Carson Valley residents celebrate the red, white and blue

Minden appeared to be easily on pace to serve 1,000 meals, with around 1,200 people expected to attend its annual Fourth of July barbecue.

The line for food stretched from one end of the park to the other.

Jim and Marilyn Smith have attended the Minden barbecue for the last half dozen years.

“It’s a wonderful small town event,” Marilyn said.

“We text our son and daughter-in-law in Wyoming and tell them this is small-town stuff,” Jim said. “It’s a beautiful place and a great place to be.”

Minden Administrative Services Manager Rachel Hamer said about 30 volunteers and staff members started the day at 6 a.m. to prepare for the barbecue.

“This event is a well-oiled machine,” Hamer said. “We start planning about three months out. We’re creating memories for Minden families.”

Town Board members were working the grills cooking up hot dogs and hamburgers donated by Carson Valley Inn owner Mike Pegram. Model Dairy sponsored the ice cream.

“The Town of Minden staff and volunteers do everything for this community and the board is very proud of them,” Town Board Chairman Bryan Davis said.

Genoans conducted their annual Kids and Pets Parade down Main Street and through Mormon Station State Park.

The street was closed off from Nixon down to Fifth Street for the short parade which featured costumed animals, residents of Nevada’s oldest settlement and folks of all ages.

Members of the Carson Valley Pops performed patriotic classics in Heritage Park around lunch time as music lovers clustered in the shade to listen.

Many of the Pops members toted their instruments over to Genoa to perform with the Carson City Symphony in Mormon Station State Historic Park.