The September Truckee Turntable

Truckee Turntable Newsletter

September 2026

Read along monthly as we celebrate creativity, local events, shared stories, opportunities and artist spotlights.

Truckee Turntable Newsletter

Truckee Thursdays Thank You’s!

As summer winds down, we want to send a huge thank you to everyone who helped make our Truckee Thursdays booth such a success this year, and to the 11 talented artists who shared their work and stories with us all season long.

Special thanks to the Truckee Chamber, Truckee Downtown Merchants Association, and Truckee Tahoe Arts Alliance for a booth partnership that delivered real results: close to $4,000 in combined art sales, plus invaluable community outreach and visibility in front of up to 5,000 locals and visitors each week. Most importantly, we had so much fun connecting with artisan vendors downtown while celebrating high energy summer street festival vibes with food trucks and live music until the alpine glow sun set.

This summer's featured artists: Karen Terrey (literary), Romina Branje (watercolors), Todd Tanis (drawing/photography), Michael Ryan (woodworking/metal), Alexandra Medina (handbags, earrings, paintings), Sarah Horton (paintings), Christo Paddock (portraits), Kristy Braun (beading), Allison Kalt (night sky photography), Priya Hutner (literary), and Sarah Poynter (portraits).

More Mini-Grant Recipients Announced

We're continuing to celebrate the third round of the Truckee Cultural District Mini-Grants Program, which awarded a total of $14,000 to fourteen local artists this year for small-scale, community-centered projects that bring the Cultural District's mission to life.

This month, meet four more recipients and the projects they're bringing to Truckee:

Cori Elba — Zines & Screams, a Halloween-themed zine and live music event at Dark Horse Coffee this October
Sarah Dube — Winter Exhibition, a new collection of winter-themed paintings debuting at Gallery 5830' during the November 7 Art Walk
Leigh Collins Hunter — Trails & Vistas Dance Performance, an original piece celebrating the return of the Sandhill Cranes
Priya Hutner — Writing to Heal Workshop, a free community writing workshop focused on self-expression, reflection, and personal connection

Read the Press Release

Keep It Dark Photo Contest

The photos are in, and wow. This year's Keep It Dark Photo Contest entries have completely blown us away. A huge thank you to every photographer who sent in their best shot and helped spread continued light impact education and dark skies awareness along the way. Our judges have a genuinely hard task ahead of them.

By the Numbers

Youth: 13 photos from 10 photographers
Amateur: 52 photos from 43 photographers
Professional: 26 photos from 17 photographers
Total: 91 photos from 70 photographers, up from 51 photographers in 2025

That's a big jump in participation, and it shows just how much this community has embraced dark sky stewardship.

What's New this Year

Alongside our usual top 3 in each category, we're introducing a brand new award: Community Favorite, chosen for each category based on public voting. And representing the best of Nevada County as a whole, the Mayors of Truckee and Nevada City will each select a "Best of" photo, East and West, that captures the beauty of the place we call home.

Keep It Dark Photo Contest Awards

Mark Your Calendar!

Join us for the awards reception on Friday, October 2, from 5–7pm at the Truckee-Tahoe Airport. Come celebrate the photographers, see the winning shots, and toast to our night sky.

And the celebration doesn't stop there: the reception kicks off 4 days of programming with our partners for the Keep It Dark Astro Weekend, so plan to make a weekend of it with night sky themed happenings like Tahoe Star Tours, a Wine, Walk & Shop through downtown and a Dark Sky writing workshop.

→ Astro Weekend Info

Keep It Dark Astro Weekend

Muse Magazine

Call for Truckee Youth Artists for STEAM Show

Call to Youth Artists

This year's theme is color, light, and anything flight! Students within the Tahoe Truckee Unified School District can submit, all mediums welcome, as long as it connects back to a STEM idea seen through an artist's eyes.

Drop off artwork at the Truckee Cultural District office at The Lift, or reach out to Molly Moore to arrange a pickup. Submissions are due Oct 14. Space is limited, so early entries get the best shot at a spot on the wall.

→ Contact: mollyzoekevin@gmail.com

2027 Wild & Scenic Art Exhibition

Now accepting submissions until Nov 30

Read More

September Events

Truckee Art Walk

Truckee Art Walk

Sept 5 / 4 – 7PM

The first Saturday of the month in downtown Truckee. Grab a map and look for the flags!

→ Follow along on Instagram

Sierra Nevada Yarn Crawl

Sept 10—13

Calling all knitters, crocheters, and fiber lovers! Visit seven participating yarn shops across the Sierra.

→ Atelier in Truckee

Sierra Nevada Yarn Crawl

Tahoe Music Alive

Tahoe Music Alive presents: Trio Bohémo

Sept 10

Concert, Olympic Valley Chapel, September 10, 4PM - Get Tickets

Musical Dialogues, Olympic Valley Chapel, September 11, 6PM

→ Tickets & More Details

Glenshire Porchfest

Sept 13 / 1-5PM

A neighborhood music festival on Rolands Way, Evensham Place and Worchester Circle.

→ Porchfest Info

Truckee Community Block Party

Sept 17 / 5-7PM

Connect with 60+ local organizations and special districts while enjoying community art, live performances, face painting, food trucks, games and activities in Downtown Truckee between Spring Street and High Street.

→ Block Party Details

Donner Party Hike Weekend

Sept 19-20 / 5-7PM

Step back in time as you are introduced to the most historically significant square mile in California. Hikes are on Saturday with the Tour on Sunday.

→ Donner Party Hike

Donner Party Hike

Tahoe Literary Festival

Stay connected with local event calendars and community boards for the latest updates on gallery shows, performances, and gatherings. Our favorite resources include: Truckee.com, Visit Truckee-Tahoe, 101.5 KTKE and the Nevada County Arts Council

Allison Kalt, Astrophotographer

TCD: Share with us your recent experience at the California State Summer School for the Arts (CSSSA)?

CARRILLO: I spent an amazing 4 weeks at CSSSA during July. My department was Visual Arts. My major was painting, my 1st minor was illustration, and my second minor was ceramics. I lived on
the campus of Cal Poly Pomona. Everyday I got to walk from the dorms to the cafeteria to classes and experienced the reality of living a college life on this beautiful campus. I loved the atmosphere and the energy of being in a place for artists who were there to make art and where everyone was so creative as individuals. It was so much fun! One of my favorite experiences was my painting class with Erica Keck showing many different kinds of Art while guiding us and helping us through our paintings.

TCD: Tell us about the visual art portfolio you are creating?

CARRILLO: At my high school I don't have access to AP art because it wasn't an offered class so I take time out of my own schedule to create my portfolio, with the help of my high school art teacher. I'm hoping that my portfolio will be full of color and everything that I have learned so far. I’m hoping it could be be more than enough to show what type of art I can do and Express.

TCD: Explain the importance of having a strong Youth Advocate representing the Truckee Cultural District and your experience going to Sacramento in April for Arts Advocacy Day?

CARRILLO: Seeing someone my age fighting for what they want, makes me feel like I should and have a right to speak up and make my voice as a Mexican-American girl heard. The day I went to Sacramento my mom took me out of school. We drove over Donner Summit to the California State Capitol and I got to experience California for the Arts - Arts Advocacy Day with many other artists. I got to see live performances. I got to talk to people who are interested in the same things I am.

TCD: What are you looking forward to in your Truckee High School senior year?

CARRILLO: I plan to be motivated throughout the whole year not only to finish school but also to leave my mark. As the vice president of the Art Club, we orchestrated and finished a mural last year. I'm in
the midst of doing a solo mural now and working towards making a land acknowledgment for Truckee High School. I'm excited to achieve these big milestones and to move on to next steps including my art career pursuits.

TCD: Is there anything else you would like to share with our creative community about yourself as a Truckee student artist?

CARRILLO: As a young artist I'm very proud to come from my mountain town and very excited to see where it takes me next.

A tingle of Fall is in the air, and with it comes open enrollment for my creative writing workshops, an opportunity for High School students to participate in Poetry Out Loud, and the annual Truckee Block Party on September 17th!

The Tangled Roots Open Mic & Reading Series is September 10 at 6 pm at Alibi Ale House in Truckee. Our featured reader this month is author Liz Collins from Nevada City, who has just published her debut novel Whalespeak. Join us for some food, a mesmerizing reading, and a community open mic. Share your voice!

On September 11th at the Truckee Library, I'll be leading a creative writing workshop for all ages and experience levels. Join our supportive community for this free event, 10:30–Noon.

On Saturday, September 12th, poets Ingrid Keriotis, Rooja Mohassessey, and I will gather for a reading and workshop at Mountain Bounty Farm in Nevada City for Poetry on Preserves, supported by the BYLT. Join us!

Sunday, September 13th is the Glenshire Porchfest, a neighborhood festival featuring local music, bands, and poets on front yards and back porches throughout Glenshire, Truckee. 1–5 pm, free. More details here.

The Truckee Block Party is the street fair for locals, with art, food, and organizational booths downtown. I'll be reading a poem on stage to speak to the community and environmental connections in our town. 5–7 pm.

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