Wedding · Corporate · Social

Parties on the lake

Gar Woods sits on the north shore in Carnelian Bay and carries the nostalgic ambiance of Tahoe’s classic wooden boat era. Our waterfront location offers sweeping vistas of the lake and surrounding mountains — an unparalleled setting for a spectacular event on the water.

Request a Proposal Banquet Packet

The Setting

One of the finest banquet facilities on Lake Tahoe.

Our view, our food and our central location put Gar Woods among the best rooms on the lake — and the long, easily accessible pier opens up possibilities for anyone wanting to make a dramatic entrance, or exit, by boat.

Upstairs, private dining rooms accommodate groups of up to 160. A lake-view balcony runs the length of both rooms and makes a fine cocktail space. Floor-to-ceiling windows, exposed beam ceilings and hickory chairs give the space its “Old Tahoe” feeling. For groups larger than 160, the deck — our most coveted amenity — may be reserved along with the entire restaurant.

We are competitively priced and aim to surpass the competition on service and food. A qualified banquet professional supervises your event from start to finish, and our chef oversees preparation in kitchen facilities used exclusively for private parties. The Banquet Packet includes a long list of local professionals ready to help with flowers, cakes and music.

A long banquet table set with flowers and glassware in an upstairs room

Rooms & Capacity

Two rooms, a balcony, a deck and a lawn.

Booked together or separately, and separated by a central foyer with sliding glass panel doors on either side.

The Riva Room

Roughly twice the size of the Thunderbird Room and perfect for groups of 50–100.

II.

The Thunderbird Room

Formerly the Caliente Room. Ideal for groups of fewer than 50, and very similar in character to the Riva.

The waterfront deck laid out for a private event

III.

The whole restaurant

The deck seats 160 under market umbrellas; the main dining room another 90. Total seated capacity, in season: 400.

Both rooms togetherUp to 160 guests. Floor plans can be customised; dance floors and staging may affect capacity.

CeremoniesOn the large lawn east of the parking lot, or — water level permitting — on the beach cove just west of the pier. Currently only small ceremonies fit on the beach.

Arriving by boatMake your entrance on a wooden boat, or charter a yacht or paddle wheeler for a pre-dinner cruise. Tell us in advance so our boat valet can reserve you a space on the pier.

Room rentalNo room rental fees. Food and beverage spending minimums apply, and vary by day of the week and time of year.

Bars upstairsA Wine & Beer Bar, a Wet Woody® Bar or a Trader Vic’s Mai Tai Bar can be set up upstairs with a bartender fee.

A note on comfortAs is typical in the area, Gar Woods has no air conditioning — but large sliding doors and windows catch the breeze off the lake on most summer evenings.

What it costs

How a Gar Woods estimate is put together.

We are happy to prepare a real estimate once we know a little about your plans. The formula looks like this.

Ceremony feeOptional, indoor or outdoor. Includes the lawn, beach or indoor site, set-up and chairs. Does not count toward the room minimum.

Reception feeIncludes reception set-up, table preparations and linen.

Dance floor feeRequired if there will be dancing.

FoodHors d’oeuvre and meal prices are in the Banquet Packet.

Beverage tabBilled on consumption. Estimate by multiplying the average drink price by the expected number of drinks per person.

SubtotalNeeds to meet the minimum, not including the ceremony fee.

Service charge22%, based on the subtotal.

Tax8.25%, or the current rate, based on subtotal plus service charge.

Deposits25% on booking, 25% at 60 days, 25% at 30 days. The balance is due at the conclusion of the event.

All 30 planning questions answered

Request a Proposal

Tell us what you have in mind.

Office hours vary with our event schedule, so email is usually fastest. Send us the date, the occasion and a rough guest count and we will come back to you with a proposal.