Never underestimate the pull of cowboy culture.

Perhaps the most anticipated tradition of Helldorado Days is the Whiskerino contest, a beard and facial hair exhibition held since the event’s inception in 1934. Every year, dozens of men participate in a heralded display of manhood and personal grooming.

Everyone loves a good parade.

The rodeo cowboy is an athlete unlike any other because of the risks and uncertainty of the rodeo circuit. Thousands of pounds of ornery muscle, hooves and horns are a foregone fact, yet a paycheck is never a sure thing. What other activity matches a human competitor with an animal possessing a far superior physical strength and a spirit to match that of his human rival?

The mission of the Elks Lodge is to inculcate the principles of charity, justice, brotherly love and fidelity; to recognize a belief in God; to promote the welfare and enhance the happiness of its members; to quicken the spirit of American patriotism; to cultivate good fellowship; to perpetuate itself as a fraternal organization; and to provide for its government.

As Nevada prepares to celebrate its 150th anniversary as the Battle Born State, we would be remiss not to remember that our own Las Vegas history is steeped in great tradition.

The Las Vegas Helldorado event began in 1934, when Arizona carnival barker Clyde Zerby saw the opportunity to make a quick buck off workers at the Hoover Dam site and the thousands of visitors who flocked to see the immense construction project develop.

Let’s be honest: What hasn’t changed in the past 78 years? Everything from microwaves, smoke detectors and cellphones didn’t exist back then, and it’s likely that most of you were not even around when Helldorado was born. Times and technology have changed, but the spirit and history of Southern Nevada have never wavered.