Beatty Days celebrates 122 years with historic birthday bash

Beatty may be known as the “Gateway to Death Valley” but last weekend, it was also the gateway to some real small-town, community fun.

Taking place Friday, October 30 through Sunday, November 1, Beatty Days 2026 transformed Cottonwood Park into a vibrant hub of activity. There were dozens of vendors packed into the space, offering an array of tasty treats, eats, crafts and other merchandise, along with a row of booths just for the always-popular International Chili Society-sanctioned chili cook-off. Live entertainment in the form of both music, dance performances, reenactments and skits from the Pahrump Gunfighters kept things lively all weekend long.

For Saturday, which also marked Halloween, there was the Still Cruisin’ Classic Car Show featuring a trunk-or-treat for the youngsters. There were a variety of games and contests to inspire the competitive spirit and cheers from the crowds, along with opportunities to view some masterful artwork in the Aaron Huisman Desert Art Contest. The vast displays of the Las Vegas Garden Railway Society were on exhibit, too, and attendees could take advantage of free tours of the Beatty Museum and the Goldwell Open Air Museum.

With so much to see and do, there was a sense of celebration among the residents or visitors of Beatty this past holiday weekend.

“I think overall, the event went smoothly,” Beatty Chamber of Commerce Senior Administrator Ginny Faulkner told the Times once all of the activities and excitement came to a close. “There were no hiccups, except for the rain. People were having fun and definitely enjoying the bands we had, Higher Ground and Wild Horse.

“Reigning over Beatty Days this year were King and Queen Chad and Mia Marchand. We had 64 vendors and for the Beatty Days Parade, we had 35 parade entries with 251 participants,” Faulkner detailed. “Our Grand Marshal Best of Show winner was Beatty High School Band and the Judges Best of Show were Jesse and Barba Cruz. Our walking entry winner was Amargosa Valley Dance Team, our quads winner was Bighorn Outback Explorers, for autos it was the Beatty Fire Department and our floats winner was B8Y Sports & More. For antique autos it was Chuck Bertram. Our other and political winner was Chuck Hanson, and for Best Halloween decorated entry it was Robert Fisk.”

There were eight cooks participating in the chili cook-off on Saturday and, despite the wet weather on Sunday, nine competitors took part in that afternoon’s competition. “Larry Eastep won for both Verde and Red Chili on Saturday and on Sunday, our winners were Jim Beaver for Homestyle Chili and John Jepson for Red Chili,” Faulkner reported.

As with any large-scale event that offers free general admission, it can be difficult to gauge the size of the crowd but Faulkner said she would estimate around 2,500 people attended over the three-day festival, a very satisfying turnout for this little town as it celebrated its 122nd birthday.

“Beatty puts on this event each year to bring people together to have a good time, eat good food, enjoy each other’s company and catch up with friends that you haven’t seen for a year,” Faulkner remarked. “This event brings many people to help with room tax and tourism, which is what keeps Beatty from becoming a ghost town! Beatty has so much to offer, from hiking and biking to off-roading, horseback riding and more. There are so many beautiful things about our desert, you just have to come and see it for yourself.”

The Beatty Chamber of Commerce offered its gratitude to each of the sponsors for Beatty Days 2026, including: Stagecoach Hotel and Casino; T&D Power; Valley Electric Association; AngloGold Ashanti; Empire CAT; Republic Services; John C. Strozzi VFW Post #12108; Desert View Hospital; and Cabin by the Park.

“We would also like to thank the many people and businesses in Beatty, Pahrump, Goldfield, Laughlin, Death Valley and Ely for their contribution for raffle prizes,” Faulkner concluded.

For more information on Beatty, visit BeattyNevada.org

Contact reporter Robin Hebrock at rhebrock@pvtimes.com