Memorial Day Weekend in Reno 2026 — Drifters Music Festival, Jam On It, Ron White, Charley Crockett, LCD Soundsystem (May 22-25)

Memorial Day Weekend 2026 is the biggest weekend Reno has seen all year. Two massive headliner stacks running in parallel: the Drifters Music Festival takes over J Resort's downtown festival grounds Saturday and Sunday with Chase Rice and Dustin Lynch on top of a 10-act country lineup. At the same time, the Grand Sierra Resort Grand Theatre lines up Ron White Friday, Charley Crockett Saturday, and LCD Soundsystem Sunday — back-to-back-to-back arena-grade shows. The Jam On It Reno Memorial Day basketball tournament fills the Reno-Sparks Convention Center all three days. Lake Tahoe opens for summer.

This is also the weekend Ballets Jazz Montréal plays the Pioneer Center, Mini-Mart 2026 — Reno's biggest indie art and small-press market — takes over The Holland Project, and the May edition of the Reno Riverwalk Wine Walk runs Sunday afternoon downtown.

Here's everything happening Memorial Day Weekend 2026 in Reno — Friday May 22 through Monday May 25.

This guide is part of our Memorial Day Weekend in Reno hub. Bookmark ask-reno.com/events/this-weekend for the latest.

When Is Memorial Day Weekend 2026?

Memorial Day 2026 falls on Monday, May 25. The long weekend is Friday May 22 through Monday May 25. Note: the Reno River Festival (/reno-river-festival) runs the following weekend (May 29-31) — Reno gets two festival weekends back-to-back.

Running All Weekend

• Drifters Music Festival 2026 (Sat–Sun, J Resort Festival Grounds, downtown) — see Saturday section.
• Jam On It Reno Memorial Day Tournament (Sat–Mon, Reno-Sparks Convention Center) — major youth basketball tournament, free to spectate.
• The Lark at Brüka Theatre (Fri–Sun, runs through May 31) — Jean Anouilh's Joan of Arc play. Fri/Sat 7:30 PM, Sun 2 PM matinees.
• 2026 USBC Open Championships at the National Bowling Stadium. Free to spectate.
• Cirque Alice — Eldorado Showroom. Fri 8:30 PM, Sat 7:30 & 9:30 PM, Sun 5 PM matinee.
• Magique — Magic, Comedy & Dance — Nugget Celebrity Showroom. Fri/Sat 8 PM, Sun 4 PM. Tickets $60–$140.
• Baby Animal Days at Andelin Family Farm (Spanish Springs) — bottle-feeding goats, lambs, calves. Family weekend stalwart.

Thursday Lead-In, May 21

America — Happy Trails Tour — Silver Legacy

The classic rock veterans bring the Happy Trails Tour to the Grande Exposition Hall at Silver Legacy. 8 PM. Tickets $85–$115. Good early start to the weekend if you're in town a day ahead.

Friday, May 22

Ron White — Grand Sierra Resort

"Tater Salad" himself, headlining the Grand Theatre. Stand-up legend who's been on the road for 30+ years. 8 PM. This is the anchor for any Friday-night plan downtown or eastside. Show up early — Ron starts on time.

Ballets Jazz Montréal: Dance Me — The Music of Leonard Cohen — Pioneer Center

The acclaimed Montréal company performs Dance Me, choreographed entirely to the songs of Leonard Cohen. Pioneer Center for the Performing Arts, 100 S. Virginia St. 7 PM. Tickets $20–$90. Touring production — one night, gone.

The Adicts — Hawkins Amphitheater (Bartley Ranch)

British punk legends play the outdoor Hawkins Amphitheater at Bartley Ranch Regional Park. 6:30 PM. Tickets $45–$115. Outdoor punk show in a regional park — a Reno-specific kind of perfect.

Unknown Mortal Orchestra — The Hangar, South Lake Tahoe

If you're heading up to Tahoe Friday, indie-rock psych-soul band UMO plays The Hangar in South Lake Tahoe, 2401 Lake Tahoe Blvd. 7 PM. Tickets $50–$60.

Wayne "The Train" Hancock — Nashville Social Club (Carson City)

Western swing and blues at the Nashville Social Club in Carson City. 7:30 PM. Tickets $25–$30. Side trip if you want something different.

The Heavy Heavy — Crown Room, Crystal Bay Club

British rock at the Crown Room at Crystal Bay Club Casino. 8 PM. $35. North Shore-side option.

10-10 Play Fest opens — Good Luck Macbeth

GLM's annual short-play festival kicks off — a night of 10-minute plays from local playwrights including Mandy Holley's Happy Father's Day, Cutthroat by Jerry Bartz & Rod Hearn, and The Batfish. Fri–Sun, three nights only.

Shower Poopers Album Release w/ Altered States, Jake Lo — The Holland Project

Local-scene anchor night at the Holland on Vesta. Three-band bill, all-ages. Cheap, loud, fun.

YOOKIE — Cypress

EDM at Cypress on South Virginia. 9 PM doors.

Saturday, May 23

Drifters Music Festival — Day 1 — J Resort Festival Grounds (downtown Reno)

The headline event of the weekend. Drifters Music Festival 2026 takes over J Resort's downtown festival grounds at 299 Ralston St. (between 2nd and 3rd). Gates 2:30 PM, runs until 10 PM. Saturday's lineup includes Chase Rice and Dustin Lynch as the night's anchors, plus a stacked country bill: Lauren Alaina, Ingrid Andress, Matt Stell, Mitchell Tenpenny, Trey Lewis, Cece, Matt Schuster, and Drew Green. Two-day passes $115–$190 (Sat single-day tickets via driftersmusicfestival.com). Bring sunscreen — the grounds are mostly open-air.

Charley Crockett — Grand Sierra Resort

Texas country-soul-blues hybrid who's spent the last five years becoming one of the most-talked-about touring acts in the genre. Grand Theatre, 8 PM. If you missed him at Stagecoach, this is the same setlist in a much smaller room. Doubles up nicely as a "Drifters afterparty" option.

Jimmy Failla — Hawkins Amphitheater (Bartley Ranch)

Stand-up comedian Jimmy Failla headlines the outdoor amphitheater. 7:30 PM. Tickets $45–$65.

Jam On It Reno Memorial Day Tournament — Day 1 — Reno-Sparks Convention Center

Major youth basketball tournament fills the convention center floor all weekend. All day. Free to spectate, family-friendly, fills downtown hotel rooms.

Mini-Mart 2026 — The Holland Project

Reno's biggest annual local art and small-press market. The Holland Project, 140 Vesta St. Zines, prints, ceramics, jewelry, screen-printed shirts, the whole indie-maker rolodex of Northern Nevada under one roof. Free entry, runs through the afternoon.

May Fairy Fair — The Potentialist Workshop

Whimsical maker/craft market with fairy-themed vendors, music, and live demos. The Potentialist Workshop. Always a weird, charming Reno staple.

Plush Ichthyosaurs + Reno Tech Challenge Showcase — The Discovery Museum

Two events at the Discovery on Center Street: the Plush Ichthyosaurs craft program (kids sew Nevada's state fossil out of plush), plus the Reno Tech Challenge Showcase featuring student-built tech projects. Both family-friendly.

Mercy For Thine Enemies — Alturas Bar

Death metal at Alturas Bar on East 4th. 8 PM. $10 door.

PeelingFlesh — Cargo Concert Hall

Touring slam metal/deathcore at Cargo in the Whitney Peak. 9 PM. Tickets $30–$40.

Primitive Ring — Lo-Bar Social

Garage-meets-psychedelic at Lo-Bar Social, 445 California Ave. 9 PM.

Lake Tahoe — unofficial summer opener

Memorial Day Saturday at Tahoe is the busiest beach day before July 4. Sand Harbor parking fills by 10 AM. South Shore traffic stacks back to the agricultural inspection station by mid-afternoon. Plan accordingly.

Sunday, May 24

Drifters Music Festival — Day 2 — J Resort Festival Grounds

Day 2 of Drifters. Same J Resort grounds, gates 2:30 PM, runs until 10 PM. Sunday continues the country lineup featuring Dustin Lynch as the closing headliner alongside the rest of the festival roster. Two-day passes get you both Saturday and Sunday — single-day Sunday tickets at driftersmusicfestival.com.

LCD Soundsystem — Grand Sierra Resort

The Sunday anchor and the most asked-about ticket in Reno this month. James Murphy and the full band, Grand Theatre, 8 PM. Tickets $90–$165. This is a stadium-grade act playing a tighter room — typical Reno move. If you've been holding tickets, your day is set.

Reno Riverwalk Wine Walk (May Edition) — Downtown Riverwalk District

Monthly wine walk along the Truckee. 2–5 PM. $30, 21+. Stroll downtown, sample at participating venues. Easy Sunday-afternoon move before the LCD show.

Jam On It Reno Memorial Day Tournament — Day 2 — Reno-Sparks Convention Center

Tournament continues. All day. Free to spectate.

Standard Issue and Mimic — 4th Street Coffee and Brewery

Hardcore punk at 4th Street Coffee and Brewery, 1126 E. Fourth St. 7 PM. $10 door.

Carrellee — Alturas Bar

Darkwave at Alturas Bar. 8 PM. $10–$15.

Vivian Chow — Reno Ballroom

Cantopop singer-songwriter Vivian Chow performs at the Reno Ballroom, 401 N. Center St. 8 PM. Tickets $100–$230.

10-10 Play Fest finale — Good Luck Macbeth

GLM's short-play festival closing night.

Monday, May 25 (Memorial Day)

Jam On It Reno Memorial Day Tournament — Final Day — Reno-Sparks Convention Center

Championship rounds wrap up the long-weekend tournament.

Tahoe Memorial Day Monday

The "drive home" day. Westbound I-80 clogs hard from about noon. Best return windows: before 11 AM or after 5 PM. If you're going up to the lake for the day, Mt. Rose Highway (NV-431) to Incline Village is usually the cleanest route.

Downtown is quiet

Most venues are dark on Memorial Day Monday. Good day for a riverwalk afternoon, lunch at West Street Market, or a movie. Many restaurants run modified hours — call ahead.

Quick Picks by Vibe

• Drifters all-in: Two-day pass, both days, Sat + Sun at J Resort. Walk to dinner downtown, sleep at the Renaissance or Whitney Peak.
• GSR all three nights: Ron White Fri → Charley Crockett Sat → LCD Soundsystem Sun. Stay at the Grand. Don't move your car. (Maybe the single most efficient concert weekend of the year.)
• Date night: Ballets Jazz Montréal Fri → Charley Crockett Sat → Wine Walk Sun.
• Country-music weekend: Drifters Sat → Charley Crockett Sat night → Drifters Sun afternoon → LCD if you want a left turn.
• Local-scene weekend: Shower Poopers album release Fri → Mini-Mart 2026 Sat → 10-10 Play Fest Sunday matinee.
• Family: Baby Animal Days Sat morning → Plush Ichthyosaurs at Discovery Sat afternoon → Jam On It tournament hops Sunday.
• Hands-on / maker: Mini-Mart 2026 Saturday — that's the whole day if you want it to be.
• Tahoe trip: Up Friday after 7 PM → Sand Harbor or Incline Saturday → home by 11 AM Monday.
• Comedy: Ron White Friday 8 PM → Jimmy Failla Saturday 7:30 PM at Hawkins.

Heads Up: Reno-Tahoe Travel This Weekend

Memorial Day Weekend is the busiest Reno-to-Tahoe travel weekend until July 4. If you're driving:

• Friday afternoon eastbound I-80 clogs at the agricultural inspection station near Verdi from about 3 PM. Leave before noon or after 8 PM.
• Friday night up to North Shore: Mt. Rose Highway (NV-431) is the cleanest route. Highway 28 around the lake is slow but scenic.
• Sunday afternoon westbound I-80 clogs hard from about noon. Best return windows: before 11 AM or after 7 PM.
• Monday afternoon return is usually fine if you wait until after 3 PM.

Heads Up: Reno Aces Schedule

Check the Reno Aces schedule for any home games this weekend. When the Aces are home, Greater Nevada Field downtown becomes the easiest Saturday-afternoon family move in town — $10 lawn seats, big sky, fireworks nights.

Full Event Calendar

Every event on this guide plus the 100+ other things happening across May and June 2026 are on the full Reno Events Calendar. Filter by this weekend, classes & workshops, or the Reno-Sparks Convention Center schedule.

Looking for the next weekend? The Reno River Festival weekend (May 29-31) is the follow-up, with the festival, Jessica Simpson at GSR, and Sweat opening at RLT.

Bookmark ask-reno.com/events/this-weekend — it refreshes every week with the newest confirmed events.

Have a good Memorial Day, Reno.

Events sourced from official venue calendars (J Resort / Drifters Music Festival, Grand Sierra Resort, Pioneer Center, Good Luck Macbeth, The Holland Project, The Discovery Museum, The Potentialist Workshop, Brüka Theatre, Cargo Concert Hall, Cypress, Eldorado Showroom, Silver Legacy, Nugget Casino Resort, Hawkins Amphitheater at Bartley Ranch, Reno-Sparks Convention Center, Reno Ballroom, Alturas Bar, Lo-Bar Social, 4th Street Coffee and Brewery, The Hangar South Lake Tahoe, Crystal Bay Club Casino, Nashville Social Club, Andelin Family Farm, National Bowling Stadium) plus the City of Reno events list, RGJ event roundup, Reno Tahoe events calendar, and Exposure Events. Updated weekly through Friday, May 22, 2026.