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Who's got the best ribs in the west? Find out at the Best in the West Nugget Rib Cook-Off held every Labor Day weekend. For 23 years, the holiday weekend comes alive in Victorian Square in downtown Sparks and with plenty of food, live music, crafts and family-oriented fun to end the summer on a positively spicy note.

The Bartley Ranch Regional Park not only offers a unique, natural environment to take in the area's gorgeous scenery and indigenous animal life, it also affords you the chance to get on horseback and take a ride through the open fields and grassy expanses of this outdoor oasis. The park has drawn rave reviews for how well the staff keeps the horses, grounds and other amenities in top shape, ready for any visitor to enjoy.

The Nevada Opera is a nationally recognized group that consistently delivers accomplished performances of classics, and creates some of its own in the form of themed engagements and special nights like Opera in Blue Jeans held at the local Wingfield Park during the summer months. There's also the very popular Juke Box Opera fund raiser that lets you choose the music the opera will interpret. And, of course, there are the touchstone works like The Marriage of Figaro and Trial By Jury that keep opera newcomers and veterans equally satisfied.