Around 60 miles west of Las Vegas, Pahrump, Nevada’s fall festival and rodeo were in full swing on a recent weekend.
The dry desert heat had broken by sundown. The amusement park rides swung fest-goers around. Families played carnival games — including one basketball challenge that advertised “cheating allowed.” Rodeo fans in the stands donned a mix of ball caps and cowboy hats, sneakers and work shoes and the occasional bedazzled belt buckle.
All around, dust kicked up from the field where the festival was held, and smoke and the aroma of fried foods wafted from vendors’ stands…