What is Nevada Day?

Happy Nevada Day everyone!

So… now that I said it, I know what’s happening in your head, right now. Some of you are saying “Thank you” and enjoying yourselves (responsibly). Others, and probably most of you, are saying “What is Nevada Day?” As someone late to the game, I’m here to give a brief history.

Nevada Day is an official STATE Holiday celebrating the statehood of the Silver State. The technical day for Nevada Day is Halloween, October 31st, but it is often celebrated as the LAST Friday in October. 2020 actually marks the 156th anniversary of our statehood, and it has been an official Holiday since 1933!

While a State Holiday, Nevada Day has the biggest following in the Capital in Carson City, where, trust me, it’s a BIG BIG thing.

Sydney grew up in Carson City, and grew up with the tradition. When we first started dating, she would talk about Nevada Day like a mythical creature. Not knowing what to expect, I went into it with an open mind… and boy was I still not expecting what it meant. For those of you that went to big colleges… imagine Homecoming weekend, but for an entire city! People up early. Scheduled and invited Breakfasts outside. Kegs and other adult beverages EVERYWHERE. A parade route of over 2 miles lined person to person with chairs, often setup days before the event. Everything closed. Everyone celebrating. The parade itself can take up to 3 hours (or more).

But Nevada Day goes beyond that, and the party often ‘starts’ when the parade ends. The Governor’s Mansion is open for tours, and candy is handed out for the kids (not this year of course). Live music is played at seemingly every major intersection, because most traffic near the capital is shut down. There’s even a beard contest!

Nevada Day is going to be different this year. While there is no official parade, you can guarantee that some (read, MANY) are still out celebrating. Since 2012 when we moved down to Las Vegas, we’ve only missed 2 years not going up. This will be the third. It’s been tough for Sydney, but considering everything going on, and of course, with her 5.5 months pregnant, we’ll have to focus our Nevada Day celebration at home, planning for an even more fun, more festive, Nevada Day 2021.

While we’ll be missing the unofficial festivities this year, rest assured, we’ll be celebrating. Because we are proud to be Nevadans. I was born in California; Sydney in Utah. So while we are Nevadans, our KIDS are all first generation Nevadans, and we want to instill some of the things we grew up enjoying.

So, Nevada Day, now you know (if you didn’t before), is more than just a school and local bank holiday. It means something to so many Nevadans. For those of you that have never experienced a Nevada Day in Carson City, trust me, you’re missing out…

Some Pics from Last Years Celebration!