By WESLIE STRATTON
Moapa Valley Progress
The City of Mesquite hosted a successful Mesquite Days celebration May 2-6 with daily activities providing entertainment for all ages.
Festivities kicked off with Family Fun Night on May 2. Kids enjoyed playing carnival games sponsored by the Mesquite Recreation Center including a beanbag toss, dunk tank, gunnysack race, face painting and more. A fireman relay was a popular event as kids raced to put on fire gear; including a large bulky helmet; and then ran to “extinguish” a water bottle.
Mesquite Director of Athletics and Leisure Services Nicholas Montoya said that local businesses volunteered to run each game station and help the event run smoothly.
“They advertised their businesses there but didn’t have to pay,” he said.
Free hamburgers and hotdogs were available to the large crowd that gathered to socialize and have fun.
“We charged a dollar for snow cones, cotton candy and the mechanical bull,” Montoya said, “but the City sponsored the food.”
He said that the event was organized as a way for everyone to have the opportunity to participate for free, especially large families who may not want to purchase carnival tickets later in the week.
“It’s just something we do to give back to the community and tell them thanks,” Montoya said.
A historical walking tour was lead by Geraldine Zarate, author of Mesquite and the Virgin Valley on May 2-3. A crowd gathered to walk a few blocks and learn about historical structures around town.
Zarate explained that the valley was initially chosen for the river that helped with the settlers’ needs but also flooded the area.
“They first attempted to settle in 1880 but flooding wiped out crops and homes so they gave up,” Zarate said. “In 1894 a group of young strong couples, determined to make it work, came and built a dam.”
Zarate said that the settlers came from Gunlock and Santa Clara, Utah.
“They camped and had a milk cow. Women made homemade bread and it worked,” Zarate said. “There was a permanent settlement.”
Participants of the tour learned about the Mesquite gymnasium which doubled as an elementary school and a bomb shelter over the years. They were able to tour the oldest standing house in Mesquite which is a one room rock house from 1880. They also visited the historic Relief Society Building built in 1935.
The traditional carnival and vendor booths drew large crowds on May 4-6 providing various rides and games. Booths consisted of food vendors and local businesses including America First Credit Union, Reliance Connects, and Precision Eye Care. Other booths offered fun services such as airbrush tattoos and face painting.
Spectators gathered to enjoy the parade on May 5, lining both sides of the Boulevard for a mile.
“It was the biggest one we’ve ever had,” Montoya said of the parade.
Representatives of dance groups, sports teams, businesses, elected officials, first responders and more rode in colorful floats or walked with banners tossing candy to kids who scrambled to gather every single piece.
Montoya was happy with the overall success of the week’s festivities and thankful for all the volunteers and city officials who helped out.
“It might not be as big a scale as the Clark County Fair,” Montoya said. “But in comparison it’s a huge event for Mesquite and it celebrates when we became a city.”
