Aviation theme for 2010 Nevada Day celebration

Nevada Day, a four-day celebration of the Silver State's admission to the Union in 1864 will recognize "100 Years of Aviation in Nevada." The centennial marks the history-making flight of daredevil pilot Ivy Baldwin just west of Carson City - at elevation 4,675 ft. the highest ever at that time.

Lt. Col. (Ret.) Dick Rutan of the U.S. Air Force will serve as Grand Marshal for the 2010 celebration. A modern day aviation pioneer, Rutan is known for piloting the first non-stop, unrefueled flight around the world in 1986 and was inducted into the National Aviation Hall of Fame in 2002. He flew 325 missions in Vietnam and was awarded the Silver Star, five Distinguished Flying Crosses, 16 Air Medals and a Purple Heart. Currently, he is flying a Berkut, a homebuilt, experimental airplane with hopes to establish additional world records, while breaking some of his own.

Nevada Day festivities will include family activities with history, live music, contests, dining events, parades and carnivals.

Oct. 28

• RSVP Carnival will provide carnival rides for adults and children at Mills Park in Carson City. The RSVP Carnival will open at 4 p.m. Thursday and noon, Oct. 29 - Oct. 31. Admission is free, with a fee for rides.

Oct. 29

• The Carson Nugget hosts the Grand Marshal Dinner beginning at 6 p.m. with a social and cocktail hour followed by a buffet dinner at 7 p.m. After dinner the Grand Marshal, Dick Rutan, treats guests to a presentation highlighting his many accomplishments. Tickets are $30. 775-882-2600.

Oct. 30

• A Pancake Breakfast will be hosted by the Carson City Republican Women's Club at the Governor's Mansion from 7-9:30 a.m. gives residents a chance to meet political representatives prior to the parade. Adults are $6 and children under 10 are $3. Proceeds benefit Carson City High School and Dayton High School. 884-3011.

• An Air Show will include all types of aircraft, including an 8 a.m. hot-air balloon launch (weather permitting), followed by a flyover of F-18 Hornets and an F-16 Falcon from Fallon Naval Air Station and a Lockheed C-130 Hercules transport plane from the Nevada Air Guard. The flyover will signal the start of the Nevada Day Parade at 10 a.m. Parade festivities feature marching bands, floats, equestrian groups and historical displays. The parade starts at William St. and Carson St. and ends at the intersection of Stewart St. and Carson St. 882-2600.

• 21st Annual Carson Nugget Nevada Day Classic Run/Walk will feature hundreds of runners and walkers in Carson City's historical downtown district. The event includes an 8K run at 8:15 a.m., a two-mile walk at 8:25 a.m. and a two-mile fun run at 8:25 a.m. Registration is $30 before Oct. 16 and $35 after Oct. 16. All races start from the corner of Telegraph St. and Curry St. Proceeds benefit The Special Olympics. 882-0410.

• The Nevada Day Championship will highlight high school marching bands, including the Douglas High School Fighting Tiger Band at the Carson High School field. Awards will be given for best overall parade and field marching band with the winning school receiving the Governor's Grand Champion Trophy. 

• The Annual Nevada Day Beard Contest at the Capitol Amphitheater will immediately follow the parade. Admission and contest entry are free, with winners awarded in the following categories: longest; fullest; reddest; whitest; blackest; best salt and pepper; best groomed; scruffiest; and most bearded community - which has been Virginia City for the past five years.

• The 33rd Annual World Championship Single Jack Drilling Contest is set for 11:05 a.m. at the Carson Nugget west parking lot. Contestants competing for a $2,000 grand prize have 10 minutes to drill holes in Sierra White Granite using pound hammers and bits of graduated steel. The contest celebrates the heritage of the Comstock mining days when blast holes for dynamite were punched into ore bodies by hand. Entry fee is $50. Admission is free. 

• Nevada Lt. Gov. Brian Krolicki will host the 28th Annual Chili Feed at the Carson Nugget's Banquet Center, from 12 - 2 p.m. This free event is an opportunity to meet with family and friends and mingle with state and local leaders. To further the tradition of hospitality, the Governor's Mansion will be open for tours from 12 - 4 p.m.

• The 11th Annual Silver State Rumble features live amateur boxing hosted by Bruno's Boxing Club at 3 p.m. at the Carson City Community Center. For the first time, the event will welcome female boxers to the Rumble. There are 15 bouts scheduled and admission is $10 for adults; $8 for seniors; $5 for children 6-12; and kids under six are free. 775-888-6806.

• The Nevada State Railroad Museum is commemorating the last run of the McKeen Motor Car, No. 22 on the V&T line, Nevada Day, 1945. Tickets can be purchased at the Wabuska Depot at the Museum. The McKeen car will be running from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. 687-6953.

For more information on all Nevada Day events, log onto www.nevadaday.com or call the Carson City Convention and Visitors Bureau at 800-NEVADA-1.