The History of Nevada Day and its Parade
This story is featured in the official Nevada Day Program, which can be found for free along the parade route this Saturday. Grab your copy for the parade line up, information about events, stories, and more!
The Nevada Day Parade is our state's oldest and most historical event, and with the exception of Hawaii and West Virginia, Nevada hosts the only admission day activity of its kind in the country.
The first noted observation of Nevada’s admission to the Union on Oct. 31, 1864, appears to have been initiated by the Pacific Coast Pioneer Society in the 1870’s.
Journalist Alfred Dolten of the Gold Hill News wrote about a “grand celebration” in his diaries. The Pioneer Society held a luxurious banquet in 1889 on Oct. 31 in honor of Nevada’s 25th Anniversary.
Then in 1891 Governor Roswell Colcord signed a bill introduced by Senator Edward Boyle of Virginia City making Oct. 31 a judicial holiday. No court was to be transacted on this “admission day,” and both Virginia City and Reno had various festivities and parades; however, other towns in the state failed to recognize Nevada’s Birthday. Between then and 1914 few, if any, communities were recorded having held any kind of observance of Admission Day.
Admission Day was still not an official state holiday; only the courts closed for business on Oct. 31. Then in 1908, the recently organized State Federation of Women’s Clubs in Reno passed a resolution calling for a legislative bill to make it a legal holiday. Sadly, nothing resulted from their initiative.
Finally, in 1933 the State Legislature passed a bill, introduced by Senator Ira L. Winters of Carson City designating Oct. 31 as “Nevada Day” as well as a discretionary holiday. Parades and pageants commemorating Nevada’s history along with the usual gatherings of pioneers were among the festivities.
While the Nevada Day Parade and other events were held in Reno on Sunday, Oct. 31, 1937, it appeared the traditional celebration was starting to dwindle due to lack of support and economic viability.
In response, Thomas C. Wilson and Judge Clark Guild stepped up to the plate and in 1938 with the assistance of the Carson City Rotary, Lions Club, and 20-30 Club, moved “Admissions Day” as it was also known as to Carson City.
A year after that, in 1939, a bill sponsored by Assemblyman Peter A. Amodei of Ormsby County designated Nevada Day as an official holiday.
As the saying goes, the rest is history.
The Nevada Day Celebration has been held continuously in the capitol city ever since, except for a break of 3 years during WWII. Nevada Day became the biggest celebration in the state, and as the millennium approached, voters went back to the polls when a bill was introduced to have the holiday of Nevada Day fall each year on the last Friday in October, guaranteeing a three-day weekend.
The bill passed making it official: Nevada Day will not always take place on Oct. 31.
Enjoy today, the 83rd Annual Nevada Day Parade, and the 157th Nevada Day!
Visit the Nevada Day website here for information about this week's activities, events and more.