Nevada Day is a state holiday that celebrates Nevada’s birthday, also known as Admissions Day. It commemorates Oct. 31, 1864, when Nevada was admitted into the Union. It's been a state holiday since 1939.
Up until 2000, Nevada Day was always celebrated on October 31, the day itself. But in 1997 with the passage of AB396 by the state Legislature, it was ruled that Nevada Day would be celebrated on the last Friday in October beginning in 2000. This was a burning issue at the time, between one side that wanted to celebrate the holiday on the holiday and the other side that wanted Nevada Day not to interfere with Halloween (and wanted a state-sanctioned three-day weekend). After much heated debate, the legislators voted for the change. Public schools, state offices, and most banks are closed, though the post and other federal offices aren’t.
This year, coincidentally, Nevada Day will take place on October 31, the official date of the holiday, since October 31 falls on a Friday.
Carson City, the state capital, pulls out all the stops for Nevada Day; the celebration culminates in a huge parade, which this year will take place on November 1; the parade is always held on the Saturday following the last Friday of the month. The parade in Carson always starts promptly at 10 a.m., rain or shine.
