theater

Music Arts & Culture

Welcome to Nevada County, a preeminent West Coast destination and home to two of the state’s coveted California Cultural Districts. Rich in the arts and unspoiled, creativity extends beyond these districts to every corner of our mountain home.

Highlights

Don’t miss the annual Wild & Scenic Film Festival

Resources

Check out these resources from Nevada County Arts Council: Community Arts Calendar, Culture Map

The Grass Valley-Nevada City Cultural District experienced a ‘cultural revolution’ from the mid-20th Century that has reshaped the local economy and which continues to influence the statewide arts scene.

Learn about the Truckee Cultural District, including a new 3,000 square foot makerspace that offers the community a place to learn, build and practice a wide variety of art and creative skills

Check out Visit Truckee-Tahoe’s events calendar

Truckee culture, history and museums

From California’s Gold Country in the west to the High Sierra in the east, Nevada County is also home to the Nisenan Tribe, one of the most endangered in the state, as well as the ancestral homelands of the Washoe. These histories, and the stories of the many cultures that continue to contribute to this place we call home, are a vital part of our daily life.

Today, Nevada County is a haven for art buyers in the Sierra Nevada foothills and Truckee-Tahoe region, and home to some of the best talent in California. The historic twin cities of Grass Valley and Nevada City merge in the Sierra Foothills amidst pristine rivers and picturesque forests, boasting outstanding year-round programming in music, theatre and dance; a density of artists and makers; a festival culture to die for, and over a hundred arts-related organizations producing upwards of a thousand events a year, including street fairs, art walks and studio tours.

Meanwhile, amidst state and national forests at 7,000 feet, Truckee Cultural District is a stone’s throw from Lake Tahoe and the beautiful Donner Lake. Steeped in emigrant history it is a gateway site of the ill-fated Donner Party, and dotted with stunning interpretive trails, museums and monuments. Following the Truckee River as it meets America’s first transcontinental railroad, Truckee is home to its famous Railyard Project and Truckee Artist Lofts, themselves symbolic of a quintessentially modern mountain town. Here, adventure and the outdoor life meet public art, galleries, live music venues, and artisan places to eat, drink and stay.

Cultural Asset Map