A more scaled-down version of the annual Pahrump Fall Festival will be on display this weekend, focusing more on local entertainment.

There wasn't a big name concert on tap Thursday night. There won't be a third annual Pahrump Idol contest, or even a deep-pit barbecue, a long-time tradition of the event.

The five-kilometer run that was a part of the festivities several years ago will return along with the cutest baby contest.

When the Pahrump Harvest Festival disbanded and became the Fall Festival in 2004, the date was moved back from the weekend after Labor Day to the first weekend in October. This year the date was moved up one week to accommodate the rodeo schedule and the carnival, Fall Festival Publicity Chairman Paula Glidden said.

The Professional Rodeo Cowboy Association event at McCullough Arena is the biggest spectator draw. This year The Notorious One-Arm Bandit will provide diversions for the crowds of 2,500 that usually pack the arena stands Friday and Saturday nights.

Tickets are $15 for the rodeo at 8 p.m. Friday, 7 p.m. Saturday and 2 p.m. Sunday.

"We do notice the rodeo ticket sales are down a little bit. But a lot of those get bought at the gate," Glidden said.

Rodeo tickets are available on-line this year at pahrumprodeo.com.

The Fall Festival Parade kicks off at 7:45 a.m. from Honeysuckle and Dandelion streets. The theme this year is "Movie Madness."

"We're looking for a lot of Pahrump stars out of that," Glidden said. "Dress depicting whatever kind of movie you want."

Glidden said there were 105 entries in the parade as of early this week. An election year will ensure a lot of candidates riding in the floats. Judging of the floats takes place before the parade.

Rhonda Van Winkle, who will be reading off the entries as they pass the reviewing stand on Highway 160, said the floats won't be in numerical order this year, a challenge for broadcasting the names.

When it came to the festival itself, Glidden said in general, "They're expanding the 4-H area, trying to do more local bands, trying to do more for little kids."

The Pahrump Idol contest debuted in 2006 but there were some complaints Las Vegas entertainers won the $1,000 top prizes.

"There's no Pahrump Idol because the money's just not there for prizes. The Fall Festival money-wise is way down this year. We're not doing anything like that this year. I'm keeping everything more local," said Entertainment Committee Chairman Dave Yoder.

Yoder said the fall festival lost $40,000 last year on the big name act, country-western star Darryl Worley, who performed Thursday night. Traci Byrd was the headline act in 2006, also on a Thursday night.

"When I came in the whole collective board told me I couldn't spend more than $30,000 this year," Yoder said. "I'm not even at $20,000."

He said over 90 percent of the bands will be local. That includes groups like County Line, Midnight Country, Desert Knights and the Diamond Back Band.

"We kind of decided this is supposed to be Pahrump's Fall Festival. I have a few bands I brought in from out of town just because I had to. I used as much local talent as I could," Yoder said.

One local favorite, the Randy Anderson Band, takes the stage at 8 p.m. Saturday.

A Neil Diamond impersonator, Rick Pierce, will take the stage at 6 p.m. today.

The price of carnival tickets purchased at the gate is $30. Advance tickets for $18 are sold out, committee member Nena Kelly said, but carnival goers can still get a $5 discount coupon online at FunNBiz.com.

Inland Empire Amusements will have over 50 rides and games, she said. The carnival opened at 5 p.m. Thursday.

Instead of the deep-pit barbecue, the Pahrump Valley Rotary Club hired a barbecue cook from Moapa Valley to serve up barbecue beef, beans and cole slaw this year.

"We're not doing the deep bit barbecue this year. What we did is, we got a professional. He's not going to to do a deep pit barbecue but he's going to put on a good spread. He'll be partnering with the Rotary Club," Rotary Club board member Brian Strain said. "He's going to donate part of his earnings to the local Boys and Girls Club."

Strain said the Pahrump Valley Rotary Club hardly realized a profit from the event the last couple years.

"Four years ago the Rotary Club took it over but the way it was run it was a very labor-intensive event and you've got to have a big club to keep it going," he said.

The High Desert Shorts International Film Festival, held during the fall festival the last two years, has been postponed until Nov. 6-8 when chairman Linda Kass said there won't be as many competing events.

A five-kilometer race will depart at 7 a.m. from the Betty Loop, just north of the new Home Depot store. Pahrump Valley High School Cross Country Coach Andy Andersen said proceeds will go toward the high school athletic program and specifically, the cross country program.

The $30 entry fee includes a T-shirt and medals for the top three entries in the different age groups which includes runners under 18, 18 to 34 years old, 35 to 54 years old and 55 and over.

Besides a cute baby contest, festival goers Saturday can see a dojo demonstration and the usual sexy legs contest. On Sunday, a toy animal parade at noon, will be followed by the ugliest dog contest and an open fashion dog show.

The Pahrump Valley Winery is the venue for the annual grape stomp from noon to 6 p.m. Saturday. Contestants will have two minutes to produce as much juice as possible. Lawrence T and the Real Deal will provide musical entertainment.

Glidden said more of the attendees should use the shuttle service from the Pahrump Nugget and Saddle West Hotel and Casino.

"It runs every 15 minutes and you don't have to fight the parking," she said.

Over 200 vendors have signed up for booths, Glidden said, which cost $280 each including electric service. Some of the vendors sign up a year in advance to sell everything from cowboy hats to Indian tacos to knives.

"We're just praying the weather is good becasue that's what killed us last year, it was cold," Glidden said. A freak cold snap kept temperatures in the 50s during the parade last year.

After months of preparations the only thing the Fall Festival Committee can't control is the weather. But Glidden should get her request, the forecast this weekend is for sunny skies and highs of 98 degrees Saturday and 94 Sunday.