The annual Freedom Festival, Pahrump's weekend-long celebration of the Fourth of July, is up for grabs for local nonprofit organizations.

In previous years, the festival was put on by the International Association of Fire Fighters, but this year the event is in need of a host.

The IAFF has, however, offered to help any host organizations who may wish to pitch in.

As such, the town board approved soliciting bids to put ads in newspapers in an attempt to let the town's nonprofit organizations know they can host the event.

Interim Town Manager Michael Sullivan said the Fall Festival vendor committee respectfully declined having the event.

"If someone wants to take this opportunity as a fundraiser for their organization, they need to step forward," Murray said.

The town already has the park reserved.

Vice Chairman John McDonald hinted at having the town host the event, but Sullivan recommended against taking that route.

"From the staff standpoint, my recommendation is we are not in the event management business, we should not be in the event management business and we have many events in this community that are hosted by private and nonprofit organizations," Sullivan said.

"This is perhaps a unique opportunity for someone to take over, but I don't think we should be having staff time invested in providing logistical services beyond what we would do for anyone that comes to the park."

Organizations would be selected through a lottery process with names drawn from a hat.

Murray pointed out that, given it was already March, time was running out and it was essential to advertise quickly.

In other Freedom Festival news, the board tabled a decision to approve a contract with Zambelli Fireworks Internationale, the company chosen to put on a fireworks show July 5.

The contract was in need of minor technical adjustments and clarification as to what services would be offered for the $25,000 the town budgeted for the event.

In the past some individuals have expressed outrage that the event was not scheduled for July 4 itself, but Zambelli spokesmen have stressed that such a show would be relatively minor in scale.

By holding the fireworks on an alternate date, the show has aspired to be one of the loudest and brightest in Nevada, bar none.