“Modern Country with Attitude,” was the theme for last weekend’s annual Pahrump Fall Festival.
The popular event, now in its 54th year, provided four days of family-friendly activities at Petrack Park.
Notably, each day of the event had its own theme, with Thursday’s Sept 27 kickoff being “Locals Night.”
Pahrump Chamber of Commerce CEO Chris Erwin said though attendance was satisfactory, he’s looking to draw in more visitors for future fall festivals.
“I think history has proven that we’re somewhere between 25,000 and 35,000 attendees, give or take, for the weekend,” he said. “I think it depends on the year, the economy, the weather, and all of the other factors. That’s the expectation, but the hope is this year’s lineup, with the additional draws, will help to swell that, and maybe we’ll stay at the top end, or maybe exceed it. If we can do that, then our community and our nonprofits benefit the most.”
As Erwin mentioned, those who do visit the Pahrump Fall Festival from out of town, help to boost the local economy.
One such visitor arrived in the form of one of the many vendors who set up shop in the park.
Daryl Schelin arrived from Las Vegas on Friday.
Schelin is the operator and conductor of the Jupiter Express train for children.
The kiddie ride is a replica of one of two steam locomotives which made history at what’s known as the Promontory Summit, during the famous Golden Spike ceremony, commemorating the completion of the first transcontinental railroad.
“This is our second time coming to the Pahrump Fall Festival,” Schelin said. “The Jupiter Express is very popular. We have three trains that are all identical, and it’s designed after the continental railroad trains. It’s the same color scheme and same graphics. I really think that it’s worth the time and effort to come out here from Las Vegas. We love coming out here, because it’s very relaxing and it’s a lot of fun. It’s just a nice family event.”
Contact reporter Selwyn Harris at sharris@pvtimes.com, on Twitter: @pvtimes