Made in Nevada Items Make Great Souvenirs

Possibilities Range From Jams and Killer Salsa to Hand-Woven Baskets

Feb 27, 2009 Connie Emerson

Museum-quality arts and crafts, gourmet candy and other items produced by Nevada artists and artisans provide hours of pleasure and memories of the Silver State.

The ultimate Nevada souvenirs – antique slot machines – cost thousands of dollars. Nevertheless, it’s possible to find dozens of other items from hand-rolled cigars made in Las Vegas to puzzles produced in Reno that evoke memories of Nevada, but cost far less. Here are some ideas.

Sweet Souvenirs

Almost every town in Nevada has a candy shop – or several of them. In Virginia City, Grandma’s Fudge has been producing 23 flavors (from chocolate peanut butter to white chocolate walnut) as well has hand-dipped chocolates and other delights for 42 years. Tour buses stop at the Chocolate Nugget Candy Factory in Washoe Valley. Sweet Images Ltd. in Minden prints photos/logos on chocolate. Best known Nevada candies, however, are the gourmet chocolates with both traditional and liqueur fillings produced at the Ethel M. factory in Henderson. They’re for sale throughout Nevada in Ethel M. shops and at the major airports.

Fine Art and Crafts

Powers FrameWorks (Franktown Corners, 2287 Kietzke Lane, Reno) carries original paintings of Nevada landmarks, as well as signed and numbered prints by Roy Powers, one of the state’s most popular artists. Also in Reno, the Artists Co-op (627 Mill Street) handles a wide variety of Nevadan’s art works.

Items made by Argenta Earth & Fire Company pottery in Virginia City rank high among local crafts. Also in Virginia City, artisan, David Abel makes custom gold and silver jewelry in a restored 1875 Victorian (for appointments, phone 775-847-7575). One-of-a-kind baskets created by Mary Lee Fulkerson, Nevada’s premier basket maker, are sold online.

Fruit of the Vine

The state’s first vineyard was developed in 1990 by Tahoe Ridge Winery in Genoa, which produced the first commercial wine from Nevada-grown grapes in 2001. That same year, Churchill County’s first vineyard was established on land seven miles south of Fallon where the climate is described as “similar to Eastern Washington.” With ten different varieties, Churchill Vineyards successfully created its first vintage of premium estate wines in 2004. Though Pahrump Valley Winery in the southern part of Nevada has been making wine for several years, it wasn’t until 2005 that it produced Nevada’s first commercial red wine from locally-grown grapes. All three wineries have tasting rooms open to the public at various times.

Candles, Soap and Other Aromatic Items

Cloud Nine Candle & Bath (8550 West Desert Inn Road, Las Vegas; produces handmade soap, candles, and a host of other aromatic products, which it sells online. Bear Earth Body Essentials in Sparks also is among the nine handmade soap businesses operating in Nevada.

Shoppers who want to buy their products onsite can go to Campie’s Lavender Patch (12390 Shawnee Road, Stagecoach), which specializes in fresh and dried boquets of lavender as well as lotions and oils. At a similar operation, Lavender Ridge (7450 W. 4th Street, Reno), one of the delights is breathing in the aroma of the lavender fields right outside the shop’s door.

One-Stop Shopping

The Nevada Store (3362 Lakeside Court, Reno), a one-stop shop for items made in the Silver State, has more than 1,000 different products in its inventory. While a significant portion of the merchandise consists of souvenir items such as University of Nevada-Reno logo sweatshirts, mugs and watches, the primary focus is on articles produced by Nevadans.

One section is devoted to books about the state and books written by Nevada authors. Another is dedicated to foods such as Davidson’s Organic Teas, Killer Salsa made in Gardnerville and Mrs. Auld’s line of products, which are available nationally, but produced in Reno. For shoppers who want to bring home a variety of gifts for friends, the store sells Nevada-shaped gift baskets to put them in. Among the most popular items in the shop are The Nevada Trivia Game (155 Glendale Ave, #9, Sparks); and puzzles made in Reno. Napa-Sonoma (294 E. Moana, Reno) which specializes in gourmet foods, also puts together gift baskets, which are filled with Nevada delicacies.

The copyright of the article Made in Nevada Items Make Great Souvenirs in SW U.S./Hawaii Travel is owned by Connie Emerson. Permission to republish Made in Nevada Items Make Great Souvenirs in print or online must be granted by the author in writing.

Made in Nevada baskets make popular gifts.	Grandma's Fudge in Virginia City	Gaming Gifts are popular Nevada Souvenirs
Hand Woven Baskets are Nevada shaped.