While most mark October 31 with costumes, parties, and trick-or-treating, it's a much more special occasion in the Silver State — it's also Nevada Day.
For nearly 100 years, the state holiday has officially celebrated Nevada's entrance into the Union during the Civil War. It's also helped generations learn more about this beautiful, diverse state's history and, in some ways, define what it means to be a Nevadan.
"We all came over to choose this little hunk of land as where we're living,” said Brad McMullen, folklife specialist with the Nevada Arts Council. "Because of that, we need traditions and holidays that let us celebrate where we chose to be, and Nevada Day is a great example of that.”
The Nevada Legislature established Nevada Day as a state holiday in 1933. Originally observed on October 31, it moved to the last Friday in October in 2000 to give Nevadans a three-day weekend.
For many, the holiday is a chance to celebrate all of the things that make the Silver State special.
"I think that says a lot about who we are and who the Nevadans who are born here are," McMullen said. "That they make this such a welcoming place that everyone wants to come here, and whether they stay for a weekend or stay for a lifetime, people choose here and come to stay."
Guest: Brad McMullen, folklife specialist, Nevada Arts Council
