I was in Reno for some personal business this weekend and had the luck to be out and about on Friday night, which was Halloween. Now, I am costume challenged. I always have been, and during those times since becoming an adult, I have thanked my lucky stars for being a Nevadan, so that I can plead Nevada Day as the reason I am not wearing a costume. “Halloween? What’s that?” I’ll say, and then especially when I’m not in Nevada, I have the opportunity to tell a stranger a story, and possibly even sing a song. Not a perfect replacement for a stranger seeing me dressed up as something clever, but at least I’m trying to do something entertaining.
Which makes me not really notice Halloween most of the time. In Seattle, where I hang my hat the majority of the time, the neighborhood I live in which is full of hipsters and homos some of whom are both, certainly puts on a costume for the day, and I get to dress up vicariously through much more clever people, who may have actually remembered all summer long the flash of inspiration they had that one day in May, and worked to assemble all the pieces well enough in advance that perhaps all they need to buy is makeup.
I’ve no conscious memory of Reno ever having done that in the past, however. Carson City is pretty famous for its Halloween displays and trick or treating at the governor’s mansion. But Reno has never appeared quite so inspired… or family friendly.
This year, however, was different on at least one count. It seems as though a sizable percentage of the city’s adult population decided to dress up, and then having done so, to go downtown and really make a scene. Driving & walking around downtown Reno on Friday night reminded me of my one and only trip to Boston, which coincided with Halloween. Boston takes this affair very seriously. People are in costume for about a week, it seems.
All manner of folks were out in force that night in Reno, and it probably had at least something to do with Halloween being on a Friday. The skies were clear, the weather was good, and the spirits were high. Take note, Biggest Little City. Halloween in Reno (or Nevada Day, officially celebrated on the Friday closest to the 31st) should acquire an infamous regional reputation. People should come from far and wide to don their best costume and have a blast roaming the streets of downtown, crowding the gambling tables with their costumed selves and generally having one hell of a good time.
If you say “but Halloween won’t be on Friday every year!” I need only remind you that when I was a kid, we trick or treated on the 30th, so we could sleep off our candy hangover on the 31st. There’s precedent. You all know what to do next year. I’ll be watching.
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