Mesquite, NV-

The crowd and people were pleased to have the Mesquite Days and Parade back as the recent COVID-19 pandemic has limited the occasion in the past. The combination of residents, tourists, businesses, and other groups was ecstatic to have the fun-filled celebration back.

The week started off with a Family Fun Night with games, bounce houses, a mechanical bull, and music by live bands and musicians. This event started on Wednesday, May 4th, to help kickstart the Mesquite Days week-long celebration. This event was perfect for family-friendly event seekers as it provided “family” games and events for all ages, including a car race involving the police and fire departments.

The Mesquite Recreation Center also jumped in the fun with the “May the 4th Be With You” world theme day motto. They gave free admission to all those who were dressed as “Star Wars” characters or apparel.

Thursday, May 5th, as part of Mesquite Days, the Virgin Valley Heritage Museum helped give a tour of the history of Mesquite. The walking tour started at the museum located at 35 W. Mesquite Blvd at 9:30 am. They then had a Founders’ Forum which was held at the City Council Chambers at City Hall located at 10 W. Mesquite Blvd. The forum was held at 5:30 pm.

The really neat part of Thursday was the National Day of Prayer collection of ten local churches from Mesquite that participated in prayer together for the country and the status of our country. The music for the event was provided by Mesquite Community Choir and was held at 830 Hafen Lane.

The big excitement was the Mesquite Days parade. Though it was not as big as it has been in the past with less than 30 entries, people were ecstatic to have it back after being gone for the pandemic. The parade was led by Mayor Litman and City Councilman George Gault who rode along with the Mesquite Fire Department in a vintage fire engine and then by the military veterans from the Mesquite Veterans Center, followed by local businesses and organizations including (but not limited to) The Mesquite Community Theatre Group, Arvada Springs, Churches, and more. Kids found joy in getting candy tossed to them again while adults found joy in volunteering or watching their kids express their excitement.

The parade lineup started at the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints parking lot and then followed a route onto Mesquite Blvd, from Arrowhead Lane down to Mesquite City Hall. The parade started at 10:00 am.

Saturday morning also includes the Mayor’s Breakfast of pancakes at the Heritage Family Park next door to the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints located at 100 N Arrowhead Lane. Residents of the community were able to enjoy big stacks of pancakes while able to visit with Mayor Al Litman. This event was before the parade at 7:00 am.

The big attraction was the carnival with the free music provided. The carnival most found a little pricey, but provided plenty of shouts and screams of both excitement and fear, providing fun for all. The music included several local groups, most notably Mesquite Cafe Blues Band who have been on a non-stop journey to fame recently and received non-stop praises and requests for encores.

Mesquite leaders were grateful for all of the local volunteers, especially the churches that participated in Mesquite Days. A big thanks were extended to the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints who provided planning, coordination, and the majority of volunteers for the festivities.

More pictures from Mesquite Days: