Gearing up for Carson Valley Days

Members of the Carson Valley Active 20-30 Club are memorializing Capt. Mike Biaggini by naming him citizen of the year for the 2010 Carson Valley Days.

"We wanted to pick someone who was relevant to us today," club member Dylan Zigenis said.

Biaggini, a 28-year member of the Douglas County Sheriff's Office and captain of the honor guard, died Feb. 17 of cancer. He was 55.

Club members are also naming Minden founder and early 20th century impresario H.F. Dangberg Jr. citizen of the century.

"We chose Dangberg because we wanted to thank him for starting the thing," Zigenis said.

The centennial of the first Carson Valley Days is technically Friday, a century since the first event June 11, 1910, and this year's celebration will be well under way by that time.

The Carson Valley Days carnival opens today for disabled children. Anyone interested should contact Ryan Stoffer at 671-0220.

The carnival opens to the public 5 p.m. Thursday at Lampe Park with buddy night. Discount tickets onsale now at Raley's and Nevada State Bank and are effective starting 3 p.m. Friday.

Festivities on Friday night at the park will include a first-come, first-serve barbecue along with live music by the Rock Bottom Band playing from 7-11 p.m.

The evening will culminate in fireworks for the first time in recent memory at 10 p.m.

Jeremy Davidson said fireworks will be launched from Herbig Park and should be visible from around the Valley.

"It'll be a great show with a finale," he said. "We're really fortunate that the county has supported this idea of having the fireworks, if it wasn't for them we wouldn't have them. It's that simple."

Saturday will kick off early with 6:45 a.m. registration for the 5k and 10K Carson Valley Days Walk, Jog, Run starting at the Douglas County Senior Center, with the 5K run starting at 7:45 a.m.

Balloons will take off at 7 a.m. from Carson Valley Middle School. The Douglas County Sheriff's Office and Nevada Highway Patrol will close Highway 395 at about the same time.

Raffle tickets will be on sale throughout the weekend, with dinners, Reno Aces tickets and other prizes being given away.

The parade starts 9 a.m. Saturday at Minden Park and marches up Esmeralda Street then turns south onto Highway 395 to Waterloo Lane. Davidson said the reviewing stand will be next to Sharkey's, where a Web cast and a live remote will track the parade's progress. The Web cast will be at www.carsonvalley2030.org.

The parade wraps up at Lampe Park, where kids games, the carnival, and food booths will be waiting.

Freestyle motocross riders and X Games medalists will be performing at a free show at Lampe Park following the parade.

Two-time X games medalist Dustin Miller, two-time X games medalist Mike Mason, 2007 X games Gold medalist Adam Jones, LivFast productions rider Tim O'brien, and IFMA event winners Kenny Bell, and Derek Burlew will be riding at 1 and 2:30 p.m. Saturday. Proceeds from the sale of T-shirts, DVDs, a silent auction and donations will go to support Valley children.

Live music on Saturday afternoon will include Rick Hays and American Steel playing from 2-6 p.m. and SuperFreaks playing from 7-11 p.m.