Hundreds expected at Governor’s Mansion on Halloween

Nevada Gov. Joe Lombardo and First Lady Donna Lombardo are planning to hand out candy to hundreds of trick-or-treaters 5 to 8 p.m. Oct. 31 at the Governor’s Mansion in west Carson City.

“The first lady and I look forward to celebrating our first Halloween at the Governor’s Mansion,” Lombardo said Monday. “We’re excited to participate in this fun tradition with Nevada families, and we can’t wait to see some great Halloween costumes!”

“We are all decorated and just looking forward to it,” Kristen Dillard, executive coordinator of the Governor’s Mansion, also said Monday.

Built in 1909 in the classical revival style, the Governor’s Mansion is located at 606 Mountain St.

Dillard said the governor and first lady are excited and have been asking questions about the event. This will be their first year handing out candy.

“Until you’ve seen it, it’s hard to imagine,” Dillard said. “Just so many — hundreds and hundreds of people all in consumes.”

Dillard said in her tenure, she’s seen three governors — Brian Sandoval, Steve Sisolak and now Lombardo — participate in what has become an annual tradition in Carson City. She said last year, over 800 pounds of candy were collected for trick-or-treaters. Candy is donated by grocery stores and service clubs in the community.

“It’s definitely a community effort,” she said.

Dillard said so much candy is needed because “every year, we get more and more people.”

For information, call 775-687-3000.

Tuesday, Oct. 31

• Trick-or-treaters will take to the streets in the capital city like everywhere else in the U.S. — on Halloween. Halloween has been celebrated on the traditional Oct. 31. Before 2000, the Nevada Day Parade was always on Oct. 31 — the anniversary of the state’s admission to the union, and, coincidentally, Halloween. In order to keep the children out of the way of any revelers drunk with state pride, trick-or-treating was moved to Oct. 30. When the 1999 Legislature decided to observe Nevada Day on the last Friday in October, and the Nevada Day Parade on the last Saturday of the month, Halloween returned to being celebrated on Oct. 31. And that’s how it will be. Sort of.
When Halloween and the parade both fall on Saturday, Oct. 31, trick-or-treating moves to Oct. 30.
This year, as in most years to come, Halloween will be celebrated on Oct. 31. It will move to Oct. 30 in 2026 and 2037.

•  Governor Joe Lombardo and First Lady Donna will hand out candy to trick-or-treaters from 5-8 p.m. at the Governor’s Mansion, 606 Mountain St.