Lucy and Jim Schaller were all bundled up in blankets in their lawn chairs Saturday morning, sitting in front of the Bob Ruud Community Center watching the parade go by.

"It ain't supposed to be this cold in Pahrump," Jim Schaller said. The Schallers, Pahrump residents since 2004, picked their spot at 8 a.m.

Jim Schalller still enjoyed the show, saying, "I think it's awful nice. They put a lot of effort into our community."

By the time Mr. and Mrs. Santa Claus brought up the rear of the parade at Petrack Park, the 118th entry (the Pahrump-A-Pum-Pum float, publicizing the chamber Christmas celebration), it was about 11:15 a.m. The mercury had warmed up from 53 degrees at the start, to 61 degrees.

It was a far cry from the searing heat of some of the Harvest Festivals, traditionally held the weekend after Labor Day. The event was moved to the first weekend in October for its successor, the Pahrump Fall Festival.

Parade watchers enjoyed a variety of moving things, from miniature horses to old jalopies and race cars. The music fare varied from bagpipes to 1950s rock n' roll. Even a few horses rumps were painted in purple and yellow Mardi Gras stripes, in fitting with the masquerade theme.

The grand marshal parade trophy went to the Red Hat Society chapters of Pahrump. The Realtor float took first place for the best masquerade theme.

At the festival grounds, Rotary Club members were hauling up the deep pit barbecue, which was started at 5:30 a.m. Thursday. Club members cooked up 2,100 pounds of beef brisket this year, member Patricia Cox said.

Rotary Club members spent a couple cold evenings providing security.

Some of the usual vendors were on the festival grounds exhibiting their wares, the large selection of cowboy hats, a vendor selling knives and engraved pet tags. Then there were the Indian tacos.

A new vendor from Palm Springs called Sam's Place, was selling stick horses with a sound and moving mouth for $20. A vendor from Yerington named Hydropedes was selling "the world's greatest glycerin-filled shoe insoles."

Brent and Bernie Frost, of Ogden, Utah, were back for the second year selling roasted almonds, pecans and carmel corn.

"We get down here a week ahead of time to mess around. We go all over the country too. We've been to Idaho, Oregon, California, Arizona. We like it here," Brent Frost said.

There was a Buddhist booth for anyone seeking enlightenment. Anyone hoping for more material wealth could try the gold panning exhibit, a first-ever booth, offered by Round Mountain Gold Company.

"Grandpa!! I got gold!" a teenage girl exclaimed, while panning.

"It's nice because most people don't even know where we're at. We go to a lot of job fairs and people say, 'where's Round Mountain?' They just have no idea," said Denise Carver, Round Mountain Gold human resources supervisor.

Fall festival committee spokeswoman Paula Glidden said 210 vendors were booked this year into 225 spaces. For-profit vendors paid $250 for the space, plus $25 for electricity.

Mitch McIntire was walking the festival grounds Saturday afternoon with his wife, while his daughter and her boyfriend were enjoying the carnival next door.

"We've been here about three years now, three festivals," McIntire said. "We love it, absolutely. They need more events like this. We need movie theaters. There's not a whole lot to do in Pahrump. But we look forward to this every year."

Tim and Carolyn Reilly were also newcomers to Pahrump.

"We moved here in August of '05 and didn't realize how big it was and then when we found out, we went in '06. We're going to go as often as possible," Tim Reilly said of the fall festival.

Country and western fans danced the two-step to Dean West and the Smoking Gun Band Saturday afternoon, while the final act Sunday, FlatFoot56 attracted an energetic crowd of teenagers in Gothic attire dancing in a circular "mosh pit."

Glidden said attendance was down this year because of the weather, estimating 20,000 people were on the grounds over the four days.