Nevada Day

Nevada Day is  held on the final Friday of October and celebrates the admission of Nevada into the Union on 31 October 1864. Nevada Day has been celebrated in Nevada since the 1870’s, but it only became a state holiday in 1933. In 2026, Nevada Day falls on Friday 30 October. The holiday will be on Friday 29 October in 2027. Nevada Day was originally called “Admission Day” and was celebrated by the Pacific Coast Pioneer Society back in the 1870s. 31 October became a state-recognized holiday in 1933. However, the date was tweaked in 2000 to the final Friday of October to create a three-day weekend. It also avoids the coinciding of the holiday with Halloween, though occasionally it still does fall on 31 October. The roots of Nevada Day go back to the discovery of the Comstock Lode of silver and gold in 1859, which sparked a huge migration to what became Nevada Territory in 1861. By 1864, the territory was already populous enough to be admitted as a state. The biggest celebration of Nevada Day is held in the state capital of Carson City. There is a big parade, fun activities like beard contests and rock-drilling competitions, an Indian-style pow wow, concerts, balls, sports matches, and more. Other cities also have special events, but none can compare to Carson City’s.