Multiple arrests, gunfights and square dancing will be the order of the day come Sunday as Pahrump’s inaugural Cops and Cowboys rolls into town.
Pahrump’s RNG Farms and the Nye County Sheriff’s Office are sanctioning the event, which serves as a fundraiser for Pahrump’s Special Olympics program.
RNG Farms Founder Erica Johnston said the Special Olympics and similar local programs are near and dear to her heart.
“Every year the police department does something for the Special Olympics and we are helping them put this one on because the sheriff’s department is very busy,” she said.”
The event runs from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.
Johnston said there’s activities the entire family can take part in, including a costume contest for children, water gunfights and a turtle train ride.
Gold panning, sheep shearing and raffles are also part of the day’s activities.
“We are having some spinning where they spin wool to make yarn,” she said. “We also plan to have a roping demonstration. Where you are going to have spinning in the morning and square dancing in the morning as well as the gunfighters. We will also have a roping demonstration at noon and we will do it all again in the afternoon.”
One event Johnston had planned did not come to fruition.
“We were going to do lead-line rides but there was some issues that came up and it didn’t work out,” she said. “We will have some animals out there on Sunday for the kids to pet and enjoy. With it being as hot as it is this time of year, six hours is a long time for the lead-line horse rides.”
Johnston noted that she is devoted to helping those with developmental disabilities.
Her RNG Farms site serves as a place where individuals can receive therapy.
“I do animal therapy and I’m a certified instructor of riders with disabilities,” she said. “I also work very closely with the Pahrump Disability Outreach Program and I personally know a lot of the atheletes with Special Olympics and we’ve had a lot of parties for them. This year we just wanted to do something that will benefit them and the community as well.”
As the event is a fundraiser, individuals can request the “arrest” of someone who they believe is outside the law.
Warrants will be issued for $2, while the outlaw’s bail is $3, all in the name of fun.
Johnston said raffle tickets can be purchased at various locations in town including Valley’s Edge Country Store, Out of the Box and Glen Lerner injury attorneys.
At least 20 raffle prizes are up for grabs ranging in value from $5-to- $550.
Raffle tickets can be purchased for $5 each, five for $20 or 12 for $50.
The entry fee to Sunday’s event is $5 per person or $20 for families of four or more.
The Cops and Cowboys event will take place at Valley’s Edge Country Store, 4779 W. Bell Vista Ave.