the world, including the U.S. Bowling Congress Open Championships and Women’s Championships, and the Professional Bowlers Association.
The Reno-Sparks Convention Center is home to the Reno Tahoe Indoor Track, one of just a few indoor competition tracks in the western U.S. designed to meet World Athletics certification.
The Reno-Sparks Livestock Events Center welcomes youth and collegiate sporting competitions, national motocross and monster truck events, and is home to the Reno Rodeo—the “Wildest, Richest Rodeo in the West.”
National Bowling Stadium
The only facility of its kind in the world, the National Bowling Stadium features 78 bowling lanes and was designed with the tournament bowler in mind—yet with the versatility to transform into several configurations that can suit private parties, business meetings, and bowling functions. Kingpin Club by Brunswick features 10 professional lanes, a full bar, and multiple flat screens on the first-floor lobby. On the fourth floor, Stadium Club is a private bar and lounge area that accommodates more than 60 guests.
Reno Events Center
Located in the entertainment center of downtown Reno, Reno Events Center’s 118,000 square feet of space holds events from top entertainment to a variety of conventions and conferences. Dining, shopping, and entertainment are all within walking distance.
Reno-Sparks Convention Center
Just 10 minutes from Reno-Tahoe International Airport, the 600,000-square-foot Reno-Sparks Convention Center is the site of ABA’s 2026 Marketplace. The RSCC has earned the Global Biorisk Advisory Council STAR accreditation and continues to make major investments in improving the customer experience with upgraded technology and award-winning service. By providing the amenities of a first-tier city with small-town hospitality, the venue creates built-in cost savings with food and beverage pricing being 20 percent less than the national average.
Reno-Sparks Livestock Events Center
Situated on 43 acres of land a few minutes from downtown Reno, the Reno-Sparks Livestock Events Center is a fitting venue for a variety of events—and not just for events featuring four-legged creatures. RSLEC is home base for a list of prestigious equine and rodeo events, including the Reno Rodeo. Enhance your visit at Doc Bar, the VIP lounge overlooking the main arena that holds 250 people and offers partial or full catering service.
To inquire about booking your groups at Reno Tahoe event venues, visit visitrenotahoe.com/event-venues.
Adventures for History Buffs in Northern Nevada
Ride the Virginia & Truckee Railroad and quench your thirst at one of the unique saloons during your visit to the historic town of Virginia City.
Stewart Indian School Cultural Center and Museum.
On a Northern Nevada itinerary, groups experience a variety of cultures that make up Reno Tahoe’s history, from its Native American and Basque cultures to evidence of its silver-mining background and Western traditions. Not-to-be-missed excursions include Virginia City, Genoa, the Stewart Indian School, and Carson City—all a short drive from Reno.
Visit Northern Nevada’s historic treasures and explore the region’s rich cultural heritage sites listed in our helpful guide.
Marketplace 2027 Preview
Calgary, Alberta, Canada
Feb. 6–9, 2027
Calgary is full of unexpected possibilities and year-round adventures. Boasting a world-class culinary, arts, and culture scene; the Rocky Mountains less than an hour away; five UNESCO world heritage sites in the vicinity; and a bustling downtown; Calgary is your basecamp for adventure. Sure, the diversity of experiences and natural wonders have a way of stealing the spotlight, but they’re only outdone by the warmth of its people, voted the friendliest in the world. Daily nonstop flights from several major U.S. cities make traveling to Calgary for ABA’s Marketplace, Feb. 6–9, 2027, a breeze.
Tourism Calgary | visitcalgary.com, (403) 263-8510
Photo credits: VisitRenoTahoe.com; Sherpas Cinema.
