‘Reverse’ Las Vegas Days Parade marks city’s 116th birthday
The “reverse” Las Vegas Days Parade that took over a downtown street Saturday morning had all the excitement of a pre-pandemic party.
High school bands, acrobats, break dancers, artists and fire-eaters performed on the sidewalk as a line of cars drove by watching the acts. Showgirls, without masks blocking their smiles, waved at cars just two days after Nevada adopted federal guidelines that fully vaccinated people, in most settings, no longer need to wear a mask to prevent the spread of COVID-19.
“It’s been a great day; we’ve got cars lined up for miles,” said Greg Weitzel, director of the city of Las Vegas’ parks and recreation department.
More than 50 groups lined Third Street from Garces Avenue to Charleston Boulevard, he said. The reverse parade was started with an Elvis impersonator driving Mayor Carolyn Goodman and former Mayor Oscar Goodman through the route.
Las Vegas Days, formerly known as Helldorado Days, started in 1935. The parade on Saturday marked the 116th anniversary of the May 15, 1905, land auction that began the city.
For some of the performers, Saturday also marked their first public event since the start of the coronavirus pandemic.
“We haven’t played in a year and a half together. We just jumped at the opportunity to do that,” said David Rivera, director of Las Vegas Academy’s mariachi band program.
Rivera stood in the road with his students, instructing them which song to play next. There were about 25 in the group, made up of violinists, guitarists and trumpeters. Rivera said they practiced over video calls to prepare for the parade.
“The kids were extremely excited to get out again,” he said. “They’ve been cooped up in their rooms and their houses so long. Not everyone’s made it back to school yet in person.”
Down the road, a man and a woman wearing red cowboy hats spun bullwhips lit on fire, cracking them in the air. Tiana Powell, who also showed off her ability to swallow fire, said the group of performers traveled from Los Angeles to participate in the reverse parade.
“It is rewarding,” Powell said about performing as health mitigation measures are relaxed. “This is what we love to do. It’s not just a job for us. We’re privileged to be out here, honestly.”
Contact Katelyn Newberg at knewberg@reviewjournal.com or 702-383-0240. Follow @k_newberg on Twitter.
