July 4th festivities take over Calvada Eye in Pahrump

The Fourth of July was celebrated in the valley with a large-scale event put on by the Pahrump Holiday Task Force, with a parade and festivities taking over the Calvada Eye for the holiday. The entire community was invited out for a day of free, family fun and hundreds took the opportunity, donning patriotic attire, gathering the youngsters and heading to the Eye to mark the 246th birthday of the United States of America.

“The events were well attended and the kids enjoyed the games and prizes,” Pahrump Holiday Task Force Chair Linda Wright reported. “We even had parents getting their faces painted and playing the games. It was truly a family fun afternoon!”

Wright noted that she was very happy with the Fourth of July Parade, which has continued to grow each year. “The staff did really well with the lineup and we had 32 entries this year,” Wright said. “Each year we add more and so far, this has been the biggest Fourth of July Parade to date.”

Taking home bragging rights following the parade were five entries, including Nathan Gent for Most Enthusiastic, the Pahrump Gunfighters for Most Patriotic, Ms. Senior Golden Years for Most Family Friendly, John Walker’s Mobile Showers for Most Original and the ’44 Chevy pickup truck Red Brit for the overall winner of judges’ choice.

Named as the grand marshal for this year’s parade was Fifth Judicial District Court Judge Kim Wanker, whom Wright said was selected as a means of recognizing all she does for the communities she serves. “She drove her own Porsche in the parade and had great time. She had a helper, Chris, who threw candy out to the kids all along the way, too,” Wright detailed.

“We’d like to acknowledge everyone who participated in the parade,” Wright stated. “Sheriff Sharon Wehrly, Undersheriff Michael Eisenloffel, Southern Nye County Search and Rescue, SAU Faith and Blue (Skeet and various churches) Red Brit-44 Chevy Pickup, Eddie Martinez with the 1970 Touring Bike, 2nd Amendment Gun Shooting Range, Pahrump Free Riders with their motorcycles and trikes and New Nevada State Movement.

“Also, John’s Mobile Showers, Joe McGill for Sheriff, Ms. Senior Golden Years, Steve Perkins with a classic vehicle, Kelly’s Pet Service, Sleep in Heavenly Peace, the Miss Pahrump Queen and Court, Blackstone Gun Safety, Nathan Gent for School Board, Inspirations Senior Living, a new business Gevas Defense with motorcycles, the Pahrump Gunfighters, Kiwanis Club, Xpress Detail and Auto Spa, Better Bin LLC, Don I Schrien with a 27 T-bucket with flags on both sides, Pahrump Valley 4-Wheelers, RV Masters, Pahrump Valley Disposal, E cells bicycles and D. Thompson with a golf cart,” Wright continued. “Thank you all for coming out and making our parade a success.”

She was also quick to highlight the participation of the Creech Air Force Color Guard, which proudly opened the parade with the presentation of the colors and assisted with the parade setup. “It was greatly appreciated and an honor to have them here,” Wright said, adding, “And a big thank you to Mr. Brooks for singing the national anthem. We appreciated your working with our task force member Sonja Filarowski to make this happen.”

Once the parade came to a close, the activities in the Eye opened. Wright estimated that there were around

700 or so people in attendance and the Pahrump Holiday Task Force served up over 800 hamburgers and hotdogs, along with chips, cookies and water.

There were all sorts of activities to entertain the families that had come out, with games such as corn hole and a football toss testing attendees’ athletic abilities. There were also tables set up for face painting, arts and crafts, a duck pond game, bubbles and even water balloons, which Wright said were a big hit.

“We had a water balloon fight with the Nye County Sheriff’s Office and the community,” Wright detailed. “It was awesome! We had four deputies, Sheriff Wehrly and NCSO Supervising Sheriff Administrator Janice Maurizio take part. Thank you to each of them for being great sports and participating. It was lots of fun for all.”

Hula hoops, a puppet show, the Pahrump Gunfighter jail and a table full of prizes added to the fun, as did several RVs that were on display that afternoon. A watermelon-eating contest also attracted plenty of attention and Jacob Rickard of Indiana won first place while second place went to Pahrump resident Ricky Eakman.

The Pahrump Holiday Task Force operates solely on donations and fundraisers, so Wright was sure to emphasize how grateful she was to all those who contributed this year.

“Our donors were Edward Jones and P-Town Air, Amerigas, the NyE Communities Coalition, Valley Electric, Nye County RV Masters and John’s Mobile Showers. Our sponsors included Heritage Bible Church, Joe’s Sanitation and Pahrump Valley Disposal, and the Pahrump Disability Outreach Program. Thanks go out to all of them for helping with our event,” Wright said. “And other very special thank-yous go to Deanna O’Donnell of KPVM TV, John Pawlak for having us on his show and to the Pahrump Valley Times for Robin’s great articles helping get the word out about our event. Also to John, Chris and Ray for helping with the lineup for the parade and I can’t forget the wonderful Pahrump Holiday Task Force Committee, and David and his PDOP Committee for all their hard work for another outstanding Fourth of July Parade and family fun event at the Eye. We’ll see everyone next year!”

For more information on the task force’s holiday events, contact Wright at PahrumpHolidayTaskForce@gmail.com

Contact reporter Robin Hebrock at rhebrock@pvtimes.com