The 20th annual Dayton Valley Days theme was "Old Places and New Faces" and there were plenty of both on hand Saturday.
The parade started a little late, but was well attended as it featured the Minor family as grand marshals and lots of small-town floats, the local high school band and tons of classic cars that also participated in the Gold Creek Classic Car Show all day.
The event also featured some zany games for kids, including noodle-sucking, and watermelon spitting; and some zany entertainment, like Wild Will Strickland from Virginia City, performing at the event for the first time.
At Chuck's Old West Grill, the old Odeon Hall, Ricky D played guitar licks and later in the evening the Lincoln Highway Band.
There were square dance demonstrations, a bounce house and dunk tank, and pony rides for the kids.
Sue Staggs of Dayton brought her five children, Robert, 5, Joseph, 7, Christopher, 3, Erin, 10, and Allanah, 13, to the street fair, adding it is one of the most affordable things to do with a family.
"We do a lot of these, and go to the lake and to parks," she said.
Her son, Robert, sitting on a buckskin pony owned by Ponies of Brockfield in Carson City, was happy she decided to come.
"This is great," he exclaimed as he waved his cowboy hat, buckaroo style.
The ponies weren't the only horses, as one church brought a miniature horse children could pet, and the Wild Horse Preservation League had a wild horse up for adoption near their booth.
Shirley Allen, of the Lucky Horse Rescue Corral, said Natalie, a 2-year-old bay mare, attracted a lot of attention, but no prospective owners.
"Lots of people talking, but no one can afford her," she said. "Same old story."
Vendors were abundant, with more than 180 booths, most reporting good sales.
E.D. Couser, of Dayton, brought clay figurines and hand-made jewelry to the fair.
She's been creating the items, which include Christmas and Halloween figures, as well as roses with a tiny diamond in each one, part of the collection she has been creating for two years, selling at events like this and on consignment at Dayton Valley Nursery.
She also has pearl and jade jewelry, film cells from actual movies and gemstones.
"It just happened to be a hobby of mine since I was in high school," she said.
Other vendors included professional services such as Realtors, accountants, insurance agents, satellite dish or water purifier salesmen, mortgage services and a builder, bucking the trend against new housing.
Nonprofits were on hand as Central Lyon County Youth Connections participated along with Stand Tall Don't Fall anti-drug group by having high school students' outlines drawn in chalk on the ground and putting down signs indicating the number of young people who die from tobacco, drugs or alcohol.
Dr. Danny Larson of the Dayton Riverside Veterinary Hospital had a booth for an effort to raise funds for a no-kill shelter in Dayton, a project of his wife, Debbie.
He said they had grants to purchase land and were looking for a 10-acre spot for the shelter, which is to house cats, dogs and horses.
"We'd like to have it in or near Dayton, but it will be a regional facility," he said.
Democratic and Republican party booths were at the fair, with buttons of Sarah Palin selling out at the GOP booth by noon.
Finally, government got in on the fun too, with Lyon County Utilities and the Nevada Department of Environmental Protection offering advice on how to conserve water, and prevent pollution and contamination.
More games and music are coming up today, which features a pet parade, and children's games including an egg toss, finger painting with ice cream and frosting, and a stick horse riding contest.
Those will join the many vendors, silent auction and live music from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. at Pike and Main Streets in Dayton.
• Contact reporter Karen Woodmansee at kwoodmansee@nevadaappeal.com or call 881-7351.
Dayton Valley Days Parade Winners
Best Float: Kiwanis of Dayton Valley
Best Car: Richard Tieben of Carson City and the Korean War Veterans Association in his 1940s-era Willys Jeep
Best truck: Mike Zacharias' Zach's Lucky Spur Saloon in Kinsgston
Best tractor: Chris Christensen of Dayton in a 1949 Farmall tractor
Best musical: Dayton High School Band
Best horse-drawn carriage - Jerry Myers and the Stagecoach Percherons
Best Mounted Horse: Brian Colonna of Reno on representing the 26th Calvary in World War I
Best Rescue: Central Lyon County Fire DIstrict for a 1952 Kenworth fire truck
Gold Canyon Classic Car Show winners
Best in Show: A 1942 Ford owned by Duncan Lee of Dayton
People's Choice: A 1931 Model A Ford owned by Carl and Heather Kurashwich of Dayton
Best Daily Driver: A 1937 Ford owned by Ray Hogland of Sparks
Best Under Construction: A 1929 2-door Model A Ford owned by Charles Tshumperlin
Best Stock: A 1953 Packard owned by Richard and Judy Mirk of Minden
Best Sports Car: A 1955 Ford T-bird owned by Scotty McGowan of Pollock Pines, Calif.
Best Muscle Car: A 1968 Chevy owned by Nancy Jolly of Dayton
Best Street Rod: A 1931 Ford owned by Art Winston of Carson City
Best Truck: A 1939 International owned by Jack Ezell of Dayton
Longest Traveled: A 1955 Ford T-bird owned by Scotty McGowan of Pollock Pines, Calif.