Community briefs

Carson City

After-school dance classes available at Children's Museum

Beginning Sept. 6, instruction in classical ballet, Broadway jazz, lyrical dance and Kinderdance classes will be held at the Children's Museum of Northern Nevada after school hours on Tuesdays and Thursdays. There will be special instruction for boys. Scholarships for advanced dancers are available by audition.

Dancers ages 5 years through adults, beginning and advanced, are welcome. Tuition is $50 per month (eight or nine classes) with a family rate of one half tuition for each member of the same family. All instruction is by Carolyn Oliver.

Dancers enrolled in the dance project, if they wish, will perform in an early December series of "The Nutcracker" ballet.

For information, call the museum, 885-2226, Oliver at 883-0903 or visit www.balletsociety.com.

Coal miners topic of Comma art exhibit

Capital City Arts Initiative's Caffeine! Gallery at Comma Coffee presents "Walter Daniels: Mining Series and Portraits" during September.

There will be a reception on from 5-6 p.m. Sept. 7 at Comma Coffee. The exhibition and reception are free and the public is invited. The exhibition features narrative portraits of coal miners done in oil by local artist Walter Daniels.

For information visit CCA's Web site at www.arts-initiative.org

Minden

Spaghetti served up to help daughters of accident victim

On May 30, Melissa Aalgaard was seriously injured in a motorcycle accident. From 5-8 p.m. Friday, friends of Melissa with support from the Sierra Nevada 20-30 Club will hold a benefit spaghetti feed at the CVIC Hall in Minden.

Cost is $8 per person. Proceeds will benefit her two young daughters, Ashley and Shayla.

For information, call Rachel Christensen, 265-2376 or Jim Doherty, 267-9654.

Fernley

Lyon seniors picnic set in In-Town Park

Lyon County Human Services will present the Lyon County Senior Picnic from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Sept. 9 at the Fernley In-Town Park.

For information, call director Kathy Serfoss at (775) 575-3370.

Reno

Today is free admission day at the Nevada State Fair

Admission is free today at the 2005 Nevada State Fair, thanks to funding from the E.L. Cord Foundation.

Events include:

• 9 a.m. Youth Horse Show in the Horse Show Arena

• 3 p.m. Dog show in the Livestock Pavilion

• 4 p.m. Pee-wee rabbit and cavy show in the Livestock Pavilion

• 5 p.m. Gates Open

• 5 p.m. Kids Interactive Fun Fair in the Main Arena

• 5 p.m. Cavalcade of Horses in the Livestock Area

• 5 p.m. Wool-spinning demonstrations begin in the Wool Tent

• 5:30 p.m. Cat show in the Livestock Pavilion

• 6 p.m. 500-foot Skyball prize drop by helicopter

• 7 p.m. Legends Dirt Track Championships in the Rodeo Arena

Tickets will be sold for the dirt track championships. Adults $10 Children ages 4 to 10 are $5 those ages 3 and under are free.

Get tickets at Reno Mazda Kia 825-1013 or the State Fair office 688-5767. Gates for races open at 6 p.m. racing begins at 7 p.m.

Buildings close nightly at 10 p.m., outdoor areas close at 11 p.m. and the carnival closes at midnight.