Local Heroes 2026 Draws Record Crowds for Three Days of Celebration
July 6, 2026 | Kristin Derrin
What an incredible weekend.
From July 2 to July 4, Incline Village and Crystal Bay came together to celebrate the people who make our community so special during the 2026 Local Heroes 4th of July Celebration. Three days of events, including SummerFest, patriotic concerts, pancake breakfasts, the Local Heroes Parade, the Community Fair, live music, family activities, and more, made this year’s celebration our biggest yet.
A Record Breaking Celebration
This year’s Local Heroes Parade and Community Fair welcomed the largest crowds we’ve ever seen. At one point during the Community Fair, it was impossible to see from one side of the vendor tents to the other through the crowd.
More importantly, the atmosphere throughout the weekend was overwhelmingly positive. Everywhere you looked there were smiling faces, neighbors reconnecting, families making memories, and visitors experiencing the incredible community spirit that makes Incline Village and Crystal Bay so special.
Thank you to everyone who attended, volunteered, participated in the parade, hosted a booth, or cheered from the sidelines. You helped make this year’s celebration one to remember.
Congratulations to Our Parade Contest Winners
This year also marked the introduction of our first Local Heroes Parade Contest. The creativity, patriotism, and community pride on display made choosing winners no easy task.
Congratulations to our 2026 winners:
Most Patriotic: IVCB Veterans Club
Most Creative Kids: Daisy Trails Forest Preschool
Most Creative Non-Profit: Village Pet Foundation
Most Creative Business: North Shore Plumbing
Each winner will receive a handcrafted commemorative award from Tahoe Gifting Co., along with well-deserved bragging rights until next year’s parade.
Thank You
The Local Heroes Celebration is only possible because of the incredible support of our sponsors, community partners, volunteers, parade participants, public safety agencies, entertainers, and local businesses. Your dedication continues to make this one of the most anticipated community events of the year.
Thank you to everyone who helped make the 2026 Local Heroes Celebration our biggest and most successful yet. A special thank you to the Rotary Club of Tahoe Incline for organizing volunteers and helping us with the annual parade. It really takes a Village! And a very special thank you to the incredible Julie Malkin-Manning for making it all happen!
We look forward to celebrating with you again next July 3.
We are excited to share our August 2026 Visiting Artist Lecture + Exhibition Series with you. The Low Residency MFA-IA will gather on the Lake Tahoe campus from August 7th – August 16th for our ten-day intensive where students have classes, attend and give lectures, studio visits, and exhibitions. Please join us for all these activities!
These events are free and open to the public!
Lectures take place on the second floor of Holman Arts and Media Center unless otherwise noted.
In The News – Clean Up The Lake and Station House Inn partner on July 5 cleanup
July 6, 2026 | Member Submitted
Originally published in the Tahoe Daily Tribune, 07/06/2026, written by Eli Ramos
After the festivities of Independence Day, Clean Up The Lake and Station House Inn announced their partnership through the Stay With Purpose program. The fund raised over $30,000 for the organization to continue their work.
“Clean Up The Lake has a real tangible impact pulling out trash from the lake,” said Mitchell Murray, CEO of PlayPark Hospitality, which owns Station House Inn. “We think they do a really great job and are excited to support them in preserving the lake we all love.”
In The News – Hundreds of volunteers leave Tahoe better than they found it at Annual Cleanup Event
July 6, 2026 | Member Submitted
Originally published in the Tahoe Daily Tribune, 7/6/2026, Staff Report
On July 5, 446 local and visiting volunteers gave up three hours of their holiday weekends to show love for Lake Tahoe by participating in the 13th Annual Keep Tahoe Red, White & Blue Cleanup hosted by Keep Tahoe Blue in partnership with more than a dozen organizations and businesses. Participants equipped with reusable bags, clipboards to tally data, and grabbers fanned out across six beach sites around the Lake, stretching from Kings Beach to Kiva Beach, as part of Tahoe’s largest annual cleanup event.
“We feel like it’s our lake too,” said volunteers Roberta and Russ, Southern California residents who have visited Tahoe each summer for 40 years. “This event is a great way to help.”
PINE NUTS – Jimmy Buffett Meets Mark Twain on Road to Heaven
July 4, 2026 | McAvoy Lane
If there’s one kid I like the best here at The Lake of the Sky, it’s Darin Talbot, AKA Jimmy Buffett. Some adults are blessed by staying young, and that’s Darin. The fact that he is the spitting image of Jimmy Buffett, and can sing just like him, serves to endorse Darin’s one man show as Jimmy Buffett…
Darin is performing in the Florida Keys right now, but will be returning to his Tahoe home next month, when the Ghost of Mark Twain, yours truly, will welcome him home.
Darin and I are contemplating collaborating on a two man show, “Jimmy Buffett Meets Mark Twain on the Road to Heaven.” We imagine a fast-moving program just brimming with Buffett music, interspersed with insight and humor from Mark Twain. Who could stay away?
In real life, Jimmy was a huge Twain fan, tailoring much of his music to Twain’s writings. Buffett’s tributes include some sentiments from Twain’s Following the Equator, “We had a hope when we were young that if we lived, and were good, God would permit us to be pirates.”
As a fellow drifter who followed the Equator, Twain welcomes Jimmy onto a path to Heaven’s Gate. “Jimmy, can I offer you some etiquette on getting into heaven?”
(Jimmy takes out his pen and takes notes…) “Upon arriving at the Pearly Gates, don’t speak first…Let St. Peter speak first. And don’t try to take a selfie with him, hell is full of people who have tried that. And don’t take your dog. Heaven goes by favor. If it went by merit your dog would go in and you would stay out. Oh, and if you get in…don’t tip St. Peter – publicly.”
Jimmy is duly inspired to sing, and his music takes Twain’s sentiments to the very gates of heaven. In his song, “Take Another Road” Buffett resonates, “Follow the equator, like that old articulator / Sail upon the ocean, just like Mr. Twain.”
In his song, “Fruitcakes” Buffett employs the line, “That’s the difference between lightning and a harmless lightning bug,” thus adapting Twain’s quote, “The difference between the right word and the almost right word is the difference between the lightning and a lightning bug.”
On it goes, between these two kindred spirits, linking song and literature as only Buffett and Twain could do…
In the song “Barefoot Children in the Rain” Buffett includes raft and riverboat imagery, which alludes to Twain’s Adventures of Huckleberry Finn. Also, the lyric, “Wrinkles only go where the smiles have been” paraphrases Twain’s quote from Following the Equator: “Wrinkles should merely indicate where smiles have been.”
I look forward to working with my brother Darin on crafting a Buffett-Twain show that will delight a Tahoe audience…
In The News – Pet Network Humane Society Offers Free Adoptions This July
July 3, 2026 | Member Submitted
Originally published in the Tahoe Daily Tribune, 07/03/2026, Staff Report
Pet Network Humane Society announced sponsored adoptions this July, made possible through the incredible generosity of Bev & Doug Keil, longtime supporters of Pet Network. All adoption fees for animals are waived for the entire month, ensuring that deserving shelter pets find loving homes just in time for summer.
This heartwarming promotion doesn’t stop at simply finding homes—every dog and cat adopted will come equipped with a Fi GPS collar, offering pet parents peace of mind and an extra layer of protection for their new companions.
In The News – Expanding the Ride: The Future of Trails in Lake Tahoe
July 2, 2026 | Member Submitted
Originally published in the Tahoe Daily Tribune, 7/2/2026, Submitted by TAMBA
The Lake Tahoe Basin has long been a crown jewel of outdoor recreation in the American West—a place where deep blue water meets forested ridgelines and an expansive trail network invites epic exploration. Now, that network is poised for a meaningful expansion. After years of planning, public input, and careful environmental review, the U.S. Forest Service has approved a sweeping plan to add up to 45 miles of new trail opportunities through the Basin Wide Trails Analysis Project.
More Miles—and More Access
In addition to new trail construction, the project opens up access in a big way: more than 100 miles of existing trails will now allow Class 1 pedal-assist e-bikes. This update, approved by the U.S. Forest Service Lake Tahoe Basin Management Unit (LTBMU), reflects years of study, public input, and coordination with local groups.
Hyatt Regency Lake Tahoe Announces Refreshing Summer Menus at Osteria Sierra
July 1, 2026 | Member Submitted
Hyatt Regency Lake Tahoe Resort, Spa and Casino, an award-winning resort nestled in the Sierra Nevada Mountains of North Lake Tahoe, announces new lunch and dinner menus at Osteria Sierra, featuring fresh Italian flavors, family-friendly dining, and seasonal shared dishes.
“We are thrilled to celebrate the summer season with the introduction of new menus at Osteria Sierra,” said Shay Prince, Chef de Cuisine at Osteria Sierra inside Hyatt Regency Lake Tahoe Resort, Spa and Casino. “Whether guests are enjoying a casual lunch al fresco on our gorgeous patio or gathering with family after a day on the lake, these new offerings were thoughtfully created to bring people together over delicious Italian cuisine inspired by fresh ingredients and elevated flavors.”
The new lunch menu introduces a selection of Piadina, traditional Italian flatbread sandwiches, grilled to order. Guests can choose from selections including the caprese piadina with mozzarella, tomato and pistachio pesto; the prosciutto piadina with crezcenza cheese and arugula; and the steak & peppers piadina with marinated grilled steak, sweet peppers and salsa verde. A build-your-own piadina option allows guests to customize their meal with a selection of proteins, cheeses, and house-made sauces.
Osteria Sierra’s new dinner menu now includes family-style options that serve four, making it easy for guests to share a meal together. Highlights include chicken bucatini pasta, bison & pancetta meatballs, chicken piccata, family-style caesar and garden salads, among several other delicious dishes. New entrée selections including rigatoni with lamb ragu, pappardelle with braised short rib and seared sea bass fillet. Additional offerings include a special “ragazzi” menu for children 12 and younger and a variety of house-made desserts prepared by the resort’s pastry team.
House-made pasta remains a signature of Osteria Sierra, with Chef Shay Prince and his culinary team preparing fresh pasta and ravioli daily using traditional Italian techniques and seasonal ingredients. That commitment to craft is rooted in Chef Prince’s connection to his family’s Italian heritage from Liguria, a history that continues to influence the way he approaches authentic, ingredient-driven cuisine and shapes the dining experience at Osteria Sierra.
Guests can enjoy their meal in the restaurant’s elegant dining room, or al fresco on Osteria Sierra’s outdoor patio, offering a relaxed setting to dine surrounded by fresh mountain air and scenic views.
For more information or to book a getaway to Hyatt Regency Lake Tahoe, please visit HyattRegencyLakeTahoe.com, or call (775) 832-1234.
About Hyatt Regency Lake Tahoe Resort, Spa and Casino
Situated among the towering peaks of the Sierra Nevada mountains, the award-winning Hyatt Regency Lake Tahoe Resort, Spa and Casino offers a premier destination based in the nature-infused setting of North Lake Tahoe. The resort is home to an on-site Adventure program offering daily guided activities to help guests explore the Tahoe outdoors with everything from group hikes to meditation sessions. Guests can enjoy premium amenities such as a year-round heated lagoon-style pool, two hot tubs, and a 25,000 square-foot Grand Lodge Casino. The resort also boasts the 20,000 square-foot Stillwater Spa featuring a variety of relaxing massages, facials and body treatments as well as state-of-the-art touchless therapies including the Cryobuilt Cryochamber, “Pearl” a revolutionary float orb, and the “Harmony” bioacoustic mat. The property showcases premier dining opportunities at the brand-new Osteria Sierra offering elevated Italian cuisine, pub-style fare at Cutthroat’s Saloon, and grab-and-go selections at Tahoe Provisions. Additional culinary delights include afternoon tea service on the weekends and a selection of world-class pastries created by the resort’s renowned team of pastry chefs. Recognized for excellence, the resort has garnered numerous awards including Travel + Leisure’s 500 Best Hotels in the World, Travel + Leisure’s World’s Best, Condé Nast Traveler’s Readers’ Choice Awards, Smart Meetings Smart Stars Awards, and U.S. News & World Report’s Best Hotel Awards.
Hyatt Regency Lake Tahoe Resort, Spa and Casino is located on the Nevada side of Lake Tahoe, at 111 Country Club Drive, Incline Village, NV, 89451. For more information, visit HyattRegencyLakeTahoe.com or follow the resort on Facebook or Instagram.
About Hyatt Regency hotels
The Hyatt Regency brand is a global collection of hotels and resorts found in more than 200 locations in over 40 countries around the world. The depth and breadth of this diverse portfolio, from expansive resorts to urban city centers, is a testament to the brand’s evolutionary spirit. For more than 50 years, the Hyatt Regency brand has championed fresh perspectives and enriching experiences, while its forward-thinking philosophy provides guests with inviting spaces that bring people together and foster a spirit of community. As a hospitality original, Hyatt Regency hotels and resorts are founded on openness—our colleagues consistently serve with open minds and open hearts to deliver unforgettable celebrations, effortless relaxation and notable culinary experiences alongside expert meetings and technology-enabled collaboration. The brand prides itself on an everlasting reputation for insightful care—one that welcomes all people across all countries and cultures, generation after generation. For more information, please visit hyatt.com
After Tahoe’s celebrated July 4th festivities, our beaches and surrounding areas can get a little too much love. Each year on July 5th, Tahoe residents and visitors turn out for the largest cleanup of the year to refresh and revitalize Lake Tahoe’s shores. You can help Keep Tahoe Blue by volunteering at a beach cleanup site around the Lake!
How to sign up:
Click on the location below to sign up
If you do not pre-register, you will need to complete a volunteer waiver onsite during check-in.
Note for minors:
Volunteers under 18 – will need to create a volunteer account and provide a guardian’s email to complete the waiver online.
Volunteers under 13 – will need to provide a guardian’s email to create a volunteer account and complete the waiver online.
If you are having trouble registering minors online, please register on the day of at the on-site check-in tent at your chosen location.
Locations:
Tahoe City Commons Beach – Meet at Commons Beach and clean the beach, through the town, and into 64 Acres.
Interested in making a difference as a site lead? We are looking for 2–3 leads at each location to help set up and break down equipment, distribute materials, and record data card information. To volunteer, please email events@keeptahoeblue.org. or julie@keeptahoeblue.org.
Be sure to bring:
Hat, sunglasses, comfortable clothing, and shoes
Cleanup gloves and grabbers (if you have them)
Sunscreen
Full reusable water bottle or travel mug
Any snacks you would like
We provide:
Cleanup materials (gloves, bags, etc.)
Refreshments
Cool giveaways
Our cleanup efforts are made possible by a generous community of Tahoe lovers. We need your help to buy supplies, staff a dedicated team of experts, and do preventative work to stop litter at the source.
This year, we asked our community a simple question: Who’s your hero? The response was overwhelming. From veterans and first responders to neighbors who quietly show up year after year, the nominations that poured in are a beautiful reflection of what makes Incline Village and Crystal Bay such a special place to call home. Meet the people you chose.
Betsy Garfinkle
Betsy recently retired from IVGID, but her legacy blooms all over Incline Village. For years, she was the one out there gardening and planting flowers on IVGID properties, making our community more beautiful one bed at a time. Her hard work, dedication, and ever-present smile have touched more hearts than she probably knows. A true unsung hero.
Officer Hannah Degoey
Hannah is a hero for the women of Incline Village. As a law enforcement officer, she has gone above and beyond to ensure the safety and well-being of survivors of domestic violence in our community – offering protection, compassion, and consistency when people need it most.
Jeffry Poindexter
Jeff is a veteran whose service never stopped at the uniform. He’s been a pillar of the Incline Village Veterans Club, Rotary, the Military Officers Association, and the Tahoe Business Exchange, and he volunteers every year at the 4th of July Veterans Pancake Breakfast. He’s deeply involved with the Incline High School JROTC program, personally helping distribute scholarships to students who want to serve our country. And right now, he’s working alongside the Veterans Club and local realtors to establish a War Memorial in Incline Village – a lasting tribute to those who gave their lives. Jeff embodies duty, honor, and community in everything he does.
Nominated by the Incline Village Good Neighbor Committee
Denise Bremer
Trying to summarize Denise in a sentence or two? Nearly impossible. She’s chaired the Incline Realtor Board, served on the Fire Board, helped with the 4th of July and St. Patrick’s food distributions, taught classes at the Rec Center, and been an active member of Trampers and Incliners. She watches over pets and never hesitates to help anyone in need. Denise is the kind of neighbor every community hopes to have.
Nominated by a friend
Lourdes Avenier & Ana Porras
Lourdes and Ana saw a gap and filled it. They founded the HOPA program at Incline High School, pairing first-generation students with local professionals for one-on-one mentoring. The impact of that kind of support – someone in your corner who’s been where you’re trying to go – is immeasurable.
Linda Offerdahl
Linda is the kind of person who makes things happen. Always stepping up, always making new ideas work for this community, she’s become a go-to force in Incline Village who brings energy and follow-through to everything she touches.
Nominated by a neighbor
Harry Van Delinder
Harry was a man of quiet service. He didn’t speak about his time stationed in England during World War II until the year 2000 – but when he finally did, what emerged was a remarkable story. The hundreds of letters he exchanged with his parents between 1944 and 1945 are being preserved and will one day be published for generations to come. Harry passed away in 2016, but his legacy lives on. His son Brad calls him his best friend in life, and we can see why.
Nominated by Brad Van Delinder – his son
Steve Conboy
Steve Conboy has spent his career doing something most of us only read about in the news: finding real, lasting solutions to the wildfire crisis threatening our forests, our homes, and our communities. As the founder of Mighty Fire Breaker and CitroTech Wildfire Defense, Steve invented CitroTech – the only fire retardant recognized by the EPA Safer Choice Program, meaning it’s safe for people, pets, and the environment while still being highly effective. His work has helped protect homes, families, and first responders from devastating wildfires, and he’s described by those who know him as an environmentalist, activist, and philanthropist who approaches it all with the heart of a true public servant.
Closer to home, Steve recently opened the Wildfire Pro Shop right here in Incline Village, bringing his mission directly to the community he cares about. He’s been nominated by friends, colleagues, family members, and community members alike – each one pointing to the same thing: a man who saw a problem, dedicated his life to solving it, and never stopped showing up for others along the way.
Nominated by multiple community members.
Dr. Johanna Koch, Janice & Rosie
Dr. Johanna Koch has served the Incline community as a physician for over forty years and will be retiring next year – a milestone that deserves to be celebrated loudly. Alongside her, retired nurses Janice and Rosie continue providing medical support to local residents simply out of the goodness of their hearts. Together, they represent a lifetime of care that has touched countless lives in this community.
Nominated by a patient
Peter Bonanza
Peter Bonanza was known by everyone in town. For many decades, he was a constant presence in the Incline Village community – someone who, simply by being himself, put a smile on people’s faces. Peter passed away recently, and his loss is felt deeply. We’re grateful to the neighbor who nominated him, and we honor Peter here as someone who reminded us all how much an individual can mean to a place just by showing up with warmth and joy.
Nominated by Christopher Talbot – his friend
Charles Cross
Charles Cross served his country and deeply loved his family. He is remembered and celebrated by his granddaughter Anne Costello, who nominated him with simple, powerful words: “He served our country and deeply loved his family.” Sometimes that says everything.
Nominated by Anne Costello – his granddaughter
Todd Lowe
Todd Lowe has fought for Incline Village residents for a long time – and won. He was a driving force behind the Village League and the landmark lawsuit against unfair Washoe County property taxes, a seventeen-year battle that ultimately benefitted every property owner in this community. He’s also been deeply involved in efforts to explore making Incline Village its own city, working to give residents more control over their own future. As one nominator put it: no one still living has done more to preserve and protect the Incline Village and Crystal Bay way of life than Todd Lowe.
Nominated by multiple community members, including Richard Miner and Diane Becker
Helen Neff
After surviving a near-fatal pedestrian versus car accident, Helen Neff didn’t step back – she stepped up. She became a tireless advocate for road safety for everyone: pedestrians, cyclists, and drivers alike. She’s the driving force behind the widely recognized “Take it Slow, Tahoe” campaign and continues pushing for safety initiatives that protect lives across our region.
Julia Zaitsev
Julia changed a family’s life. As one nominator shared, Julia saved her daughter from years of daily pain – pain that had become a way of life before Julia intervened. The gratitude in that nomination is profound, and it speaks to the kind of transformative impact Julia has had on the people she works with.
Nominated anonymously
Franklin Otis Carroll
Franklin Otis Carroll (the elder) was a pioneering aviator and military leader who “armed the Army Air Force in WWII” as commander of the experimental laboratories at Wright Field in Dayton, Ohio. He was also the first pilot to land in the cornfield that would become Wright Field – right after WWI. His grandson, who shares his name, nominated him with tremendous pride. A family legacy worth honoring.
Nominated by his grandson, Franklin Otis Carroll
Audrey Suzanne Ayers Carroll
“She has been the rock and anchor of my life for 50 years.” That’s how Franklin Otis Carroll describes his wife Audrey – the strongest, most loving, most loyal person he knows. Behind every great person is often someone even greater, and Audrey sounds like exactly that.
Nominated by her husband, Franklin Otis Carroll
Dave Ward
Dave Ward is a firefighter. To his son Dylan, that – and everything that comes with it – makes him a hero, plain and simple. “My dad is my hero because he is a firefighter and takes care of us.” We couldn’t agree more.
Nominated by Dylan Ward – his son
SPC Robert O’Hare
Robert O’Hare served in the US Army until he passed away in January 2021 from brain cancer. He was a resident of Incline Village who lived his life in service to others – fighting with courage and positivity until the very end, and always ready to help those around him. His mother Cindie nominated him here, and we’re grateful to be able to honor his memory.
Nominated by Cindie O’Hare – his mother
Fire Chief Jason Gibeaut
Beyond his role as fire chief, Jason gives back in quiet, personal ways – helping the disabled, supporting the homeless, and serving as Head of Men’s Ministry at Cornerstone Church. He leads in uniform and out of it.
Nominated by a friend
Lt. Col. Ricardo J. Blanco (USMC, Ret.)
Lt. Col. Blanco has been deployed around the world – El Salvador, Somalia, Iraq (twice) – always ready to defend his country when called upon. His family nominated him here, and we’re proud to recognize his decades of dedicated service.
Nominated by family
Alex “Papa” Sill
Vietnam veteran. Software security expert. Volunteer firefighter. Mr. MacGyver. Porsche lover. And by all accounts, the most incredible dad and grandpa around. Alex “Papa” Sill is the kind of person who quietly accumulates a lifetime of remarkable things – and the people who love him want the world to know it.
Nominated by the Kronenthals & Sills
Julie Malkin-Manning
If you’ve celebrated the 4th of July in Incline Village, you’ve experienced Julie’s magic – you just may not have known it. While families enjoy the parade, festivities, and fireworks, Julie is the one working tirelessly behind the scenes to make it all happen. Her dedication goes far beyond logistics; it’s a reflection of her deep love for this community and her unwavering commitment to making it a place where people feel connected, celebrated, and proud to call home. She’s also known as a standout event planner for IVCBA, always bringing new ideas to life.
Nominated by Linda Offerdahl and Janelle Hibler
Thank you to everyone who submitted a nomination. Every name on this list – and every person who took the time to celebrate someone they admire – is part of what makes this community extraordinary. See you at the parade!
