Cooler weather finally seems to be making its way to Pahrump, signaling the approach of the biggest event the town sees each year, the Pahrump Fall Festival.
With a carnival, rodeo, car show, entertainment of all kinds, arts and crafts, vendors galore and so much more, the Fall Festival is sure to have something for everyone to enjoy.
This will be the 55th year for the Pahrump Fall Festival, which has changed both hands and its name over the years but still retains its ability to elicit excitement and anticipation among those who have come to know and love the annual event. The festival will kick off on Thursday, Sept. 26 at Petrack Park and continue all weekend long, coming to a conclusion on Sunday, Sept. 29.
The Pahrump Valley Chamber of Commerce heads the Fall Festival this year and the organization is promising another weekend of fantastic fun for all.
For many of the event’s regular attendees, one of the greatest draws for the Fall Festival is the carnival, which will once again be furnished by Davis Amusement Cascadia. All sorts of carnival rides, from those for the festival’s smallest patrons to the large, fast-paced rides that prompt an adrenaline rush, will be arrayed around Petrack Park. A classic midway filled with games and prizes will add to the fun as well.
All-day tickets for the carnival rides are on sale now, with pre-sale tickets coming at a discounted rate. Pre-sale carnival tickets are $25 each and can be purchased until Sept. 24 at Valley Electric, Shadow Mountain Feed, the Pahrump Valley Chamber of Commerce and online at www.eventbrite.com Carnival tickets at the gate will cost $32 each. A ticket will get the attendee unlimited access to the rides for one full day at the Fall Festival.
Another big attraction at the Fall Festival will be the arena events, with Jess Jones Outlaw Bronks Rodeo planned to take over the McCullough Arena. The action-packed, rowdy rodeo fun will take place on Friday and Saturday, Sept. 27 and 28 with mutton busting at 6 p.m. and the rodeo events, including mini bull riding, barrel racing and more, set for 7 p.m. each night.
Pre-sale rodeo tickets are $12 each while tickets at the gate will be $15 each. There will also be a Friday night special with children under 13 years and seniors over 64 able to get in free with a paid ticket-holder. Children under 3 are free for both nights.
Another traditional component of every year’s Fall Festival is the parade, which will march east down Highway 160 from Oxbow Avenue to Dandelion Street beginning at 9 a.m. on Saturday, Sept. 28, entertaining hundreds if not thousands along the way.
This year’s theme is “Oktoberfest.”
Those who may have waited but are still desiring to participate in the parade have only a few days left to get their applications in. Parade applications must be submitted no later than Monday, Sept. 16. Applications can be found at www.pahrumpchamber.com
Parade participants can enter either as judged or non-judged entrants, with judged costing $45 and non-judged priced at $35. Floats, equestrian entries, trucks, semis and more can all be featured in the parade, which will include four categories for awards and accompanying cash prizes, along with the Grand Marshal prize, which has already been determined.
According to the parade application, the 2019 Grand Marshal prize is $400. Well-known local resident Linda DeMeo, who recently lost her husband, former Nye County Sheriff Tony DeMeo, has been selected as this year’s grand marshal. Other prizes that will be up for grabs at the parade on Sept. 28 include Best of Show, Best Theme, Out of Town and People’s Choice, with cash prizes of between $100 and $250.
The Pahrump Fall Festival is set to open at 3:45 p.m. on Sept. 26 with the Civil Air Patrol Color Guard. The carnival and vendor booths will open at 4 p.m. that afternoon and entertainers will take to the stage at the same time. The festival will come to a close at midnight that Thursday.
The following morning the Fall Festival will reopen at 11 a.m. with the carnival and vendors and the fun will continue until midnight. Throughout the day, patrons will be able to enjoy even more live performances and expositions, as well as the arts and crafts show inside the Bob Ruud Community Center, a watermelon-eating contest and more.
The activities on Saturday, Sept. 28 will get underway at 9 a.m. with the parade, after which everything at the park will reopen at 11 a.m. Saturday will also include a car show and plenty of entertainment as well.
Sunday, Sept. 29 will kick off with signups for the horseshoe tournament from 8 to 9 a.m., followed by a morning worship service at 9 a.m. The carnival and vendors are scheduled to open at 11 a.m. with everything set to wrap up that evening around 5 p.m.
Editor’s note: This story has been updated to reflect correct pricing for carnival tickets at the gate.
Contact reporter Robin Hebrock at rhebrock@pvtimes.com