Fall Fest

   Every time autumn comes around, one thing goes through the mind of Pahrump locals — Fall Fest has arrived. Once the weather cools down, you can almost smell the deep-fried Oreos and pickles radiating from Petrack Park.

   Fall Fest, undoubtedly, is the highlight of every Pahrump kid’s year. There are very few events throughout the year that the youth can participate in and actually have fun; all of this enjoyment is due to the Chamber of Commerce and the multiple non-profit organizations that contribute their time.

   Only recently has Fall Fest been run by the Chamber of Commerce (a local non profit organization located above Nevada State Bank). It has been a few years since the town of Pahrump handed the event over (as they did not want to deal with it anymore). However, this will be the 53rd annual Fall Fest.

   Vicky Hilling, event coordinator at the Chamber, begins the planning process for Fall Fest almost immediately after the end of the event each year. Everything is basically the same template, but she takes notes about any issues that arose, so it can be fixed for the next year.

   Each separate part of Fall Fest is run by a committee. Committee meetings are scheduled, with the attendance of members and the main Chamber members, then attendees deliberate on any choice that may need to be made. There are multiple committees, such as entertainment, vendors, rodeo, and parade.  

   There are many aspects to plan in Fall Fest; for example, the process the vendors go through for the year. Applications are posted on the Chamber of Commerce website (Pahrumpchamber.com) in the beginning of June for vendors to apply. It is usually a first come, first serve situation, so vendors are constantly in lookout on the website for the application to be posted.

   Some vendors use these events as a full-time job, traveling around the country and selling their product. They typically call months in advance or even directly after the event to get into next year’s slots. Some vendors have been working Fall Fest for 20 plus years; it is a tradition.

 There is a limit of vendors. Food vendors, for example, use propane tanks to cook their food; therefore, according to fire regulations, they cannot be placed next to each other. So food of the same type has to be limited to two, for variety sake, and must be placed on opposites sides of the field.

   There should not be more food vendors than any other type, so a diagram is created to determine where one can be, and what it is. Other booths at Fall Fest include non-profit organizations which use this opportunity to advertise their project, or help raise money. Vendors may also include local businesses looking to sell their product.

   Each vendor selected must complete essentially a “checklist” showing everything is up-to-date and within safety regulations. Hilling then makes sure everything’s in order before the events.  

   Another thing that is planned out is the entertainment of the event. This year a Facebook and Commerce website post was created by the for local bands to audition. The Entertainment Committee then sat down and reviewed all auditions, narrowing down their favorites.

   Something different is happening every 15 minutes. This year there will be a lot of local bands, including our own Pahrump Valley High School Band. They will perform Saturday morning, the 23rd, from 11am to 11:45am.

   There will also be many games for smaller children, who have restrictions on what they can do, participate in. Games include things like tug of war, a hula hoop contest, and a cake walk.

   This year, Walmart gave a grant to the Chamber to buy small prizes for these games, such as squirt guns and balls, just enough to show kids they are winners ,and they can they feel a sense of pride.

   Many organizations also use this event to fundraise. Last year, Pop Warner sold beer at the rodeo to help raise money for athletics, and the Marine Corps League sold parking in a small area (essentially VIP) to help raise money. This created an issue with the people of Pahrump as they did not know it was for a fundraiser and assumed parking was now charging. These fundraisers are a major source of income to fund many organizations.

   Multitudes of money is put into the event each year, but there isn’t really a profit for the Chamber. Any money made is redistributed into the organizations that donated their time. The profit is strictly dependent on the weather, as most their revenue comes from carnival sales and rodeo tickets.

   If the weather is dreadful and numerous people don’t show, they could lose money. Last year’s Fall Fest had about 27,000 people, an average each year, and made $12,000 (not including labor).

   The Board of Nevada Tourism has a 6% tax on hotel rooms, which they then take a portion of it to advertise for Fall Fest.

 Our carnival rides are provided by The Davis Amusement Company, owned by Kathy Davis. This company has been providing us with rides for so long that they are very “conscious of the community,” said Vicky Hilling.

   Influenced by locals the business usually provides  wristbands (which allow access to all day use of amusement rides) to be passed out for free to families who are in need. This allows even families who struggle to be involved with the community.

   If you want to have a radical time at this years Fall Fest, make sure to come on down to Petrack Park from September 21st to September 24th.