Cowboy-themed Helldorado Days hits Las Vegas this Saturday

Las Vegas will give its annual salute to the Wild West this weekend, as the annual cowboy-themed Helldorado Days marches back into the city.

The Helldorado Parade steps off at 10 a.m. Saturday along Fourth Street at Gass Avenue, proceeding north to Stewart Avenue.

A number of high school marching bands and more horses than ever before are two hallmarks for this year’s parade, parade producer Esther Carter said.

High school marching bands that participate were given $1,000 this year, and high school groups that build floats were given $1,500, Carter said.

Around 30 floats are registered for the parade, and Carter hopes 10,000 to 15,000 people turn out, she said.

Fourth Street will be closed for the parade from Las Vegas Boulevard South to Stewart Avenue. Side streets along the parade route to Third Street on the west of the route and to Las Vegas Boulevard to the east will also be closed Saturday morning for the parade. Multiple staging areas will be set up south of the parade route.

On top of the local civic and equestrian groups participating, some loyal participants travel to the parade each year, including a female group from Texas that calls itself the “Hill Country Plungettes,” known for marching with toilet plungers.

“You can’t make this stuff up,” Carter said.

The National Weather Service in Las Vegas is forecasting a high temperature of 96 degrees and plenty of sun on Saturday.

Along with the parade, the three-day event, created in 1934, features a rodeo, carnival, food, exhibits and a facial hair competition dubbed the “Whiskerino contest.”

Cox Communications Las Vegas will rebroadcast the parade at 10:30 a.m. daily May 21 through June 4 on Cox channels 96 and 1096. It will be available for streaming at www.cox96.net.

Contact Jamie Munks at jmunks@reviewjournal.com. Find @JamieMunksRJ on Twitter.