The state of Nevada marked 150 years of statehood on Oct. 31. Sesquicentennial events were held throughout the state during the past year, culminating with the annual Nevada Day Parade in Carson City on Nov. 1.
Saturday's weather forecast predicted rain, but that didn't dampen the spirit of the crowd gathered along Carson Street as the parade began. A large contingent of law enforcement vehicles, color guard and a bagpiper led the stream of entries. Close behind was a vintage car carrying Grand Marshal Kay Winters. Winters has lived in Nevada 73 years, serving on various community boards and working with nonprofit groups. She and her late husband, John, donated the land which is now the Carson City High School campus and Centennial Park.
The Nevada Day website claims that the state has the largest statehood celebration in the nation. The parade alone probably qualifies for the longest in the U.S., with 200 entries taking four hours to cover the first four blocks of the parade route. That's more time than the Macy's Thanksgiving Parade or the Rose Parade on New Year's Day!
Elected officials and candidates played a prominent role in the parade. Sen. Dean Heller rode a horse along the parade route, while Congressman Mark Amodei walked with a large shovel and pulled along a garbage can - apparently symbolic of the job he feels he's doing in Washington, D.C.
A number of entries provided information about Nevada's history. Dayton Valley's float informed the crowd that the Dayton area was the site of the first discovery of gold in Nevada territory and also had the first settlement. Another float celebrated the granting of voting rights to Nevada women 100 years ago.
Other parade entries were pure fun. Several art cars from the Burning Man festival cruised down Carson Street, some of them shooting flames into the air. And an old codger calling himself Stinky is a perennial fixture in the parade, walking along with his burro - both of them dressed in red flannel long-johns.
Humboldt County's entry featured "the many layers of Humboldt County," including Civil War re-enactors, hunters, Basque and Mexican dancers, a student in a Lowry High lettermen's jacket, and bags of potatoes.
Halfway through the parade, the sun came out and chased the clouds away, adding to the festive mood at Nevada's birthday party.
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