By evening, Virginia Street is lit by the neon of the casino hotels, and the walkways between them carry people moving from one floor to the next without stepping outside. Farther south along the same street, the resorts sit behind their own parking lots, and in Sparks the lights of Victorian Square mark a separate cluster of an evening's activity.
Reno's nightlife is built mainly around its casinos, which are also its dining and entertainment venues: shows, lounges, live music, comedy and arcades sit alongside the gaming floors. That makes the city easy for visitors who want everything under one roof, and for groups who split up between gambling, eating and a concert. It suits people staying downtown or at a resort, and anyone willing to take a cab or bus between the clusters rather than walk between all of them.
Where to go out in Reno
1. Downtown Reno and The Row
The downtown core is where the casino hotels stand closest together. The Row refers to Circus Circus, the Eldorado and the Silver Legacy, all connected by walkways so you can move between the three without going outside. The Eldorado has a brewpub, the Brew Brothers, with live music on Friday and Saturday nights, along with a steakhouse, a sushi bar and an Italian restaurant. The Silver Legacy, the tallest building in Reno, holds several lounges, a steakhouse, a coffee shop, a rum bar with dueling pianos, a concert venue and a comedy club open Thursday through Sunday.
This is the most convenient night out if you are staying downtown and want dinner, a drink and a show within a short indoor walk. Note that the comedy club's schedule is limited to the end of the week.
2. Virginia Street casino floors
Virginia Street is the spine of the downtown casino district, and the properties along it differ in character. Circus Circus, on North Sierra Street, keeps its circus acts and midway arcade on the second floor and is aimed at families. Club Cal*Neva, on East Second Street, is the classic Reno-style casino, with affordable gambling of all types, cheap dining and arcade games on the second floor for those who do not gamble.
Choose this stretch if you want a straightforward evening of gaming and inexpensive food rather than a produced show. The arcades give non-gamblers in your group something to do in the same building.
3. South Virginia Street resorts
South of downtown, the Atlantis and the Peppermill are large resort casinos with their own dining line-ups. The Atlantis is tropical-themed and has an oyster bar, one of the last traditional casino buffets in town, and a steakhouse, plus a pool, spa and arcade. The Peppermill is a large, well-appointed hotel-casino with numerous dining options and a full spa.
This suits a quieter, resort-based evening where you eat and drink on the property and do not need to move around town. Both are south of downtown and well served by the #1 bus.
4. Grand Sierra Resort
The Grand Sierra Resort, on East Second Street, is Reno's largest hotel-casino and the closest to the airport. It has a nightclub with a pool, a Charlie Palmer Steak, Chickie and Pete's sports bar, and a buffet that operates Thursday through Sunday only. The wider resort includes a discount movie theater, an arcade, a bowling alley and a driving range.
It works for a night that mixes dinner, a club and something to do afterwards without leaving the property. It is well served by the #14 bus, though driving or taking a cab is recommended.
5. Sparks and Victorian Square
The Nugget Casino Resort sits in Sparks' Victorian Square, minutes from the Reno-Tahoe International Airport. It has Rosie's Café, The Steakhouse Grill, John's Oyster Bar and a Starbucks, and hosts regular live weekly music from local and national touring acts.
This is a good option if you are staying on the Sparks side or arriving late, since the airport is close. The live music runs weekly rather than only on weekends.
6. Live music and touring acts
Live music in Reno is largely attached to the casino resorts rather than to a separate club district. The Nugget hosts weekly performances by local and national touring acts, the Eldorado's brewpub has live music on Friday and Saturday nights, and the Silver Legacy includes a concert venue with frequent shows.
If a specific act is the reason for your night out, build the evening around that venue and treat the surrounding casino floor as the before and after.
7. Comedy and shows
Produced entertainment is concentrated in the downtown casino hotels. The Silver Legacy's comedy club runs Thursday through Sunday, and its concert venue hosts shows frequently. Circus acts and a midway arcade operate at Circus Circus.
This suits a group that wants a fixed start time and a seated show, with dinner beforehand in the same building.
How a night out unfolds
The sources describe Reno's casino resorts as providing dining and entertainment alongside gambling, with shows, lounges and live music in the evenings. Specific dinner hours, closing times and how late individual venues run are not given in the source material, so check with the property you plan to visit. Some schedules are limited: the Silver Legacy comedy club operates Thursday through Sunday, the Grand Sierra buffet runs Thursday through Sunday only, and the Eldorado's brewpub hosts live music on Friday and Saturday nights.
Festivals and events worth timing a trip around
- Reno River Festival — mid-May.
- Reno Rodeo — mid-June, a 10-day competition with championship events on the final day.
- Street Vibrations — a motorcycle rally held twice yearly, in June and September.
- Artown — July 1 to 31, bringing artists from around the world for music, arts and theater performances across the Reno area; mostly free.
- Hot August Nights — early August, a classic car show with free outdoor rock concerts.
- The Great Reno Balloon Race — over Labor Day weekend at Rancho San Rafael Park, running pre-dawn to midday; to watch the balloons inflate and take off up close you need to reach the park before 5am, and parking can be difficult because of closed roads, so be prepared to walk several blocks uphill.
- Best in the West Nugget Rib Cook-off — Labor Day weekend at Victorian Square in Sparks.
Frequently asked questions
What is the legal drinking age in Reno?
The source material does not state a drinking age or other local alcohol rules, so check current Nevada regulations before you go.
Do I need to gamble to have a night out in Reno?
No. The casino properties also provide dining, lounges, live music, comedy, concerts, arcades, bowling and movie theaters, and some, such as Club Cal*Neva, have arcade games for those who do not gamble.
Can I walk between the downtown casinos?
Yes, within The Row. Circus Circus, the Eldorado and the Silver Legacy are connected by walkways, so you can pass through all three without going outside. Other resorts, such as the Atlantis, the Peppermill and the Grand Sierra, are farther out and are better reached by bus, cab or car.
When is the busiest time to plan an evening around an event?
The yearly events cluster in the summer months, with the Reno River Festival in mid-May, the Reno Rodeo in mid-June, Artown through July, Hot August Nights in early August, and the Great Reno Balloon Race and the Nugget Rib Cook-off over Labor Day weekend. Expect crowds and, for the balloon race, road closures and difficult parking.
Decide whether your evening centers on downtown, a south Virginia Street resort or Sparks, then check the current schedules and book your table or tickets before you set out.