Nevada Day will add a new attraction for children and families this year with the debut of the Kids Market & Adventure Zone in downtown Carson City.
The area will be open from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. Oct. 31 in the Third Street parking lot at 200 S. Curry St., just off the Nevada Day Parade route.
Admission to the Kids Market will be free, with young entrepreneurs operating booths and selling their own products. A pumpkin-painting contest also will be offered at no charge.
A $10 activity wristband will provide access to attractions including face painting, the Game On Gaming Truck, Sing Van pop-up karaoke and other activities. A Nevada Day snack bar and Kids Zone T-shirts also will be available, with proceeds from wristband sales supporting the Nevada Day Parade.
Organizers said additional attractions will be announced before the event.
The Kids Market & Adventure Zone is the latest example of Nevada Day Inc.’s effort to expand its family programming beyond the traditional October parade.
For generations, Nevada Day in Carson City has been closely associated with parade day. Marching bands, horses, floats and crowds along Carson Street remain at the center of the celebration, but the organization behind the parade has increasingly added events for families at other times of the year.
Easter Egg Hunt
In April, families gathered at the Livermore Sports Complex for Nevada Day Inc.’s Easter egg hunt, which combined a traditional hunt with food vendors, arts and crafts, a bounce house and appearances by community organizations and local first responders.
Children spread across three ball fields collecting toys and candy during the free April 4 event. Carson City firefighters and sheriff’s deputies were among those participating, while families arrived early for activities and vendors.
The Easter egg hunt also carried the same theme as this year’s Nevada Day Parade, “Pumpkins, Pioneers and Tall Tales,” extending the annual celebration more than six months beyond the traditional parade season.
Soap Box
Nevada Day Inc. followed with another new event July 4, hosting its first youth soap box derby in the Galaxy Theatres parking lot on South Curry Street.
Children ages 6 to 13 raced homemade, gravity-powered cars along a course lined with hay bales. Racers received a push at the starting line and relied on momentum to carry them to the finish.
The competition included divisions for younger and older participants. Nevada Day also provided information and kits before the race, giving families an opportunity to build and prepare their cars together.
Organizers said the derby, introduced during the nation’s 250th anniversary celebration, will become an annual July 4 event.
Nevada Day Inc. also launched a mobile app this summer as part of its effort to maintain a year-round presence.
“It’s the Nevada Day event program in your pocket,” Executive Director Chantell Peck said when the app launched in June, describing a calendar that stretches from the spring Easter egg hunt through parade season.
Together, the additions reflect a broader role for an organization long identified primarily with one of Nevada’s most recognizable annual traditions.
Nevada Day Inc. has produced the Nevada Day Parade since 1938. Its mission now includes educational, historical and family events celebrating Nevada culture throughout the year.
The Parade
This year’s procession begins at 10 a.m. Oct. 31 under the theme “Pumpkins, Pioneers and Tall Tales.” The celebration also includes hot air balloons, the single-jack rock drilling competition, a beard contest and other events that have long been part of Nevada Day in Carson City.
The organization’s newer events provide additional ways for families, particularly those with younger children, to participate in Nevada Day activities.
The Easter egg hunt and soap box derby expanded that opportunity into the spring and summer. The Kids Market & Adventure Zone will bring the same approach to Nevada Day itself, giving children a dedicated place to take part in the celebration.
Nevada Day commemorates Nevada’s admission to the Union on Oct. 31, 1864. As Nevada Day Inc. adds events throughout the year, the organization is pairing that longstanding tradition with activities aimed at introducing younger generations to the celebration in new ways.
