State capital busy with Nevada Day

Thursday, Oct. 26, 2000 | 10:48 a.m.

CARSON CITY -- Nevada celebrates its 136th birthday this weekend with the festivities centered in Carson City with a giant parade, parties and a tribute to Sen. Richard Bryan, D-Nev., who is retiring at the end of the year.

Bryan will be grand marshal of the 210-entry parade Saturday.

"This will be his (Bryan's) last hurrah," Joe DiLonardo, chairman of the parade, said.

After the parade Bryan will host his 19th annual chili feed, which includes free food for the thousands who attend. His supporters serve free chili at a local casino while a band entertains.

Fair weather is predicted and heavy crowds are expected to jam the main street for the celebration.

Nevada's traditional birthday is Oct. 31, but the 1999 Legislature changed the celebration to the last weekend in the month to allow for a three-day weekend. Friday is an official holiday with schools, banks and government offices closed.

The change was made because attendance was down when Oct. 31 fell in mid-week.

Three F-18s from the Fallon Naval Air Station will buzz Carson's main street Saturday morning to kick off the parade. DiLonardo said one of the highlights will be a 40-foot float that depicts the Las Vegas Strip.

"It shows all the hotels and has 15,000 lights on it," he said. The state Tourism Commission allocated $5,000 so the float could be hauled to Carson City and back.

For the first time, a fireworks display is planned in the evening after the parade.

Gov. Kenny Guinn will hold open house at the Governor's Mansion from 1 p.m. to 3 p.m. on Saturday.

The celebration kicks off tonight with the traditional 1864 Ball, and Carson High School will play its traditional rival, Douglas High School.

On Saturday, the Nevada Day Classic 8K run, the annual world championship single jack rock drilling contest, a beard judging contest, concerts, dances, art exhibits and cowboy poetry

Handcar races at the Nevada State Railroad Museum will be the featured event on Sunday.