diff --git a/src/__tests__/components/AjaxSelectClientSide.test.tsx b/src/__tests__/components/AjaxSelectClientSide.test.tsx
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..78c50f1
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/__tests__/components/AjaxSelectClientSide.test.tsx
@@ -0,0 +1,165 @@
+import React from 'react';
+import { render, screen, waitFor } from '@testing-library/react';
+import userEvent from '@testing-library/user-event';
+import { vi } from 'vitest';
+import { QueryClient, QueryClientProvider } from '@tanstack/react-query';
+import AjaxSelect from '@/components/AjaxSelect';
+import { useSearchOptions, useSelectedOptions } from '../../hooks/useSearchOptions';
+
+// Mock the useSearchOptions hook
+vi.mock('../../hooks/useSearchOptions');
+
+const mockUseSearchOptions = vi.mocked(useSearchOptions);
+const mockUseSelectedOptions = vi.mocked(useSelectedOptions);
+
+const mockOptions = [
+  { id: 1, name: 'Concert' },
+  { id: 2, name: 'Conference' },
+  { id: 3, name: 'Party' },
+  { id: 4, name: 'Festival' },
+];
+
+const TestWrapper: React.FC<{ children: React.ReactNode }> = ({ children }) => {
+  const queryClient = new QueryClient({
+    defaultOptions: {
+      queries: {
+        retry: false,
+      },
+    },
+  });
+
+  return (
+    <QueryClientProvider client={queryClient}>
+      {children}
+    </QueryClientProvider>
+  );
+};
+
+describe('AjaxSelect Client Side Filtering', () => {
+  const defaultProps = {
+    label: 'Test Select',
+    endpoint: 'test-endpoint',
+    value: '' as number | '',
+    onChange: vi.fn(),
+    placeholder: 'Type to search...',
+    clientSideFiltering: true,
+  };
+
+  beforeEach(() => {
+    vi.clearAllMocks();
+    // Mock useSearchOptions to return ALL options regardless of query
+    mockUseSearchOptions.mockReturnValue({
+      data: mockOptions,
+      isLoading: false,
+      error: null,
+      isError: false,
+      isSuccess: true,
+      status: 'success',
+      fetchStatus: 'idle',
+      isPending: false,
+      isLoadingError: false,
+      isRefetchError: false,
+      isRefetching: false,
+      isFetching: false,
+      isFetched: true,
+      isFetchedAfterMount: true,
+      isPlaceholderData: false,
+      isStale: false,
+      refetch: vi.fn(),
+      dataUpdatedAt: Date.now(),
+      errorUpdatedAt: 0,
+      failureCount: 0,
+      failureReason: null,
+      errorUpdateCount: 0,
+      isInitialLoading: false,
+      isPaused: false,
+      isEnabled: true,
+      promise: Promise.resolve(mockOptions),
+    } as const);
+
+    // Mock useSelectedOptions to return empty by default
+    mockUseSelectedOptions.mockReturnValue({
+      data: [],
+      isLoading: false,
+      error: null,
+      isError: false,
+      isSuccess: true,
+      status: 'success',
+      fetchStatus: 'idle',
+      isPending: false,
+      isLoadingError: false,
+      isRefetchError: false,
+      isRefetching: false,
+      isFetching: false,
+      isFetched: true,
+      isFetchedAfterMount: true,
+      isPlaceholderData: false,
+      isStale: false,
+      refetch: vi.fn(),
+      dataUpdatedAt: Date.now(),
+      errorUpdatedAt: 0,
+      failureCount: 0,
+      failureReason: null,
+      errorUpdateCount: 0,
+      isInitialLoading: false,
+      isPaused: false,
+      isEnabled: true,
+      promise: Promise.resolve([]),
+    } as const);
+  });
+
+  it('filters options client-side based on search query', async () => {
+    const user = userEvent.setup();
+
+    render(
+      <TestWrapper>
+        <AjaxSelect {...defaultProps} />
+      </TestWrapper>
+    );
+
+    const input = screen.getByRole('combobox');
+    await user.click(input);
+    
+    // Initially all options should be visible
+    expect(screen.getByText('Concert')).toBeInTheDocument();
+    expect(screen.getByText('Conference')).toBeInTheDocument();
+    expect(screen.getByText('Party')).toBeInTheDocument();
+    expect(screen.getByText('Festival')).toBeInTheDocument();
+
+    // Type 'Con' - should show Concert and Conference
+    await user.type(input, 'Con');
+
+    await waitFor(() => {
+      expect(screen.getByText('Concert')).toBeInTheDocument();
+      expect(screen.getByText('Conference')).toBeInTheDocument();
+      expect(screen.queryByText('Party')).not.toBeInTheDocument();
+      expect(screen.queryByText('Festival')).not.toBeInTheDocument();
+    });
+
+    // Type 'f' - should show Conference and Festival (case insensitive)
+    await user.clear(input);
+    await user.type(input, 'f');
+
+    await waitFor(() => {
+      expect(screen.queryByText('Concert')).not.toBeInTheDocument();
+      expect(screen.getByText('Conference')).toBeInTheDocument();
+      expect(screen.queryByText('Party')).not.toBeInTheDocument();
+      expect(screen.getByText('Festival')).toBeInTheDocument();
+    });
+  });
+
+  it('calls useSearchOptions with empty query when clientSideFiltering is true', () => {
+    render(
+      <TestWrapper>
+        <AjaxSelect {...defaultProps} />
+      </TestWrapper>
+    );
+
+    expect(mockUseSearchOptions).toHaveBeenCalledWith(
+      'test-endpoint',
+      '', // Empty query
+      {},
+      { limit: 100 } // Limit override
+    );
+  });
+});
diff --git a/src/components/AjaxSelect.tsx b/src/components/AjaxSelect.tsx
index d8e0cbf..f027c61 100644
--- a/src/components/AjaxSelect.tsx
+++ b/src/components/AjaxSelect.tsx
@@ -17,6 +17,7 @@ interface AjaxSelectProps {
   extraParams?: Record<string, string | number>;
   className?: string;
   disabled?: boolean;
+  clientSideFiltering?: boolean;
 }
 
 export const AjaxSelect: React.FC<AjaxSelectProps> = ({
@@ -29,6 +30,7 @@ export const AjaxSelect: React.FC<AjaxSelectProps> = ({
   extraParams = {},
   className = '',
   disabled = false,
+  clientSideFiltering = false,
 }) => {
   const [query, setQuery] = useState('');
   const [debouncedQuery, setDebouncedQuery] = useState('');
@@ -54,8 +56,9 @@ export const AjaxSelect: React.FC<AjaxSelectProps> = ({
   // Fetch search results based on user query
   const { data: searchResults = [], isLoading } = useSearchOptions(
     endpoint,
-    debouncedQuery,
-    extraParams
+    clientSideFiltering ? '' : debouncedQuery,
+    extraParams,
+    clientSideFiltering ? { limit: 100 } : {}
   );
 
   // Merge and deduplicate options from both queries
@@ -76,9 +79,18 @@ export const AjaxSelect: React.FC<AjaxSelectProps> = ({
   }, [selectedOptionsData, searchResults]);
 
   // Filter out already selected option for the dropdown
-  const availableOptions = value
-    ? allOptions.filter(option => option.id !== value)
-    : allOptions;
+  const availableOptions = useMemo(() => {
+    let options = value
+      ? allOptions.filter(option => option.id !== value)
+      : allOptions;
+
+    if (clientSideFiltering && query) {
+      const lowerQuery = query.toLowerCase();
+      options = options.filter(option => option.name.toLowerCase().includes(lowerQuery));
+    }
+
+    return options;
+  }, [allOptions, value, clientSideFiltering, query]);
 
   // Get selected option for display
   const selectedOption = value
@@ -95,7 +107,7 @@ export const AjaxSelect: React.FC<AjaxSelectProps> = ({
     ? 'Searching...'
     : availableOptions.length > 0
       ? `${availableOptions.length} result${availableOptions.length === 1 ? '' : 's'} available`
-      : query && debouncedQuery
+      : query && (clientSideFiltering || debouncedQuery)
         ? 'No results found'
         : '';
 
@@ -309,7 +321,7 @@ export const AjaxSelect: React.FC<AjaxSelectProps> = ({
                   {option.name}
                 </button>
               ))
-            ) : query && debouncedQuery ? (
+            ) : query && (clientSideFiltering || debouncedQuery) ? (
               <div className="px-3 py-2 text-gray-500 dark:text-gray-400 text-sm" role="status">
                 No results found for "{query}"
               </div>
diff --git a/src/routes/event-edit.tsx b/src/routes/event-edit.tsx
index 1451820..c09671a 100644
--- a/src/routes/event-edit.tsx
+++ b/src/routes/event-edit.tsx
@@ -256,6 +256,7 @@ const EventEdit: React.FC<{ eventSlug: string }> = ({ eventSlug }) => {
                         value={formData.event_type_id}
                         onChange={(val) => setFormData((p) => ({ ...p, event_type_id: val }))}
                         placeholder="Type to search event types..."
+                        clientSideFiltering={true}
                     />
                     {renderError('event_type_id')}
                 </div>