Tempting Fete

Forgo the froufrou flowers and deep-six the drippy greeting card. This anniversary demands a more bodacious declaration of affection.

So throw your beloved a parade -- it's simpler than taking the city out for a romantic candlelit dinner.

"A lot of citizens that worked here in the early '50s, their families are still here, and people coming to the parade are really in touch with the heritage," says Sabrina Mercadante, administrator of archives and records for Henderson, which marks its 55th anniversary with Saturday's Heritage Parade and Festival. "You see the children, the parents and the grandparents."

The Henderson Diaries -- "Proving Their Metal": Henderson emerges in the 1940s to build the Basic Magnesium Plant, supplying "the miracle metal" used for munitions and airplane parts that helps win World War II.

"They say we were born in America's defense," Mercadante says about Henderson, which toasts itself starting at 8 a.m. when you can ask the mayor to pass the maple syrup. The Mayor and Council Pancake Breakfast offers a flapjack-packed meal outside the Henderson Convention Center.

"We usually have several hundred people there," says Andrea Primo, director of cultural arts and tourism. "It gives (Mayor Jim Gibson and his governing crew) a chance to interact with our residents, that sense of community."

The Henderson Diaries -- "Yo, Where'd Everybody Go?": By 1947, magnesium demand plummets, ex-plant employees skedaddle, houses go empty, and the government puts Henderson up for sale as a war surplus property.

"A lot of people were born and raised here, and you see them out for this," says Mercadante about the parade, participants stepping off from Water Street and Ocean Avenue at 10 a.m. Marching bands, vehicles and floats, pegged to a "Wonderful World of Music" theme -- with grand marshal Tommy Rocker -- vie for prizes.

The Henderson Diaries -- "Not So Fast, Bub": Nevada legislators approve a bill to purchase the plants. Gov. Vail Pittman signs it on March 27, 1947, taking Henderson off the market.

"People new to this area are surprised to see that it's small-town America," says Mercadante, though the globally-themed, daylong International Food and Folklife Festival parallels the parade starting at 10 a.m. at the Henderson Events Plaza, teeming with multicultural foods, music, dance and crafts.

The Henderson Diaries -- "Oh, You Must Have Been a Beautiful Baby": The little bundle arrives on April 16, 1953, as history slaps the newborn city on its itty-bitty fanny and Henderson is incorporated.

"We pride ourselves on being a true downtown center with a streetscape and a place for the community to gather," says Primo, and the festival will keep them occupied, with attractions including The Las Vegas Cruisin' Association Car Show from noon to 4 p.m. along Water Street, from Basic Road to Atomic Street.

The Henderson Diaries -- "Give Us Your Huddled, Master-Planned Masses": You name 'em -- Anthem, Black Mountain Vistas, Green Valley Ranch, Inspirada, Lake Las Vegas, MacDonald Highlands, Seven Hills, Sun City Anthem ...

"Our master-planning is just tops in the country," says Mercadante, and the celebration is just as well-planned, with entertainment including German, Irish, Korean, Venezuelan and Peruvian dance.

The Henderson Diaries -- "Uh-Oh": In 1988, The PEPCON rocket fuel factory is rocked by explosions, some topping 3 on the Richter scale. The tragedy nudges Henderson from an industrial hub to a residential city.

"The way the city has managed growth over the last 20 years, it just gets better every year," Mercadante says. The weekend's performance choices also expand with the off-Broadway musical "I Love a Piano," honoring Irving Berlin, bowing at the Henderson Pavilion at 8 p.m. today, followed by Drake Bell, star of Nickelodeon's "Drake & Josh," in concert at 7 p.m. Saturday.

The Henderson Diaries -- "Who's da city? WHO'S DA CITY?": Henderson ranks 20th on Money magazine's top 100 places to live in 2006, and sixth on Prevention magazine's best walking cities last year.

"There are a lot of reasons we're recognized," Mercadante says. "We've got one of the top park systems in the country, and our neighborhoods are a safe place to live."

The Henderson Diaries -- "Don't Disturb Me, I'll Be In My Trailer": "Gunsmoke" scenes are filmed at the former Old Vegas theme park; Sean Connery's 007 is nearly cremated alive in "Diamonds Are Forever" at Henderson's Palm Mortuary; portions of "America's Sweethearts," starring Julia Roberts, are filmed at Lake Las Vegas; Henderson often is depicted as a crime scene on "CSI."

"It's important to celebrate the history and culture of our city," Primo says. "It shows the depth of our community."

Happy 55th, Henderson. ... Maybe we'll take you out for that candlelit dinner after all.

Contact reporter Steve Bornfeld at sbornfeld@reviewjournal.com or (702) 383-0256.