Flying fish and car-driving dogs featured in 141st Nevada Day Parade

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