A Pahrump western-themed tradition returns to town beginning today and running through Sunday.
The annual Wild West Extravaganza and Bluegrass Festival brings back food, fun and entertainment to Petrack Park.
The tradition was started by the late Bob Baker more than a decade ago with musical performances, vendors, games and more.
Roughly 35 vendors are participating this year, providing food, drinks and various merchandise.
On Saturday, the popular parade is scheduled to proceed up to Petrack Park from Highway 372 at Highway 160.
Committee member Paula Elefante said motorists should avoid the highway during late morning hours.
“Highway 160 will be closed from Highway 372 at Crawford Street to Boot Hill Road from 8:45 .a.m until 11:30 a.m., for the Wild West Extravaganza Parade. There will be horses and wagons in the parade, along with numerous other sights and sounds.”
What to expect
Just adjacent to the park is the Bob Ruud Community Center, where several performances are scheduled, courtesy of the Shadow Mountain Community Players.
All seats and performances are $5.
Attendees are encouraged to cheer the hero and boo the villain, during the performance entitled, “Shootout at Hole-in-the Wall.”
“We will have the melodrama on Friday night at 7 p.m., and on Saturday at 2 p.m., and again at 7 p.m.,” Elefante said. “They will perform again on Sunday at 2 p.m., but Saturday is the big day. On Friday the music starts in the park at 3 p.m., and on Sunday we will start at 9 a.m. and wrap things up at around 4 p.m. Most, if not all, of the vendors will open around 9 a.m.”
Among the diverse activities for families to enjoy is the goat dressing contest.
“That is a lot of fun because it’s a contest that will take place for kids, where we set up a little arena in the park,” she said. “We located a person in Pahrump who has a lot of baby goats, so we thought that would be kind of fun for the kids to do. One of our committee members bought some clothes at the Salvation Army. This will be for kids as young as 5 years old. They have to catch the goats and hold them in place and dress them. I think it will be a great experience for the kids.”
Outhouse race, more
Elefante also mentioned the ever-popular outhouse race, where teams from local agencies and organizations are pitted against one another while pulling an outhouse on wheels.
“This year we have we have staff from the Nye County Sheriff’s Department against members of the Pahrump Valley Fire and Rescue Services team,” she said. “That is so totally awesome to watch. In the past, we have tried to get the banks in town to challenge each other or other groups and agencies. The outhouse race will be on Saturday. Last year they crashed halfway through.”
Additionally, a group from California known as “Guns and Garters” will stage various lighthearted gunfighting skits throughout the weekend, while two rodeos are also part of the western-themed event.
“We will have what’s known as the Little Britches Rodeo both on Saturday and Sunday, which starts at 8 a.m.,” Elefante said. “We will have a second rodeo when the Little Britches Rodeo is finished. We are also really excited that the blacksmith will be back this year doing all kinds of demonstrations and also talking about classes.”
The Pahrump 4-H Club is scheduled to showcase its Doggie Drill Team on Saturday, while on Sunday the organization will display small livestock at the park.
“Of course we will have the Old West setup as usual and just beyond that will be Boot Hill,” Elefante said. “One of the most awesome aspects about this event is the community involvement to make it all happen. You can sit back and enjoy the bluegrass music or go listen to all the great music throughout the weekend.”
Contact reporter Selwyn Harris at sharris@pvtimes.com. On Twitter: @pvtimes