Nevada Day Parade

October 31 is Nevada Day and every other year or so we have a float in the parade. This year the theme was Nevada--Then and Now. I missed a lot of float building and meetings because days off and other activities but I still got to be in the parade! The float turned out pretty awesome. Our mechanic, Kevin, built a giant ranger hat to top the truck, and a mouth like Mater from Cars to go on the front. It even had eyes!

People walking by had to stop and pose with the truck. I think it looked great!

The siding is a timeline of when each state park was designated as a state park. Thanks to our passport program, each park has its own individual stamp, so the stamp designs were used to represent each park along with its date.

Also on the float were camping scenes. This is the "then" side with an old canvas tent, wooden canoe, and Dutch oven over a campfire.

When I upload my pictures, I will add one of me all dressed up for the parade, complete with ranger hat (matching the truck's hat), and a tie!

My job this year was to walk alongside the float and hand out candy, free day passes, and dog-tag necklaces with the Nevada State Parks logo. I was trying to hand the items to the kids and adults when it would have been faster and much easier to throw them at their feet or "sprinkle" them over their heads like my co-workers were doing! Two years ago I was on the float, standing and waving, and it felt like the parade took forever. This year because I was walking and focused on the people, it went by a lot faster! I was sore from the speed walking the next day but during the parade, I really didn't notice how much or how fast I was really walking!

My husband even made it in the parade, on the float as a fisherman dressed in old-fashioned fishing gear, and keeping an eye on the three little girls sitting in the canoe!

We got great comments and reviews of the float, but I haven't heard whether we placed or not. I heard that our floats usually get 1st or 2nd place...so we'll see!