Great Gatsby-themed homeschool prom brings teens roaring twenties fun in Pahrump

Sparkly dresses, tuxes and vintage-style hats filled Nevada Treasure RV Resort with a Great Gatsby look as Pahrump homeschool teens claimed a prom of their own. The free event, held Saturday, April 25, gave students ages 13 through 18 a chance to dance, play games and share a night built specifically for families outside the traditional school system.

Amber Tumbarello, her husband, David, and other homeschool parents organized the prom after first talking about the idea about a year earlier. By the time the doors opened, the room had been dressed in gold, white and black to match the Roaring Twenties theme, turning the resort into a setting that felt part formal dance and part community celebration.

The night was designed to feel festive without losing the structure families wanted. Along with dancing, students took part in games such as musical chairs and lined up for sweet treats that included cake pops, slushies and chocolate-covered pretzels. A formal dress code set the tone, but the details of the evening made it clear this was not a standard school prom borrowed from a public campus. It was a version shaped by homeschool parents who wanted the same milestone experience without the school setting.

That matters in Nye County, where homeschool families often have to build their own social calendar. Events like this give teens a place to meet peers, dress up and take part in a rite of passage that many students in conventional schools receive almost automatically. For the Pahrump homeschool community, the prom doubled as a social bridge, bringing together families who helped plan, decorate and carry out the event.

Judy Lovegren said she appreciated Amber Tumbarello’s initiative and the chance for families to work together. The gathering reflected that cooperation in a practical way: parents, not a school district, created the venue, the theme and the schedule for the evening. Nevada Treasure RV Resort, which highlights community activities among its amenities, provided a local backdrop that fit the purpose of the night.

In a town where family-led education is part of the landscape, the prom showed how a small, coordinated group can build its own traditions without waiting for a school to do it for them.