Party time!!

The Pahrump Fall Festival starts Friday at Petrack Park on the corner of Basin Avenue and Highway 160.

The event will run from Friday through Sunday, and said Coni Rockwood, "It will be the biggest and best festival to date."

With more than 400 vendors, a carnival, rodeo, food and horticulture exhibits, arts and crafts, dirt track racing, and much more, it is certain that everyone will have a great time.

The big parade - which has Pahrump Valley High School athletes as grand marshals - will begin at 9 a.m. Saturday. Spectators are encouraged to come early and pick the best spot for viewing. Judges for this year's parade include Las Vegas celebrities John and Jordan Fredericks, Nate Tannenbaum, Beth Fischer, Kendall Tenney, and Dana Wagner.

This year's carnival offers a new idea that allows an adult to ride free with a child's paid ride in the "Get Wild With Child" program. Tickets will be available near each ride. The 'Rodeo One-Armed Bandit," who is hugely popular on the PRCA circuit, will entertain rodeo fans.

Also, tables will be provided for those enjoying the deep pit barbecue sponsored by the Rotary Club. And, if parking is a concern, there will be 200 additional parking spaces available behind the rodeo stands. Ronald McDonald will be on hand to greet children of all ages.

The Elks Lodge will hold a big breakfast each day of the event. The 4-H will have a stock auction; and there will be games, a pie eating contest, sexy leg contest, cutest baby and ugliest dog contests, and a cakewalk. And well, the list is endless. Music will be heard from Pahrump's own Countyline, Spin Disks, Vegas Blues Kings, Hotel California - Eagles tribute, Slow Children, Ivory Johnson, White Horse, Eric and Carmen - Blues Brother tribute, Randy Anderson Band, D'Nile and so much more.

Sponsors for this year's event include Budweiser, Nevada State Bank, Saitta-Trudeau Chrysler Jeep Dodge, Albertson's, Pahrump Valley Auto Mall, Ace Hardware, Sun Valley Homes, Valley Bank, Remax, Mountain View Casino, Saddle West, Terrible's and Wal-Mart, to name a few.

Service groups will be supporting the event with the VFW and American Legion setting the pace.

Although there may be last minute schedule changes, no interruptions are anticipated.

The Nye County Sheriff's Department will be on site to ensure security and to provide assistance in the event of an emergency. An information booth will be located in the center of the park, and staff will hand out event schedules and other pertinent items.

"This year is going to be a great year. All the volunteers have put in a lot of time, and everyone is very excited," stated Rockwood. "We look forward to seeing everyone have a great time."

Look in Friday's edition for the Pahrump Valley Times' annual Fall Festival Guide for more information on times, dates and venues for Pahrump's big weekend of the year.

What are people saying about mortgages today:

Rates on 30-year mortgages edged down last week to a seven-month low. Mortgage-giant Freddie Mac reported Thursday that 30-year, fixed-rate mortgages fell to 6.3 percent, down slightly from 6.31 percent two weeks ago. It put rates at the lowest level since they were at 6.24 percent the first week of March.

Bank of Hawaii, Central Pacific Bank, Territorial Savings Bank and Wells Fargo Home Mortgages all cut their 30-year mortgage rates to 5.75 percent this week.

Most people think of a mortgage as a means to an end. After all, you buy a house, not a home loan. But a mortgage is much more than the path to homeownership. It is a financial instrument that must be managed, just like any other financial investment.