For the crew of Casino Fandango volunteers, the day began at 7:30 a.m. with 76 boxes worth of work ahead of them. Most began unpacking the more than 50,000 strings of silver beads to be dispersed into the crowd while a small but dedicated group unpacked the last box, containing the first-ever balloon entry in the Nevada Day Parade, Favio the fish.
"We have wanted to do a balloon since we opened and figured Nevada Day was a good place to bring it out for the first time," said General Manager Steve Forester.
Just two blocks down Carson Street, the employees of Mike's Pharmacy were making their own preparations - firing up the grill and hauling out the recliners despite the early morning showers that soaked the streets.
"We do this every year with our families and extended family. We can't open the pharmacy so we just make it a family day with barbecue and the parade," said owner Mike Hautenkeet.
While Hautenkeet tended to the ribs on the grill, Della Wood of Dayton found the perfect spot to set up her recliner, on the southeast corner of Carson and William streets.
"It's like watching a parade from the couch, just like at home but live," said Wood. "It's always fun and we'd be here even if it were snowing."
It was the first year for Chili Cones and More to spend the state's birthday in Carson City. The parade itself began just after 10 a.m. with a fly-over by two F-18 Hornets that served to usher on the parade's 200 entries. There were horses and cowboys, a cavalcade of clowns and every so often the air was punctuated with the sound of gunfire, something 7-year-old Richard McGifford of Dayton wasn't enjoying.
"The parade is pretty good so far," said McGifford, who said he enjoyed the big fish balloon the best.
Farther down the route by the Ormsby House, 14-year-old Cody Kiser took some good-natured ribbing from friends and family after presenting one of the ladies from the Moonlite BunnyRanch with a string of silver beads.
"I'm just here to have fun," said Kiser with an ear-to-ear grin. "My favorite float is the Cinderella float because my sister is on it."
The watchers stood and removed their hats as a riderless horse marched slowly down Carson Street, a tribute to the two Nevada National Guardsmen from the 113th Aviation Company D killed earlier this month in Iraq.
Thousands of people turned out to watch the three-and-a-half-hour parade, which included representatives from several area high schools and ROTC programs, emergency and public safety organizations, dance and theater groups and classic automobiles of every make and color.
Oh, and one classic-car-driving canine named Beauregard.
- Contact reporter Jarid Shipley at jshipley@nevadaappeal.com or 881-1217.
Parade results
Nevada Day Parade Results are listed by category, place, entry number and entry name:
Equestrian Entry
• MOUNTED GROUP UNIFORM
First, 22, Douglas County Sheriff's Mounted Posse
Second, 1, Carson City Sheriff's Dept
Third, 44, Blackjack Equestrian Drill Team, Inc.
• MOUNTED GROUP DRESS/WORKING
First, 106, Yosemite National Park and BLM Nevada Mounted Patrol
Second, 171, Reno Rodeo Association
• MOUNTED PAIR or FAMILY
First, 126, Smith Family
Second, 23, Robertson Family F Troop
• MULTIPLE HITCH
First, 33, Redd Barney Ranch
Second, 96, N2 Mules Ranch
Third, 148, Highway 50 Wagon Train Association
• SINGLE HITCH
First, 59, Buggy Buddies
• WORKING COWBOY
First, 127, Joshua Baumgartner
• WORKING COWGIRL
First, 128, Julia Ruedy
• BEST-DRESSED COWBOY
First, 129, Lane Smith
• BEST DRESSED COWGIRL
First, 86, Miss Rodeo Nevada 2005 - Kimberly Downs
Second, 48, Bretta Sue Reese
Third, 88, Miss Rodeo & Princess Winnemucca
• MOUNTED IN COSTUME
First, 137, Parading Arabians
Second, 69, National Pony Express Assoc. - Nevada Division
• BEST JUNIOR RIDER
First, 87, Proud to be a Military Kid - In support of Operation Enduring Freedom
Band and Marching Groups
• COLOR GUARD (NOT HIGH SCHOOL)
First, 161, High Desert Detachment - Color Guard
Second, 6, Nevada State Honor Guard
• NON-SCHOOL MARCHING UNIT DRILL UNIT DRUM CORPS.
First, 91, Sierra Highlanders Pipe Band
Second, 162, The Reno and District Firefighters Pipe Band
Third, 175B, Reed High School Navy JROTC - Drum Corps
• AAAA SCHOOL MARCHING BAND
First, 21A, Douglas High School Band
Second, 82A, Galena High School Band
Third, 7A, Carson City High School Blue Thunder Marching Band
• AAA SCHOOL MARCHING BAND
First, 62, Pahrump Valley High School Marching Band
• AA SCHOOL MARCHING BAND
First, 182, White Pine High School Marching Band
• MIDDLE AND ELEMENTARY MARCHING BAND
First, 41A, Home Street Middle School Band
Second, 141A, Eagle Valley Middle School Marching Band
Third, 102, Carson City Middle School Band
• SCHOOL DRILL TEAM NOT ROTC
First, 41B, Home Street Middle School Drill Team
Second, 21, Douglas High School Drill Team
Third, 182A, White Pine High School Bobkette Dance Team
• SCHOOL FLAG TEAM NOT COLOR GUARD
First, 21B, Douglas High School Flag Team
Second, 41A, Home Street Middle School Flag Team
Third, 82A, Galena High School Flag Team
• HIGH SCHOOL COLOR GUARD
First, 175, Reed High School Navy JROTC - Color Guard
Second, 173, McQueen HS Lancer Battalion JROTC - Color Guard
Third, 135, Sparks High School ROTC Color Guard
• ROTC DRILL TEAM
First, 173A, McQueen HS Lancer Battalion JROTC - Unarmed Drill Team
Second, 173D, McQueen HS Lancer Battalion JROTC - Drill Team/Marching Unit
Third, 175A, Reed High School Navy JROTC - Drill Team
Float Entry
• SERVICE CLUB
First, 75, ComputerCorps
Second, 66, Kiwanis Club - Dayton
Third, 56, Dayton Valley VFW Post 8660
• COMMERCIAL/INDUSTRIAL
First, 167, Goulet Ranch aka Dizzy Acres
Second, 31, Shotgun Wedding
Third, 166, Nevada Appeal
• RELIGIOUS
First, 30, Walker River Paiute Tribe Royalty
Second, 153, Capital Christian Center
Third, 172, The Potter's House Christian Fellowship Church
• COMMUNITY (ETHNIC/CULTURAL)
First, 98, Ron Wood Family Resource Center
Second, 43, The Ohana Band and The Tropical Moves Hula Dancers
Third, 108, Pinkerton Ballet Theatre
• YOUTH GROUP
First, 65, Girl Scout Troop 1036
Second, 60, Cub Scout Pack 341
Third, 53, Boys and Girls Club of Western Nevada
• FRATERNAL
First, 103, Kerak Shrine
Second, 139, Capitol Post 4, The American Legion
Third, 45, Vietnam Veterans of America - CC Chapter #388
• HISTORICAL
First, 92, Nevada State Railroad Museum
Second, 78, Park Rangers Then and Now
Third, 99, Bonanza and High Chaparral: A Tribute to David Dortort
Special Interest Vehicles
• ANTIQUE CAR (over 40)
First, 52, AARP Driver Safety Program
Second, 50, Nevada Office of Veterans Services/NV Vet Com
Third, 36, National Automobile Museum
• CLASSIC CAR (25 - 39)
First, 109, Silver Dollar Car Classic
Second, 151, DeBug Computer, Inc.
• SPECIAL INTEREST or MILITARY
First, 94, Men and Women for Wild Horse & Burro Freedom
Second, 57, Korean War Veterans Association
Third, 55, A World War II Memorial To Those Killed in Action
• ANTIQUE EQUIPMENT
First, 111, Nevada State Firemen's Museum
Second, 112, Firematics of Northern Nevada
Third, 147, John Sutton
Other Entries
• COMIC ENTRY
First, 97, Wild Ass Women
Second, 136, Sparkie The Clown
• NOVELTY ENTRY
First, 125, Burning Man
Second, 160, Red Hat Society - N Valley's Classy & Sassy Bear Ladies
Third, 77, Comstock Living Legends
Other awards
Parade Judges Award: 125, Burning Man
Band Judges Award: 21A, Douglas High School Band
Horse Judges Award: 33, Redd Barney Ranch
Parade Chair Award: 153, Capital Christian Center
Governor's Award: 87, Proud to be a Military Kid - In support of Operation Enduring Freedom
Mayor's Award: 27, Casino Fandango
Sade Grant Historical: 78, Park Rangers Then and Now
Multiple Hitch w/wagon: 68, US Forest Service Pack String
Individual Costume: 138, Soraya Cleveland
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