Each October, Nevadans turn their attention to the state capitol, Carson City, home of the “official” Nevada Day Parade. Since 1938, the Nevada Day Parade in Carson City has been an annual coming together to celebrate Nevada’s heritage and the founding of this great state on October 31, 1864! Make it a weekend in Carson City with great events all weekend long!
FRIDAY EVENTS
BLINKY MAN RIDE & BAR CRAWL
Blinky Man is a costumed Bike Ride at Night, with Lights, through Carson City, NV. The most bikeable and friendliest town in Nevada! 21+ only. Check the events official Facebook Page for the details of the route and times the Friday before the parade.
V&T RAILWAY TRAIN RIDES & RAILBIKE RIDES
All weekend long join the V&T Railway and Carson Canyon Railbike Tours for special train and railbike rides including spooky 
Halloween rides! This will be the last regular rides of the season.
HISTORICAL EAST-SIDE TOUR
Join Bernie Allen on Friday, Oct. 29, 2021 at 10:00 a.m. as guides lead you on a two mile walking tour of the historical east side of Carson City. This free tour begins at the Capitol steps and continues to the location of the former children’s home, which was also the site of the 1897 Corbett Fitzsimmons heavyweight title fight. The tour also includes a visit to the site of the former V&T Railroad shops as well as many other historic locations. For more info, call 775-315-7616.
NV STATE RAILROAD MUSEUM NEVADA DAY RIDES OCT 29-30 – Free Admission
Celebrate Nevada Day with free admission to the Nevada State Railroad Museum! The Nevada State Railroad Museum will be FREE for all visitors on Friday and Saturday, October 29 and 30, from 9:00am to 4:30pm each day.
Ride a piece of Nevada heritage on Nevada Day, when the museum operates the McKeen Motor Car. The McKeen Motor Car was built in 1910 for Nevada’s very own Virginia & Truckee Railroad. Of the 152 McKeen Motor Cars constructed, the Virginia & Truckee McKeen Motor Car is the only one that is fully restored and operable.
The McKeen Motor Car will operate on Friday and Saturday, October 29 and 30 from 10:00am to 2:00pm each day. Rides last approximately 25 minutes and depart from the museum grounds. Fares are $8 for ages 12 and over; $4 for museum members and ages 4-11; and FREE for ages 3 and under. Call (775) 687-6953 for more details.
SATURDAY EVENTS IN ADDITION TO THE PARADE
32nd ANNUAL NEVADA DAY CLASSIC RUN/WALK – 8:00am
We are both excited and thankful that we are able to return this year and put on one of our signature races during the Nevada Day Weekend! This is a classic road course through the streets of west Carson City. Costumes are HIGHLY encouraged! An annual event since 1989, the Nevada Day Classic – presented by the Tahoe Mountain Milers – is an 8K run and a 2-mile run/walk through the beautiful, historic West Side of Carson City, Nevada. The races precede the Nevada Day Parade celebrating Nevada’s entry into the Union with a course finish down the main drag of Carson City with spectators lining the way. All runners of all distances will receive a custom wooden medal! The first 200 runners that register are guaranteed a t-shirt! Race will start at 8am. Registrater online. Plan to pick up your packets Friday from 1-5pm or Saturday morning at 7 am. PLEASE – NO CASH WILL BE ACCEPTED FOR REGISTRATION. ALL TRANSACTIONS THROUGH SQUARE.
The Nevada Day Classic is organized in partnership with Guide Dog for the Blind, Kaia Fit, and Lynn Mentzer Timing. All net proceeds will go to Guide Dogs For The Blind. Link for registration: https://ultrasignup.com/register.aspx?did=88055. The email for general public inquiries is: [email protected]
BALLOON LAUNCH – 8:00am
Watch the majesty of hot air balloons launching right on Carson Street near the Carson Mall beginning at 8:00 a.m. on parade day (weather permitting). 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.
NEVADA DAY CRAFT SHOW AT CARSON MALL 9am-3pm
Come and Join us out in our Parking lot for Nevada Day!!! Shop Glass, Signs, Unique Gifts!!! Vendor Kiosk spaces please click on: https://Read more on Facebook
NEVADA ARTIST ASSOCIATION: 2021 NEVADA DAY SHOW
The annual Nevada Day Show will feature member and non-member artists from Northern Nevada and California with entries in oils, water colors, pastels, acrylics, dry media, mixed media, photography, digital art, and 3D art. Gallery is open 12pm – 4pm. Located at 449 West King Street, Carson City, NV.
STEWART INDIAN SCHOOL CULTURAL CENTER & MUSEUM – SPECIAL OPENING AND DEMONSTRATIONS 1pm-5pm
The Stewart Indian School Cultural Center & Museum is opening its doors for a special Nevada Day event on Saturday, October 30, from 1 pm – 5 pm. The museum’s usual hours are Monday-Friday, from 10 am to 5 pm. Admission to the museum is free. The museum is located at 1 Jacobsen Way, Carson City, NV.
The museum is following Governor Sisolak’s directive of requiring masks, hand sanitizers, and social distancing.
In addition to opening the museum to visitors to see the exhibits, four Great Basin Native artists will be demonstrating their art for the public in the museum’s galleries. Linda Eben Jones, Paiute and Yavapai, and Stewart Class of 1965, and her sister Janice Eben Stump, Paiute, Stewart Class of 1966, will be demonstrating how to make beaded bags. Beading kits will be available for people to take for a small cash donation. All cash donations go to pay for the museum’s cultural teachers.
Loretta Burden, Toi-Ticutta (Fallon Paiute) will demonstrate basket making and cradle board making. She will have small cradle board making kits available for visitors who would like to make a small cash donation. Loretta is a member of the Great Basin Native Artists and the Great Basin Native Basket Weaver’s Association. Dale Bennett, Washoe Tribe of Nevada and California, will demonstrate her beading. We sell Dale’s exquisite beadwork in the museum’s gift shop. All four artists will have work available for sale.
48TH ANNUAL WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP SINGLE JACK DRILLING CONTEST – 11:00am
The World Championship Single Jack Rock Drilling Contest takes place on Sat., Oct. 30, 2021 in its new location: Max Casino parking lot on Carson St. The competition begins around 11:00 a.m.
Men and Women 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. To learn more visit www.NevadaDay.com.
USAF MOBILITY BAND WILL ROCK MCFADDEN PLAZA – 3:30 p.m.
Free concert. This high-energy pop and rock band of six talented musicians from the U.S. Air Force Band of the Golden West based at Travis Air Force, CA will be the highlight of the afternoon.
NEVADA DAY BEARD CONTEST – Following the Parade
Hosted by Cipriani’s Downtown Barber Shop and Paradise Salon. Held immediately following the parade, the Beard Contest takes place on the main stage at McFadden Plaza (3rd St.) There is no entry fee, the contest is open to anyone with a beard. Award categories include: best overall winner, longest, fullest, reddest, whitest, blackest, best salt and pepper, best groomed, scruffiest, and most bearded community.
HALLOWEEEN FAIRYTALE EXPRESS TRAIN – 2pm-5pm
All aboard the Halloween Fairytale Express. The Carson City Railroad Association, in partnership with Wild Horse Productions, are bringing back the Halloween train ride at Mills Park in Carson City for Nevada Day weekend.
Wild Horse Productions and their cast of actors will bring to life all your favorite Princesses and Princes with scenes from the Beauty & the Beast, The Little Mermaid, Frozen, Cinderella, Moana, The Princess and the Frog, Alice in Wonderland, and Snow White, among others. Anna and Elsa from Frozen will greet you at the station for a photo opportunity and Halloween treats!
The Halloween Fairy Tale Express will run Saturday, Oct. 30th from 2 to 5 p.m. and Sunday, Oct. 31 from 11 a.m to 3 p.m. Fun for all ages. Don’t forget to wear your costume. Tickets are available online at whproductions.ludus.com here or wildhorsetheater.com here and may be available at the station if seats are available. We sold out last year so get your tickets now!
CURRY STREET AFTER PARTY – 4:00ish
Join us on Curry Street for live music where the party continues with more drink and food options!
32nd ANNUAL NEVADA PANCAKE BREAKFAST AT THE GOVERNOR’S MANSION – 7:00a-9:30am
A Nevada Day tradition, the pancake breakfast at the Governor’s Mansion (606 N. Mountain St.) is hosted by the Carson City Republican Women’s Club and takes place from 7:00-9:30 a.m. on parade day. Cost is $7 for Adults and $4 for Kids 10 and younger. Proceeds go towards a scholarship of $2,000 to a deserving senior from Carson or Dayton High School. All are welcome and we encourage you to come and meet our Republican officials.
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! For more info visit www.ccrwclub.com or contact Patty Johnson 775-846-8480/email [email protected].
36th ANNUAL NEVADA DAY CHILI FEED
Secretary of State Barbara Cegavske and State Senator James Settelmeyer will host the annual Chili Feed in the Carson Nugget’s upstairs Banquet Center (507 North Carson St.) on parade day. Time 11am-2pm. Admission is free, so arrive early for the popular event! Enjoy free chili with all the fixins. It’s a great opportunity to meet old and new friends, plus chat with federal, state, and local leaders.
NEVADA BUILDERS FOUNDATION BREAKFAST BUFFET – 9:30am
21st Annual Nevada Builders Foundation Nevada Day Breakfast Buffet at Red’s Old 395 Grill. Saturday, Oct. 30, 20216 am to 9:30 am. Tickets are $6.00 in Advance and $10.00 at the Door. Reds is located at 1055 S. Carson St. Enjoy a full breakfast buffet of pancakes and scrambled eggs, bacon, sausages and potatoes and much more. Be sure to treat yourself to Red’s famous Bloody Mary or Mimosa they are available at the bar.
NEVADA DAY STORE & OFFICE
Features unique Nevada and Battle Born products. Nevada Day custom goods, Home Means Nevada apparel, local artists, jewelry, authors, woodworking and so much more! Located at 1013 S Carson St. (by Red’s Old 395), open Tuesday-Saturday 12 – 4 p.m. For more info visit www.NevadaDay.com, or call 775-882-2600.
SUNDAY EVENTS
HALLOWEEEN FAIRYTALE EXPRESS TRAIN – 11am-3pm
All aboard the Halloween Fairytale Express. The Carson City Railroad Association, in partnership with Wild Horse Productions, are bringing back the Halloween train ride at Mills Park in Carson City for Nevada Day weekend.
Wild Horse Productions and their cast of actors will bring to life all your favorite Princesses and Princes with scenes from the Beauty & the Beast, The Little Mermaid, Frozen, Cinderella, Moana, The Princess and the Frog, Alice in Wonderland, and Snow White, among others. Anna and Elsa from Frozen will greet you at the station for a photo opportunity and Halloween treats!
The Halloween Fairy Tale Express will run Saturday, Oct. 30th from 2 to 5 p.m. and Sunday, Oct. 31 from 11 a.m to 3 p.m. Fun for all ages. Don’t forget to wear your costume. Tickets are available online at whproductions.ludus.com here or wildhorsetheater.com here and may be available at the station if seats are available. We sold out last year so get your tickets now!
HISTORIC WEST SIDE TRICK OR TREATING
As per tradition, the Governor and the First Lady will be passing out candy to trick or treaters at the Governor’s Mansion, located at 606 Mountain St., among the spooky decorations which can be viewed at the mansion all month long!
— Trick-or-Treat in the Carson Mall
Trick or Treating in the Carson Mall, located at 1305 S. Carson Street, starts at 4 p.m. with candy and bags provided to the first 300 children.
This is a first-come, first-served event. Please enter on the East side of the mall by Joann’s through the door marked “Registration.”
