Festival fun time

J'lynn Maestas jumped up and down excited to show the others in line the bright pink and purple butterfly she'd become.

Christina Calloway: Portales News-Tribune

J'lynn Maestas, 4, of Portales gets her face painted into a butterfly by Naomi Martin on Saturday at the 39th annual Portales Peanut Valley Festival.

Maestas, 4, of Portales enjoyed getting her face painted and spending the day with her family at the 39th annual Portales Peanut Valley Festival Saturday at the Roosevelt County Fair Grounds.

"I've been coming to this as long as I lived here, all my life," said Joe Maestas, J'lynn's father. "It's a place for everybody to come out and see people that you don't normally see during the work week."

The Roosevelt County Chamber of Commerce sponsored event featured live music and entertainment, vendors, pony rides and Portales' homegrown crop, the peanut.

Christina Calloway: Portales News-Tribune

The National Peanut Board mascot Buddy McNutty hugged, high-fived and took pictures with children at Saturday's Portales Peanut Valley Festival.

Richard Robbins, a peanut farmer in Roosevelt County and member of the New Mexico Peanut Growers, said this year he's glad the festival is getting back to its roots and involving their group.

"We want all New Mexico peanut growers to be involved in future years," Robbins said. "We want to make it a more educational experience."

Wayne Baker, president of New Mexico Peanut Growers, said they had to hold back what they did with their booth in regards to Sunland Inc.'s products being linked to salmonella victims across the country.

"We're having the most positive response from the community," Baker said about Sunland. "People want them back up and running and are very supportive of them."

Christina Calloway: Portales News-Tribune

Band StateLine rocks out for the Peanut Valley Festival attendees Saturday at the Roosevelt County Fair Grounds.

Kandy Thompson of Roswell said she comes to Portales for the festival every year.

"It's something fun to do," Thompson said while enjoying a belly dancing performance with her family. "I like walking around, enjoying the sights and smells."

Thompson said she was also happy to spend the day with her grandson Peyton Pena, who enjoyed the pony ride best.

Thompson said she wasn't fazed by the recent salmonella scare and was happy to see the festival in full swing.

Christina Calloway: Portales News-Tribune

Children get wild as they jump around in the New Mexico Baptist Childrens Home bounce house at the 39th annual Portales Peanut Valley Festival.

"It actually seems like there's more people here than last year," Thompson said. Her favorite peanut-based treat is peanut brittle.

Wendy Toombs, founder of the Abrazos Adventure, the Horse Connection riding school in Portales, supplied her ponies so children could enjoy a ride.

Jaclyn Lovato, 9, a student of Toombs' from Clovis, said this was her first year attending the festival.

Christina Calloway: Portales News-Tribune

Peyton Pena saddles up on a pony and enjoys the ride Saturday at Wendy Toombs' pony ride area at the 39th annual Portales Peanut Valley Festival.

"It's really cool and fun," Lovato, an aspiring veterinarian, said about the festival. "I'm helping Wendy today because I love to be around the animals."

Her favorite peanut treat is peanut butter matched with apples.

Community organizations were also involved in contributing to the festivities.

The New Mexico Baptist Children's Home in Portales let children bounce around.

"We are supporting the peanut festival by having a bounce house so that kids have something to participate in," Teresa Howard, director of marketing, said. "We are a part of the community and we like to see everything the community does succeed."

Stephanie Gallegos, president of the dance organization Fusion Funk Collective, was happy to bring non-traditional flavor to this year's festival. Her group put on a belly dancing performance.

"It's so cool to be here," Gallegos said. "People want to see new things. I love what I do and I can express myself."

FYI

Parking for Sunday's 39th annual Portales Peanut Valley Festival at the Roosevelt County Fair Grounds has been moved to the west parking lot on Boston Avenue. Event organizers said parking will no longer be allowed in front of the Roosevelt County Ag Extension office.