Who were the winners of the Jim Butler Days Parade and Nevada State Mining Championships?

May in Tonopah means the return of a beloved yearly tradition, Jim Butler Days, and this year’s celebration was one that had event organizers raving with delight. Coinciding with the Memorial Day weekend, the event saw nearly flawless weather that drew out hundreds of people to swarm the local streets and businesses.

“The weather here is generally pretty schizophrenic this time of year, so anytime the weather cooperates, we just know Jim Butler Days will be a success!” lead event committee member Joni Eastley told the Tonopah Times after all the activity had come to a close.

“Nearly all of the area hotels were sold out,” Eastley continued, adding, “We had more than 1,000 visitors over the three-day weekend. The crowd size at the Jim Butler Days Stampede, our annual rodeo, was estimated to be at least 900 people! And the Nevada State Mining Championships were visited by about 700 people over the six hours of competition.”

Despite the inundation of out-of-towners temporarily swelling the town’s population, Nye County Sheriff Joe McGill reported that there were no incidents requiring a law enforcement response and the events maintained a safe atmosphere throughout.

Jim Butler Days officially kicked off on May 18 with the pageant and coronation of the 2025 Jim Butler Days King and Queen, with the crowns going to a well-known couple, Sam and Jim Merlino. A talent show and graduations ceremonies for the kindergarten, middle school and high school students were also taking place but the main portion of the fun was centered on the three-day holiday weekend.

The theme of this year’s event was “Try That in a Small Town” - inspired by the hit country song by Jason Aldean of the same name - and the Jim Butler Days Parade on May 24 included several floats sporting the message.

Taking home bragging rights for their parade entry was the Hasana Dance Troupe, scoring the award for first place. Coming in second at the parade was the Mizpah Hotel, followed by Raley’s Market in third, Tonopah Historic Mining Park in fourth and Valley Propane rounding out the winners in fifth place.

As part of the Jim Butler Day festivities, the Nevada State Mining Championships took place Saturday, May 24 too. An enthusiastic crowd gathered on the competition grounds adjacent to the Tonopah Elks Lodge #1062, where everyone was able to fill up on pancakes or hit the “Build Your Own Bloody Mary Bar” prior to the drilling and mucking.

Writer Jackie Boor, the award-winning author of “Logan: The Honorable Life and Scandalous Death of a Western Lawman,” made her way around to three different locations over the weekend. Attendees had the chance to meet her in person and pick up a signed copy of her book, which has been hailed as “Nevada history at its best!”

There were blacksmithing demonstrations, a craft show, the Boys and Girls Club Summer Kickoff, horseshoe tournaments, tastings of wine, beer and whiskey, gold panning, live musical performances, races at the Tonopah Speedway and so much more.

Capping off the festivities, Jim Butler Days concluded with multiple Memorial Day ceremonies on Monday, May 26.

Planning for the 55th Annual Jim Butler Days celebration is already underway and residents are encouraged to mark their calendars for Memorial Day weekend 2026 so they won’t miss the fantastic fun next year.

For more information visit JimButlerDays.com

Contact reporter Robin Hebrock at rhebrock@pvtimes.com