Carson Valley Days Parade Saturday

Staff Reports

Anyone planning to attend the Carson Valley Days Parade or who needs to use Main Street through Gardnerville and Minden had better be where they want to be by 8 a.m. when the highway closes for the annual celebration.

County Road and Douglas Avenue will also be temporarily closed for the parade, which lines up along County Road Saturday morning. Registration for the parade starts at 7 a.m. at Douglas High School. The parade starts at 9 a.m.

The parade begins in Minden at County Road and Sixth Street and then continues south on Esmeralda Avenue until it meets Highway 395. It continues down the highway to Waterloo Lane where it ends at Lampe Park.

The weather will be clear and cool for the parade, according to the National Weather Service. The temperature at 8 a.m. is predicted to be 58 degrees, increasing to the high of 81 degrees at about 2 p.m.

Sgt. Tom Mezzetta of the Douglas County Sheriff's Office said officers will be diverting southbound traffic at Buckeye Road.

"North and southbound highway traffic will be diverted around the parade route via Orchard Road," he said. "Motorists finding themselves on the west side of Highway 395 within the road closure area are asked to use State Route 756 to Waterloo Lane to State Route 88 to access northbound U.S. 395."

Mezzetta said drivers who find themselves on the west side of Highway 395 during the parade should take Gilman Avenue to Waterloo and then north on Highway 88.

"Motorist wishing to travel south on Highway 395 should travel south on Highway 756 to Dresslerville Road, then east to Riverview Drive to Highway 395," Mezzetta said.

Deputies will be out in force this weekend for the Carson Valley Days celebration.

Glass and metal containers are banned from any street or open area inside the town of Gardnerville between 5 p.m. Friday and 5 a.m. Saturday. People can have bottles, cans and glasses inside restaurants until 9 p.m. Friday. Downtown Gardnerville businesses plan to stop selling alcohol between 1 and 3 a.m. Saturday.

Mezzetta said the more common violations include disturbing the peace, provoking others to disturb the peace, disorderly conduct and possession of fireworks.

"The sheriff's office will be aggressively enforcing the laws so as to maintain order and civility," Mezzetta said. "We wish everyone a safe and happy Carson Valley Day celebration and remind those who consume alcoholic beverages, to please not drink and drive."