Winter 2025 | Edible Traditions

Deck the Halls

Delving into the famed Prospectors’ Club Christmas parties.

The Prospectors’ Club in Reno has served many purposes since its founding in 1947 — a men’s-only private club, a bastion for the town’s movers and shakers, a group adjusting to modern times when it began admitting women. And through all the changes, one tradition has endured (making it fun to write about): its lavish Christmas parties.

Flash back to 1947 when Reno’s population was about 30,000 (compared to about 282,000 now). The now-demolished Mapes Hotel was the tallest building in Nevada. Reno, however, lacked a “gentleman’s club,” and into that void stepped Roy H. Bergstrom. Bergstrom moved to Reno and made many friends at the famous Corner Bar at the Riverside Hotel. He decided to start his own private club, using the 13 acres he owned in the area that became South Reno’s Peckham Lane. He invited his pals to join him at a rudimentary lodge that he named the Willow Island Club. By 1947, the club was established enough to be incorporated and ready to move downtown into the shiny new Mapes. So began the Prospectors’ Club, described on its website as “the oldest and most elegant private club in Nevada. With more than 500 members and a wait list to join, the Club is the premier venue for socializing, networking, and entertaining.” 

Legendary Christmas Parties
The club’s social season was comprised of spring dinner/dances, private golf tournaments, Easter brunches, poker nights, clay-shooting events, and more. But it was the Christmas parties, originally called winter formals, that topped the calendar. These were black-tie affairs and taken seriously. In 1951, the Nevada State Journal called that year’s gala “the outstanding social event of the pre-Christmas season.” Held at the Riverside Hotel, members were delighted by dinner and a show by none other than the First Lady of Song, Ella Fitzgerald.

In Guy Clifton’s comprehensive book, The Prospectors’ Club of Reno, Nevada, an entire chapter is devoted to the Christmas dinners. The intent of the winter formal was to create an unforgettable experience for members and their spouses. Over time, the decorations got more sophisticated and budgets increased. Members experienced themes such as speakeasies with vintage autos, a Southern cotillion martini bar, masquerade balls, a Nutcracker/Russian theme, and a black-and-white motif. An added plus for the club: The lavish party ensured that the members were up to date with their dues!

At the 2000 party, Past President John Utter staged an old prospector and his mule from Virginia City. The mule had an old-fashioned dynamite plunger strapped to its back, and at the perfect moment, the plunger and lights intentionally went off, contributing to a memorable evening. Then there was the time when several women showed up only wearing body paint, with one of them strategically placed near the seafood-serving station, looking a lot like the Little Mermaid. At another party, the dessert room featured live penguins placed in a wintry display with ice sculptures; the problem was that the penguins were a warm-water variety, and the poor creatures were freezing in the setting. One of the penguins tried to escape, and at least one member of the club was bitten when trying to capture the fleeing bird. In the mid-2000s, the group tried a new concept called “vignette dining,” with food stations and bars set up at various locations in the ballroom to promote socializing.

A Club on the Move
The club’s prestige ensured steady membership, and members enjoyed the perk of a dedicated room in which to meet, making it easy for members to drop by for lunch. The Mapes had been its home base for the first three years, followed by a succession of other downtown locations, most notably a customized space at Harrah’s.

Another significant move happened after 1988 with a United States Supreme Court ruling prompting private clubs to admit women. Prospectors’ Club members were divided on the issue, but they couldn’t ignore the fact that women were becoming established in the workplace and that societal views were changing. Reform didn’t come easily or quickly. It was a five-year roller coaster that led to the club being forced to move its headquarters from Harrah’s, accrue attorney fees, and make several revisions to the bylaws.

The club now is fully co-ed but still without a dedicated room. For the present, the group meets at Brasserie Saint James in Midtown Reno. Though the Prospectors’ Club may not be as well known as it was in the past, members still maintain a unique benefit: They have visitation rights to other venerable locations around the country, including The Sutter Club in Sacramento, the University Club of San Francisco, The Montauk Club in New York, and The City University Club of London. Which makes us wonder what their holiday parties are like.