Happy birthday Nevada: How, when and where to celebrate Nevada Day 2016 events

Nevada is one of the few states that celebrate its Admission Day, and boy do we throw a party. A parade, competitions of strength and facial hair, hot air balloons, bloody marys, a carnival, pow wow, and free chili are just a few of the festivities awaiting the capital city on Saturday.

The party begins Friday this year with a ribbon cutting celebration of the 'new' downtown. The Nevada State Museum hits its 75th Anniversary this year and will have a day full of fun and surprises. Keep reading to see where you need to take advantage of all the best this holiday weekend has to offer.

VARIED DAYS: FRIDAY-SUNDAY
NEVADA MUSEUM AND RAILROAD MUSEUM
Free Admission to both Museums on Friday and Saturday

In recognition of the 75th anniversary of the Nevada State Museum, the public is invited to attend a day of honor filled with special events, Friday, from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. To honor the anniversary, the historic Coin Press No. 1 will strike special medallions, some made of Nevada silver, on sale along with T-shirts in the museum store.

Other activities include a ceremonious cutting of a cake designed and prepared by Carson High School’s culinary students and behind the scenes tours to give a peek at the enormous museum collection not normally on display. Raffles throughout the day, special guest McAvoy Layne as Mark Twain, Boy and Girl Scout guides and fun activities for families and children.

At the Railroad Museum, ride the historic McKeen Motor Car 9:00 a.m. - 4:30 p.m. Train rides are $8 for ages 12 and up, $4 for children 4 to 11; 3 and under free.

65TH ANNUAL NEVADA DAY ART EXHIBITION
10:00 am - 4:00 pm, at the Nevada Artists Association Gallery at Carson City's Brewery Arts Center. The Gallery is open Tuesday through Sunday. This is a judged show that was opened to all Nevada and California artists.

DOWNTOWN GRAND OPENING
A ribbon-cutting ceremony for the project’s much-anticipated completion, which encompassed several blocks of Carson City’s downtown core between William and Fifth streets, is scheduled for noon on Friday, Oct. 28, in front of the state capitol building.

That event will be followed by a street party hosted by the Downtown Business Association (DBA) from noon to 7 p.m. and be on Carson St. from Fifth St to William St. with live music, food, drinks, arts, bike games and more. This is a FREE event where everyone is encouraged to walk the downtown, visit the shops, meet the shop owners and be entered to win some great prizes like Beach Cruisers, jewelry, sports gear, golf packages, unique art and more.

RSVP NEVADA DAY CARNIVAL, MILLS PARK
The event opens at noon Friday, Saturday and Sunday, Oct. 28-30 with weekend activities to include carnival rides, Karaoke, DJ and live music, as well as food and vendors.

Featured on Saturday will be the “Day of Service” event from 1 p.m. until 5 p.m., which gives recognition to community agencies that provide service and assistance to those in need. Capping Saturday’s events will be a roller derby double-header by the Carson City Victory Rollers, who will compete at the Marv Teixeira Pavilion on the east end of Mills Park. Doors for the competition open at 3:30 p.m. The junior bout begins at 4 p.m. and the adult bout starts at 6 p.m.

Wristbands for all-day unlimited rides cost $30. Visit the RSVP booth at Mills Park for a $5 off coupon during the fair and carnival.

27TH ANNUAL NEVADA DAY CLASSIC RUN/WALK PACKET PICK-UP
Packet Pickup is inside the Carson Mall on Friday, Oct. 28 from 4:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. We'll have food, drink and a guest speaker! Registration is $40; there will be NO race day registration.

35th ANNUAL LA KA LEL BE POW WOW
The annual PowWow is held in the Carson Colony Gym at 2900 S. Curry St. Friday – Sunday. Opening night runs 7 p.m. – 11 p.m., Saturday from 2 p.m. – midnight, and Sunday 1 p.m. – 6 p.m.

The second session will be Saturday following the parade with a horseshoe tournament and pow wow events beginning at 2 p.m. Sign-ups for the tournament are 12 p.m. until 1:45 p.m. and there will be no late registrations. There will be a dinner break at 5 p.m. This wonderful potluck dinner is open for food donations. Some of the best regional dishes can be found during the potluck. Donors are asked make their food available by 5 p.m. The pow wow with traditional dance continues at 7 p.m.

The powwow is a celebration of song and dance, as well as the traditional gambling hand game and a horseshoe tournament. Guests can dance Native American style during intertribal songs.

Admission is free; $20 fee to enter the horseshoe competition.

SATURDAY ONLY
PANCAKE BREAKFAST, CARSON LODGE FREE & ACCEPTED MASONS
6 a.m. Breakfast will take place in the dining hall at Carson Lodge #1, 113 E Washington St (at the corner of Carson and Washington) in the historic V&T Railroad depot starting from 6:00 a.m. until 11 a.m. - the cost in only $5

RED’S OLD 395 $6 BUFFET BREAKFAST
6 a.m. Nevada Builders Alliance Nevada Day Breakfast takes place 6 a.m. – 10 a.m. at Red’s Old 395 Grill (1055 S. Carson St.) Buffet of pancakes, scrambled eggs, bacon, sausage, potatoes, coffee, orange juice and hot cocoa. Red’s famous Bloody Marys available at bar. For more info, call 775-887-0395.

PANCAKE BREAKFAST AT GOVERNOR’S MANSION
7 a.m. A Nevada Day tradition, the pancake breakfast at the Governor’s Mansion (606 Mountain St.) is hosted by the Carson City Republican Women’s Club and takes place from 7:00 a.m. - 9:30 a.m. Cost is $6 for Adults and $3 for Kids 10 and younger. Proceeds go towards scholarships of $1,000 each to two deserving seniors from Carson and Dayton High Schools.

Breakfast includes: pancakes, eggs, ham, orange juice and coffee. The Governor is often available for photos. You might even spot surprise celebrities and famous political guests at this annual Carson City tradition!

27TH ANNUAL NEVADA DAY CLASSIC RUN/WALK
8 a.m. More than 400 runners and walkers, many dressed in festive attire, hit the streets of Carson City for the annual Nevada Day Classic 8K Run, 2 Mile Run, and 2 Mile. Costumes are encouraged - and the best are rewarded!
There will be no race day registration. Packet Pick-up and late registration ($40) will occur Friday at the Carson Mall from 4 p.m. until 8 p.m. You may also pick up your packet on Saturday, 6:30 a.m. – 7:30 a.m., on the second floor of the Carson Nugget.

The race starts at 8:00am on the corner of Telegraph and Curry Streets, also known as Telegraph Square, and makes it way through the city’s beautiful historic district. The first 500 registered participants are guaranteed an event T-shirt. Any extra event T-shirts will be available for $15 after the race starts. Post-race Activities include food and a raffle on the second floor of the Carson Nugget Casino.

The event, organized by the Tahoe Mountain Milers running club and its members in cooperation with many sponsors, has supported many community organizations over the years. This year’s event benefits Guide Dogs for the Blind.
More info at www.nevadadayclassic.org or contact Steve Lang at 775-720-7704.

RE/MAX NEVADA DAY BALLOON LAUNCH
8 a.m. Watch the majesty of hot air balloons launching right on Carson Street near the Carson Mall beginning at 8:00 a.m. if weather permits.

Some balloons take off right on Hwy 395, near Stewart Street, others take off from a nearby field. The balloons fly for about an hour and are usually down before the parade even starts. The launch operates under the assistance of the Great Reno Balloon Race. Team RE/MAX flies their signature hot air balloon, along with many other balloons.

Sponsors can ride in a balloon and hang their banner from the balloon’s basket. To sign up as a sponsor or learn more, call Stephen Lincoln: 775-885-2200.

NEVADA DAY PARADE: Nevada Then And Now
At 10:00 a.m. a military fly over signals the start of the 77th Nevada Day Parade, which begins at William Street and N. Carson Street, and ends around 3-4 hours later at the intersection of Stewart St. and S. Carson St., just past the Carson Mall. The parade features marching bands, floats, equestrian groups, political candidates, historical displays, burning man art cars, and so much more.

NORTHERN NEVADA FALL FEST
9 a.m. - 4 p.m. in the Max Casino Parking Lot. Northern Nevada HotSpot will have vendors for shopping, a kids zone, face painting, ponies, petting zoo, photo booth for a pic with the ponies, kids Halloween craft booth, a selfie photo booth, raffles, giveaways, and swag bags. It will also be a collection site for canned food and necessities for those in need. The Max Casino will have food and cocktails for sale as well.

42ND ANNUAL WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP SINGLE JACK DRILLING CONTEST
11 a.m. New Location: The World Championship Single Jack Rock Drilling Contest will be held in the parking lot of the old Citi Bank building located at 308 N. Curry Street just south of Telegraph Square.

The competition begins around 11:00 a.m. Contestants use 4 1/2 pound hammers and a 3/4” bit of steel to drill as deep and as fast as they can in a 4,320 pound piece of Sierra White Granite from the Yosemite area (the hardest known granite in the region). Contestants have 10 minutes to pound the drills into the solid stone, their only help is from an assistant who runs water into the hole so the loose stone chips are splashed out with every stroke of the hammer. The deepest hole wins.

The contest goes back to the Comstock mining skills of earlier times, when blast holes for dynamite were punched into ore bodies by hand. Contestants vie for a chance at a World Champion title, plus a total purse of up to $6,000. The champion receives $2,000, with lower amounts awarded down the line from there.

ANNUAL CHILI FEED AT CARSON NUGGET FEATURING SEN. DEAN HELLER
12 p.m. to 2 p.m. U.S. Senator Dean Heller will host the annual Chili Feed at the Carson Nugget’s upstairs Banquet Center (507 N. Carson St.) Admission is free so arrive early for the popular event! Enjoy free chili with all the fixins. It’s a great opportunity meet old and new friends, plus chat with federal, state, and local leaders. More info available at events.NevadaDay.com, or contact Senator Heller’s office at (775) 686-5770.

NEVADA DAY BEARD CONTEST – NEW LOCATION
2 p.m. Held immediately following the parade, this year the Beard Contest will take place in downtown’s new McFadden Plaza at Third and Curry Streets.
There is no entry fee, the contest is open to anyone with a beard, and admission is free to spectators. Award categories include: best overall winner, longest, fullest, reddest, whitest, blackest, best salt and pepper, best groomed, scruffiest, and most bearded community. This year’s judges are

GOVERNOR’S MANSION TOURS
2 p.m. Tours of the Governor’s Mansion (606 N. Mountain St.), take place after the parade from 2 p.m. – 4 p.m. Tour the upstairs and downstairs of the home where Nevada’s Governors and their families have lived since 1909 – the current home to Nevada Governor Brian Sandoval and his family. For more info call 775-687-3000.

NEVADA DAY FREE CONCERT
2 p.m. The Capital City Community Band opens its 39th concert season with a free concert 'Tribute to Nevada's Birthday' following the parade at the Amphitheater in the Legislative Mall (weather permitting.)
The concert is FREE to the public and will run approximately from 2 p.m. until 3 p.m. Parents are encouraged to bring their children. Bring a lawn chair or blanket to sit on. For more info call Richard Doede at 775-883-2219.

TELEGRAPH SQUARE BLOCK PARTY
3 p.m. Join old and new friends and dance to the music of “The Trippin King Snakes” from 3 p.m. - 6 p.m. in Telegraph Square (corner of Telegraph and Curry Streets), sponsored by the Westside Pour House. Enjoy free live music, plus visit food and drink vendors and nearby businesses.