Tahoe Games Return with Big Air, Live Music, and an Exclusive Rail-Jam

Lake Tahoe’s fall season just got a whole lot more exciting. The Tahoe Games are returning later this month with two days packed with contests, live music, art, and vibrant mountain community. Consider the festival a celebration of shoulder season, that oft overlooked period between deep winter powder and cabana covered summers. The Games will run Septemebr 27-28.

The festival will serve as a pre-season mash up before most Tahoe area resorts fire up in November. And before the keyboard warriors get going: yes, there will be real snow. Organizers have promised a “full blown freestyle playground” at the Lake Tahoe Amphitheater, capped by an invite-only rail jam featuring some of the area’s best skiers and riders. Riders will compete for up to $500 in cash and spectators will be able to get right up close to the action. When the jam wraps, the machine-made snow won’t go to waste, as festival-goers can enjoy hit a mini tubing hill and get their own early taste of winter.

Snow isn’t the only thing on tap. A pro-level MTB big air competition will light up the amphitheater come the final weekend of September. Heavy hitters like Brayden Barrett-Hay, Greggy Watts, Ryan McNulty, and Nicholai Rogatkin will show face. With $15k on the line, the tricks and amplitude will be as massive as the purse. As much as the rail-jam perks our ears, the big air comp is looking like the true show-stopper.

Beyond the contests, supporting the Tahoe Games is also supporting the next generation of outdoor athletes. Interactive demos, challenges, and fundraising efforts throughout the weekend will benefit The Smaine Fund, created in memory of local skier Kyle Smaine after his tragic passing in an avalanche in 2023. The fund supports young athletes with resources for career development, education, and community impact.

The festival will round out with a vendor village, food trucks, morning yoga sessions, and live music, giving the weekend an all-around Tahoe vibe. Entry is free, keeping the Games accessible to locals and visitors alike.

From snow to dirt to music under the Sierra sky, the Tahoe Games is shaping up to be the perfect way to bridge summer and winter in Lake Tahoe. For more info, go to tahoegames.com

Get stoked for winter. Here are the projected opening dates for some Tahoe area resorts: