Three-hour Nevada Parade kicks off at 10 a.m. along Carson Street route
Submitted by Jeff Munson on Sat, 10/27/2012 - 9:08am
Sunny skies and crisp fall temperatures are in motion for the 74th annual Nevada Day Parade, which begins at 10 a.m. down Carson Street in Carson City. The three-hour four mile-long parade features hundreds of colorful floats, high-stepping equestrian units, and spirited marching bands from throughout the state. The traditional 10 a.m. flyover of military aircraft from the Fallon Naval Air Station and Nevada Air Guard will kick-off the parade.
By 9 a.m. crowds began to gather along the parade route and side streets. As tradition goes, many visitors began lining the streets Friday night, parking their RVs and campers along parade route's parking lots. Grills are sizzling with hot dogs and hamburgers, and pitchers of bloody marys are being poured.
Hot air balloons were launched earlier this morning and the annual Republican Women's Flapjack breakfast tossed hundreds of hot cakes for hungry revelers.
There's no other parade like Nevada's statehood celebration, where the best of the state's high school marching bands line up with hundreds of horses, led by boot-clad men with Old West chaps, flowing beards and a turn-of-the-century spirit. At this parade, the ladies of the Wild West are clad in garb that range from Victorian conservative to saloon risqué. Food fare around Carson City is authentically cowboy, with cast-iron pots brimming with bean, bacon, chili and stew concoctions, cornbread and plenty of beverages.
Here's a list of activities today. For more information go here and to watch it live go here.
Got whiskers? Check out the annual Nevada Day Beard Contest at the Capitol Amphitheater immediately following the parade. Winners awarded in the following categories: longest; fullest; reddest; whitest; blackest; best salt and pepper; best groomed; scruffiest; and most bearded community.
What's a Silver State celebration without a mining and drilling competition? The 35th Annual World Championship Single Jack Drilling Contest will be at the Carson Nugget parking lot, beginning at 11:05 a.m. Contestants competing for a $5,500 grand prize have ten minutes to drill holes in Sierra White Granite using pound hammers and bits of graduated steel. The contest celebrates the heritage of the Comstock mining days when blast holes for dynamite were punched into ore bodies by hand. The world record was set in 1993 at 16.34 inches deep by Scott Havens of Elko, Nev.
Nevada Lt. Gov. Brian Krolicki will host the 30th Annual Chili Feed at the Carson Nugget’s Banquet Center. This noon to 2 p.m. event is an opportunity to meet and mingle with state and local leaders. After it ends, join Krolicki on a tour of the Governor’s Mansion from 2 to 4 p.m.
The Nevada State Railroad Museum is commemorating the last run of McKeen Motor Car, No. 22 on the V&T line, which was on Nevada Day in 1945. This transport, which runs from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. will take any rider back to the days where rails ruled and the squeaky wheels were those made of steel and iron that turned on the miles of track. The historic car resembles a yacht on tracks with round porthole windows for viewing, mahogany interior and rich elegant exterior.
The Nevada Day Party continues with Antsy McClain and the Trailer Park Troubadours, 8 p.m. at the Brewery Arts Center. Tickets can be purchased at www.breweryarts.org or by contacting the Brewery Arts Center box office, (775) 883-1976.
Sunday, Oct. 28
The Capital City Community Band will open its 34th concert season with a free old-fashioned band concert at the Legislative Mall amphitheater at 3 p.m. The band will perform Sousa marches, Broadway tunes, patriotic music and even have their own musical locomotive race.
For more information on all Nevada Day events, log onto www.nevadaday.com.
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