The Nevada Day 2013 celebration continues all weekend long

As an "Old Timer" who was born and raised in Carson City, the Nevada Day celebration has always been something special in my life.

Through many years of living in Carson City, I have enjoyed many of the activities associated with the celebration of our state's admission to the Union, way back on October 31, 1864.

My fondest memories are of watching the annual Nevada Day Parade (my longtime personal favorite activity of all the Nevada Day activities). Go here for a lineup of events. For those who can't make the parade, you can click here beginning at 10 a.m. to watch it live thanks to We Shoot Video in Carson City.

Powwow
Be sure to catch the 32nd Annual La ka Lel Be powwow it will be held October 25-27 at the Carson Colony Gym at 2900 S Curry St. It is part of the Nevada Day Celebration. It is a competition powwow. The Host Drum is from Tacoma Washington (TacTown) with leaders from Montgomery Creek Ca Gumshi and Ramona Quenelle. The Emcee is from Fort Hall Idaho, Tyson Shay. There will be a Handgame tournament and a horseshoe tournament as well.

Parade:
This year that spectacular event will be held on Saturday, October 26. The parade theme is: Nevada Day Parade Celebrates 75 Years (1938 - 2013). It begins at 10:00 a.m., and could last for almost three hours!
The start of the parade will follow an 8:00 a.m. hot air balloon launch on Carson Street (weather permitting); and coinciding with the start, there will be a 10:00 a.m. flyover of military aircraft from the Fallon Naval Air Station and our very own Nevada Air Guard.

The parade route begins at the intersection of William and Carson Streets and ends at the intersection of Stewart and Carson Streets.

Here are some "Don Q" thoughts for enjoying that huge parade:
1. Go early, go early, go early to stake out a location to watch the parade.
2. Carson Street will be jam packed with thousands of parade viewers, and if you procrastinate, you will be standing in a second or third row of elbow-to-elbow people, who got there way ahead of you.
3. If you go super early, be advised that Team ReMax will be flying its hot air balloon (weather permitting), along with others, along the length of Carson Street, beginning at about 8:00 a.m.
4. A flyover of aircraft from the Fallon Naval Air Station and the Nevada Air Guard will occur at 10:00 a.m. to signal the start of the parade.
5. I would suggest finding a viewing place on the east side of the street, where the sun will be shining, in the event that the day is cold and windy.
6. Many parade viewers take folding chairs to sit on during the 2-3 hours of watching all kinds of national, state and local politicians, marching bands from everywhere, different kinds of floats, equestrian groups (AKA horses, horses and more horses), cars, clowns, frontier clad people, costumed characters, historical displays, etc.
Being seated is a comfortable way to see everything, right in front of you.
7. Last but not least, here is an important tip: Don't forget to take a camera to take all kinds of photos for your personal scrapbook or album of the parade entries and/or activities that you want to remember.
In addition to the parade, some of the other activities include:

RSVP Nevada Day Fair on October 24-27:
The 29th Retired Senior Volunteer Program (RSVP) Nevada Day Fair will be held at Mills Park with all kinds of carnival rides for adults and children on October 24-25-26-27.
For information, please call Tanni Causey at RSVP, (775) 687-4680, ext. 7.

Historical East Side Tour of Carson City on October 25:
This is a two-mile walk that begins at 10:00 a.m. from the front steps of the Nevada State Capital building. The tour includes visiting the location of the former children's home for orphans, the site of the Corbett-Fitzsimmons prize fight, the site of the former V&T railroad shops, as well as many other historic locations along the way.
For information, call Bernie Allen at 883-7264.

The Builders Association of Western Nevada Women’s Council Nevada Day Pancake Breakfast will be held Saturday at Reds Old 395 Grill, 7 to 10 a.m., 1055 South Carson Street, Carson City. Proceeds to benefit the Women’s Council Helping Hands Program.

Republican Women's Pancake Breakfast on Saturday, October 26:
Start off your Nevada Day celebration with breakfast at the Governor's Mansion, courtesy of the Carson City Republican Women's Club.
Breakfast is available before the Nevada Day parade, from 7:00 am to 9:30 a.m., and the cost remains the same as it has for the past 13 years: $6 for adults and $3 for children under 10.
Breakfast includes: pancakes, eggs, ham, orange juice and coffee.

The Governor is often available for photos, and he hands out awards to local school children as part of the event. It's not unusual to spot surprise celebrity and political guests as well at this annual Carson City tradition!
All proceeds go toward a $2,000 scholarship for two deserving students from Carson High and Dayton High.
For information, contact Mary Burgoon or Kaye Keeton: 884-3011.

Nevada Day Beard Contest on Saturday, October 26:
The contest begins immediately after the parade and will be held at the Amphitheater just south of the State Capitol Building.

It is open to anyone with a beard and there is no entry fee.
There will be plaques awarded for the longest, fullest, reddest, whitest, blackest, best salt and pepper combo, best groomed, scruffiest and the most bearded community.
For information, call (775) 882-2600.

Single Jack Drilling Contest on Saturday, October 26:
The 40th annual Nevada Day world Championship single jack drilling contest, begins at 11:05 a.m. in the Carson Nugget's west parking lot (across Carson Street from the casino).
There is an entry fee of $50 per competitor with a grand prize of $2,000.
The competitors will be trying to drill the deepest hole in a slab of granite by using4.5 pound hammers and drill bits for 10 minutes to drill a 3/4 inch hole in a huge hunk of granite.
The world record is 16.34 inches deep by Scott Havens of Elko, Nevada.
For information, call (775) 882-2600.

32nd Annual Chili Feed on Saturday, October 26:
Lt. Governor Brian Krolicki will host the annual Chili Feed at the Carson Nugget's upstairs Banquet Center, from 12:00 noon to 2:00 p.m.
The first Chili Feed was during then-Attorney General Richard Bryan's successful campaign for governor in 1982, and became a traditional get together as Bryan went on to the governor's post and then the U.S. Senate.

Lt. Governor Krolicki continues to host this event with his support. 
The Chili Feed is a great chance to meet with family, friends and say hello to the Lt. Governor, plus other state and local elected officials, and best of all, it is free. So, get there early before they run out of the chili. 
For information, please call the Lt. Governor's office at (775) 684-1921

Finally:
If none of those Nevada Day activities appeal to you, then I suggest that you spend the day in bed, pouting as a "Miserable Old Grump."
For the rest of us, let's have a happy and fun-filled Nevada Day Celebration.
See ya at the parade!

Bet Your Favorite Pigeon
Bet your favorite pigeon that he can't tell you what happens in many neighborhoods near Carson Street on the morning of the parade.
If he grins and says, the streets on the east and west sides of Carson Street from Bath Street to William Street are the staging areas for many of the entries in the parade and they are jam-packed with cars, trucks, floats, horses, etc.," he probably lives in one of those older neighborhoods.

— Don Quilici is the Outdoor editor for Carson Now. He can be reached at donquilici@hotmail.com