Visit Truckee-Tahoe logo.

Skip Black Friday And Instead Opt Outside In Truckee-Tahoe

Alex Silgalis
October 27, 2023
Text Link

Black Friday is a chaotic day that instead, could be more focused on spending time with friends and family and giving thanks for what we have. Skip the madness this year and show your thanks to Truckee’s beautiful landscape and #OptOutside. And be sure to celebrate Small Business Saturday and Giving Tuesday, great times to shop local in Truckee and to give back to Truckee-Tahoe’s local nonprofits

What Is #OptOutside

Back in 2015, REI looked around and realized that there was too much focus on consumerism. Putting their money where their mouth is, they shuttered their stores, stopped accepting online orders, and let every employee take the day off so they could go outside. Even in its first year, 1.4 million people RSVP'd to the company’s call to spend time outdoors. And 170 organizations (including the Sierra Club) helped to publicize the idea. This movement has continued to grow and become a new alternative holiday.

Man fly fishing in the Truckee river in winter.
Fly fishing is one of many ways to opt outside in Truckee this Black Friday!

Create A New Tradition

Another aspect of holidays is tradition. Having something to look forward to. It’s great to Opt Outside, but to make it really stick for years to come, pick an activity that your family or friends will enjoy. Make it a hike or snowshoe to take in the changing of the seasons in Lacey Meadow. Or maybe it’s the last fly fishing outing on the Truckee River for the season. Squeeze in a few more mountain bike rides on crisp trails. Take big gulps of fresh mountain air as you walk or ride Truckee's scenic paved trails, over 20 miles of which are plowed and clear of snow throughout winter. Or, your new Opt Outside tradition could be as simple as enjoying the first turns of the ski season

If the weather is more suitable for indoor activities, find a yoga class everyone will enjoy or monkey around and scale the walls at Truckee’s indoor climbing gym, High Altitude Fitness.

Women laughing in Adirondack chairs in downtown Truckee

Support Local Businesses

Even if you skip Black Friday, you still need gifts for Christmas. Instead of another item that collects dust, get friends, family, and team members a Sustainable Truckee Gift Card. They can redeem it at over 62 locations! Enjoy a pint of beer at Alibi Ale Works. A warm chai from Coffeebar. Stock up on supplies for your next craft night at Atelier-Bespoke. Men who enjoy the wilderness that want function AND form will find a variety of options at Grizzly Menswear. And women can find the latest fashion trends at Nomad Boutique.

Ride TART Connect this winter.
Ride TART Connect, Truckee's free around-town shuttle.

Support Truckee Both Outside AND In

What makes Sustainable Truckee Gift Cards special though isn’t just that you’re supporting local businesses… which is awesome in the first place. It’s that 25% of EVERY card sold is matched by Visit Truckee-Tahoe for Sustainable Truckee stewardship projects. This has included a wide array of projects such as TART Connect, the FREE on-demand shuttle in Truckee, trailhead enhancements at Johnson Canyon, winter plowing at West End Beach to increase access to snow play and backcountry skiing, trailhead signage, and much more.

BUY NOW

Use Sustainable Truckee Gift Cards for backcountry skiing and more! Photo courtesy of Alpenglow Expeditions.

Give An Experience

Whether it's shopping local in Truckee’s quaint Historic Downtown, sipping craft cocktails at a restaurant or bar, or getting a relaxing deep tissue massage, the Sustainable Truckee Gift Card can be redeemed for year-round Truckee experiences. No matter the season, outdoor adventure can be found here! Cards can be redeemed for everything from guided backcountry skiing to rock climbing. To help give you an idea of all the ways they can enjoy it, here’s 20 examples of how to redeem Sustainable Truckee Gift Cards.

Alex Silgalis

Born and raised as a flat lander in Chicagoland, Alex spent his summers working to save up for a season pass to the local hill along with any trips out West or beyond he could squeeze in. It was during his travels, both as a kid & an adult, Alex discovered his inspiration for Local Freshies® . His idea was to create the No. 1 Web site providing the local scoop on where to eat, drink & play in mountain towns throughout North America. When he’s not writing and executing marketing strategies for small businesses & agencies, he’s in search of the deepest snow in the winter and tackiest dirt in the summer alongside the love of his life and business partner, Jaime Pirozzi.


Visit Truckee-Tahoe logo.
E-Newsletter Signup

You’re in! Thanks for joining, stay tuned for news and updates.

Oops! Something went wrong while submitting the form

Copyright 2023 Visit Truckee-Tahoe

AI Powered by Mindtrip