Lev Lazinskiy

Capitol Complex and Nevada Day Parade

I intentionally visited Carson City during the Nevada Day festivities because I felt like I could really get a sense of the people and culture of Nevada that way. Nevadans are very serious about Nevada Day. The day commemorates Nevada’s admission to statehood on October 31, 1864. The Parade is the main attraction, but there are also a ton of other events in and around town to celebrate.

I woke up bright and early at 7AM to see the hot air ballon launch. I have never seen one up close, and they are truly marvelous. Unfortunately, due to poor weather conditions they ended up not launching any of them. However, watching a hot air ballon deflate is a pretty interesting sight in itself.

Since I had a few hours to kill I explored the downtown area visiting the State Capitol complex, the Governor’s Mansion and even got free admission to the Nevada State Museum. The Capitol itself is pretty small. It is also nearly impossible to get a proper photograph of it due to the huge trees lining the grounds on all sides. Other than the Capitol and the Governor’s Mansion, most of the other government buildings are pretty dull and common.

Despite the poor weather, people came out in droves and lined North Carson St to prepare for the parade. The parade lasts for hours, I stayed for a significant part of it. I loved hearing the marching bands, it brought back some great memories from my youth. I got some decent photos and a couple of clips that I merged together to make this film.

2016 Nevada Day Parade from Lev Lazinskiy on Vimeo.

It was great to experience the festivities of this day with the local people. If this blog has inspired you to visit Carson City, I believe that going during Nevada Day weekend is your best bet.