New tourism events in Fallon highlight foods, arts

FALLON (AP) - Tourism officials in Fallon have announced plans for two new events they hope will attract visitors and promote its agricultural and artistic diversity with locally grown foods and handmade quilts.

Tractors & Truffles set for April 24 will feature a gourmet meal prepared with foods grown or raised in Churchill County along with a concert featuring country blues singer Rory Block.

The $100 per-person charge will include a daytime tour of Lattin Farms, with lunch and cooking demonstrations, said Rick Gray, the executive director of the Fallon Convention and Visitors Authority.

"We will take some amazing local, regional and nationally known chefs, who will cook with some of the freshest ingredients grown here to create a gourmet dinner," Gray said.

The event will be geared toward "the gourmand, the foodie and food enthusiasts," he said.

"Essentially, it combines two of Fallon's greatest assets - its agriculture and its arts scene. And it combines them in a way that will get people talking about the positive attributes of Fallon."

The Fallon Festival of Quilts scheduled May 19-22 also will highlight Fallon's arts scene, Gray said.

It has received a $5,000 grant from the Nevada Commission on Tourism and will be modeled after a similar quilting festival in Sisters, Ore.

"It is an event that we are tying to build here," Gray said. "We hope that is would attract people from all over the county to Fallon so they can display their quilts."

Fallon is aggressively marketing special events as part of its strategic tourism plan, Gray said. He noted two other events that are gaining in popularity, the Fallon Fights boxing card and the OctaneFest motor sports gala.

The Fallon Fights, which featured Reno boxer Joey Gilbert last year, plays off the rich boxing tradition of rural Nevada. The OctaneFest, held in June, is a four-day motor sports festival focused at various venues.

Fallon already boasts an extensive special events annual calendar with events such as the Hearts O' Gold Cantaloupe Festival, Springs Wings Bird Festival and the World Cowboy Fast Draw Championship.

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Information from: Reno Gazette-Journal, http://www.rgj.com