Fireworks, parade make annual event memorable

Most people would agree that the world has changed dramatically over the last century. Older residents remember the Great Depression and World War II. Younger residents recall the morning of Sept. 11, 2001.

But in the cradle of mountains that is Carson Valley, one thing hasn't changed in a century. Since the inaugural Carson Valley Day in 1910, residents still come together at the start of summer to celebrate the Valley's shared way of life.

While the Carson Valley Active 20-30 Club spearheads the event months in advance, the entire community pitches in for what has grown into a four-day revelry.

"I think it's awesome," said Chichester resident Joyce Wensmann. "It's great that we can keep a tradition like Carson Valley Days going for this long."

Early Saturday morning, before the parade, Wensmann was walking around Martin Slough, keeping her eyes on the sky for hot air balloons. At the time, she didn't know that the balloon launch had been canceled due to high winds. That didn't stop her, though, from enjoying the cool morning breeze and the sights and sounds of downtown Gardnerville gradually waking up from a night of festivities.

"The entire spirit of giving, of keeping something like this alive - that's what drew us to the area in the first place," Wensmann said.

She also said she was able to see Friday night's fireworks display from her house.

"I just walked out the door and saw them," she said. "It was a cool thing, a neat feeling."

The Active 20-30 Club reported Saturday that the fireworks show drew large crowds at Lampe and Herbig parks. Attendance wasn't hurt by a free barbecue earlier in the evening during which more than 600 meals were served.

On Saturday, Douglas County Search and Rescue volunteers Jim Nicklos and Jason Zona were helping control traffic on Gilman Avenue in preparation for the parade.

"This is a good tradition," Zona said. "It gets people out."

Zona's wife Paula is the principal of Meneley Elementary School in the Gardnerville Ranchos. He said they moved to the Valley about three years ago from Las Vegas.

"This is one of the reasons we moved up here," Zona said, "because of the small town feel and the way people know each other around here."

Laurie Hennessy knows exactly what Zona means. She's lived in Minden for 29 years and hasn't missed a parade. This time around, she joined her friends from the Valley Cruisers Car Club, Tana and John Damann, in comfortable seats across from Sharkey's Casino.

"I decided just to watch this year," Hennessy said. "The parade is something I never miss, and this one's a biggie."

Hennessy said she feels privileged to live in a town rich with tradition.

"I feel the camaraderie of everyone, the love everybody has for the parade and the town, and I want it all to continue," she said. "I would like to have seen it 100 years ago. The history is just phenomenal."

Down the street from the car enthusiasts sat Gardnerville residents Anthony Anderson and Dakota Stephan, both 19, and Anderson's little brothers, Chance Goheen-Masters, 9, and Talin Goheen-Masters, 5.

"I've seen 19 of them," Anderson, who grew up in the Valley, said of the annual parade.

He then pointed to his younger siblings.

"But it's their first one," he said.

Talin, who wants to be a cop when he grows up, excitedly waved at a policeman passing on a motorcycle. He said candy would be the best part of the parade, though he and his older brother had their minds on some other things.

"I like the Zipper," Chance said, looking forward to the carnival at Lampe Park.

Jeremy Davidson, a senior member of the Active 20-30 Club, said there were more than 80 entries this year in the centennial-themed parade.

"We had a wide-range description of the centennial," he said, "from a birthday cake celebrating 100 years to people wearing clothing from that era."

Spectators saw many familiar images Saturday - buttonless prisoners in the black cage of the Soroptimist International jail; the oversized off-road tires of the Sierra Stompers 4-Wheel Drive Club; and, of course, the tractors; big tractors, small tractors, new models and antiques nearly as old as the celebration itself.

There were also some new floats this year. The Douglas County Education Foundation had a mock classroom, adorned with apples, to recognize each school's teacher of year. Carson Creature Catchers decked out their big red truck with stuffed animals, and Minden's Doppelgangers showed off their Ford Excursion limousine.

As the noise and excitement of the parade subsided, one impression remained in lieu of the floats: small groups of children running, skipping and racing their bikes through the emptied, candy-littered streets.

Most Carson Valley residents know the scene by heart. And as they pass down the tradition to their children, as each new generation is reared in the warm embrace of local pride, so will the great celebration of Carson Valley continue on for another 100 years.