When is the 56th annual Amargosa Days event?

Attention to all Pahrump residents, now would be a good time to mark your calendars for the annual Amargosa Days celebration.

The two-day event runs from Friday, April 25 through Saturday, April 26, according to Amargosa Town Clerk Mike Cottin, who said the event is entirely free for attendees.

Amargosa Valley Days is located along East Amargosa Farm Road, roughly 44 miles from the town of Pahrump.

On Friday, all of the vendors will arrive around 10 or 11 o’clock to get their booths set up.

Saturday, according to Cottin, is the lion’s share of the events, with the “World’s Shortest Parade” kicking off the day at 9 a.m.

“There will probably be 35 to 40 entrants,” Cottin told the Pahrump Valley Times. “They all go through the Amargosa Fire Department, down to School Lane, where they make a left turn, go down a couple of hundred yards and that’s it, which is why it’s known as the world’s shortest parade. Unfortunately, there will be no prizes for the entrants.”

Cottin also made sure to mention that there will be no shortage of activities for kids and adults during the all-day event on Saturday, including a car club and a 4x4 four truck club among others, including the Wild Horse Band who will be performing on Friday and Saturday.

“All of the town’s fire trucks will be there as well as the sheriff’s office, who will perform a demonstration with their K9 Corps,” he said. “Later on in the early afternoon there will be a Mud Bog. Basically, we dug down about three feet into the ground for about 40 to 50 feet and it comes up the other side, but it’s going to have a couple of feet of water in it and mud. Hopefully the drivers have prepped their vehicles so that they can get in and come out the other side, so we’re looking for some high-profile, four-wheel drivers there. If they get stuck, we’ve got ways to get them out. Additionally, the fire department will have their water cannons shooting water high into the air. And we also have some free rides for the kids. We have a mechanical bull and a rock wall.”

Cottin, however, lamented that the popular event has sold out for additional vendors, including food vendors.

“I don’t have any space left for them and that’s a good problem to have,” he said. “I am full of vendors right now, so we usually shut that off on the first of April.”

Cottin also briefly spoke about how much Amargosa Days has changed during its 56 years in existence.

“Back in 1969 there were just a bunch of alfalfa farmers out here and not much else,” he said. “But they got it started way back then, and somehow kind of kept it going. Now it’s a very popular celebration for both locals and visitors.”