HARVEST FESTIVAL: Pahrump fete turns 38

Barbecue, crafts, entertainment signal annual fair

Local entertainers use the Pahrump Harvest Festival as an occasion to strut their stuff, like these dancers from the Pahrump Valley Dance and Cheer Academy, who performed last year. Photo by MARK WAITE

The smell of the deep pit barbecue, the sound of children zipping around on carnival rides and the sight of crowds wandering past craft booths or sitting on the grass watching local performers can only mean one thing -- it's time for the Pahrump Harvest Festival. The 38th annual event will be in full swing, starting Oct. 4 through Oct. 6.

For the second straight year, the harvest festival was pushed back from its original date the second weekend in September into the first weekend in October. Last year, harvest festival fans enjoyed almost perfect weather conditions.

The Pahrump Harvest Festival actually begins tonight, with the kickoff party to the Second Annual Pony Express re-enactment at the Saddle West Hotel and Casino. The 22-mile Pony Express ride from Pahrump Valley to the Long Street Inn and Casino in Amargosa Valley was designed to be part of a weeklong buildup to the harvest festival. The hoedown, which will take place Wednesday in the parking lot of the Pahrump Nugget, was added to the festivities.

Inland Empire Shows will again set up carnival rides for the second year, and there will be an additional five acres for the carnival setup behind the Pahrump Town Hall.

According to Reed Williams, president of Inland Empire Shows, "The move to the first of October is one of the best things they ever did. You got away from the heat."

Advance-sale tickets, which can be purchased at Floyd's Ace Home Center, are a bargain at $12 for unlimited rides all day. Otherwise, they will be $18 at the gate.

"That's the same price since 1998 when we were bringing 15 rides," said Williams, who has doubled the rides to 30 this year.

Local performers use the harvest festival to showcase their talent. That includes Scotty's Classy Ladies performing at 4 p.m. Oct. 4, followed by the Double Down Cloggers, the South Pacific jazz opera, the Pahrump Valley Cheer and Dance Academy, Donna's Studio of Dance, and that's just up to mid-Friday evening. Performers like the Nevada Silver Tappers and Artistic Dance and Gymnastic Centre take the stage Oct. 5.

The Budweiser-H&M Pipe and Supply stage, situated on the softball infield, won't be idle during the daytime. Before the main acts, J.C. Roberts and the Wild Horse Band will take the stage at 3 p.m. Oct. 4, while the True Blue Band performs at noon on Oct. 5.

At 7 a.m. on Oct. 5, runners will depart from Saitta-Trudeau Chrysler Jeep Dodge for the Fifth Annual Tod Canada Memorial 5K run and one-mile fitness walk. The location was moved from the Mountain Falls golf course, which opened over the summer. A special prize will be given for the best walker's costume portraying the patriotic theme. Pre-registration will take place at the car dealership at 1541 E. Wahkiakum Ave., a block off Highway 160 on Oxbow, from 6 to 7 p.m. Oct. 4 and on race day from 6 to 6:45 a.m.

The annual deep pit barbecue is sponsored by Southern Nye County Search and Rescue. This year's recipe calls for 5,000 pounds of boneless, bottom-round roast wrapped in burlap bags simmered in 160 gallons of barbecue sauce and 15 pounds of garlic. Meals will be priced at $6 for adults, $5 for seniors and $4 for children, and will be served Oct. 5 from noon to 2 p.m. and 5 to 8 p.m.

For those festivalgoers who would rather participate than watch many of the events, they can get involved in the numerous contests, like the sexy legs contest at 1 p.m. Oct. 5 at the Budweiser-H&M Pipe and Supply stage. Follow that with an arm wrestling contest at 3 p.m. A costume contest is planned for children 1 to 8 years old at 1 p.m. on Oct. 6 at the One Day Shade booth, with awards based on this year's patriotism theme. Following that, an Oreo cookie stacking contest is planned for children 4 to 9 years old in the same location.

Organizers scrapped kids contests like the cute baby contest, pie-eating contest and hula hoop contest this year.

Church on a Mission and the Christian community of Pahrump invite the public to an interdenominational church service at 9 a.m. Oct. 6 at the Bill Heard Chevrolet Stage. The Grapevine Fellowship Dance and Mime Troupe will perform. The keynote message will be delivered by internationally known speaker and radio personality Miles McKee. There is limited grandstand seating, so church members recommend people bring chairs.

The Pahrump Elks Lodge No. 2796 will sponsor its eighth annual breakfast from 6 a.m. to noon, Oct. 4-6 at the cook shack near the rodeo arena and the carnival grounds. Proceeds will be donated to the Safe Haven program for abused children, of which there are six safe houses in Pahrump.

The Pahrump Harvest Festival board will donate some of the proceeds from booth rentals this year to the Family Resource Center, chairwoman Gail Hardy said. Some vendors will take up a lot of space. The Hitching Post will set up horse trailers, Bill Heard Chevrolet will have cars on display, Palm Harbor will display a mobile home and the National Guard tank that was popular with children last year will be on hand, Hardy said.

Hardy said there are 175 vendors signed up. Many of the popular vendors from past years will return, selling cowboy hats, wood products, stained glass, tattoos, engraved metal, almost anything under the sun. While shopping, people can munch on Navajo tacos, Oriental food, Chicks on a Stick, Pioneer Pride sausage, Dahlman Brothers lemonade, Spinner Spuds, Hawaiian shaved ice, Round Table Pizza and kettle corn.

"This is not a trade show. This is more like a craft show for people to come and buy things. We would like every booth to sell something," Hardy said. "Some of our crafters make $3,000 to $4,000 a weekend. We're one of the biggest money-makers for them.

"We have a big variety. We try not to duplicate too much. We try not to have a lot of the same type of booths," she said. "In the old days, this is where everybody did their Christmas shopping because people didn't want to go to town or they couldn't. Of course we have a lot more selection of things now."

Barbara Griffith expects more than 1,000 fair exhibits inside the Pahrump Community Center. They will be on display from noon to 8 p.m. Oct. 4-5, and 10 a.m. to 4:45 p.m. Oct. 6. Ribbons will be awarded for clothing and textiles, art, food, horticulture and crafts. Exhibits will include creative writing, photography, painting, sculpture, jams, cakes, pastries, ornamental plants, quilts, sewing and needle craft. Age divisions for the judging include peewee, 8 years old and under; youth division, 9 to 12; teen, 13 to 17; and adults, 18 and older.

A major highlight of the harvest festival will be the main acts, which include Roxanne and Hot Cargo at 9:30 p.m. Oct. 4, The Atomic Punks at 9:30 p.m. Oct. 5 and Doo-wopp.com at 1 p.m. and 4:30 p.m. Oct. 6. The U.S. Marine Corps Band are also headliners, playing at 5 p.m. Oct. 5 and 11:30 a.m. Oct. 6.

The Pahrump Harvest Festival Rodeo will break out of the chutes at 7:30 p.m. Oct. 4-5, as well as a 4 p.m. matinee on Oct. 6. Pahrump Valley Speedway won't be left out of the action, either, as it will play host to its biggest event of the year with dwarf cars, IMCA modifieds, street stocks, pro stocks and mini-stocks taking to the dirt Oct. 4, while the Oct. 5 competition will feature the TQ Midgets, IMCA modifieds, dwarf cars, street stocks, pro stocks and mini-stocks.


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