Heritage Days heats up

PORTALES - It was a hot one but the crowds in Portales found plenty to keep it cool Saturday with candy, cars, country music and plenty more during the city's 35th annual Heritage Days celebration.

"It seems to be getting a little better each year," Don Massey said of the increasing turnout in Saturday's car show, which featured 65 entries in the shaded south end of City Park.

The same could be said of the programming overall. The parade, touted as the celebration's feature event, showcased about 40 floats proceeding down 2nd Street from Eastern New Mexico University with candy streaming to eager bystanders. At City Park, where the parade finished, attendees enjoyed a variety of musical entertainment - older country in the morning, followed by blues, bongos and fusion world dancers - as well as a smorgasbord of booths recreational, educational and alimentary.

Vonnie McIntosh of Texico said she and her husband look forward to Heritage Days each year in "the big city." Normally they have an entry in the car show, but this year they were content to set up a chair and enjoy the live music.

Fort Sumner's Richard Haynes entered in this year's car show a restored 1967 Oldsmobile, nearly identical to the car his wife Lynda drove when they first met. The couple married soon after and taught school for years, but sold the Oldsmobile for a family station wagon once they started having kids.

All those who entered in the car show received a cap and a plaque with a picture of their car and details. On a 1971 Ford Bronco, one participant listed for "outstanding features" that the "grandkids love it."

Kids had their hands full with diversion Saturday in the park. There was the bouncy castle, the face painting and the petting goats. On the playground equipment, Dottie Roberts visiting from Florida pushed her 3-year old great-grandson Noah Kopera on the swings.

"The attendance, it seems to me, has been better than average," Chamber of Commerce Executive Director Karl Terry told The News. "We've averaged, we say two to three thousand people."

Heritage Days kicked off Friday evening with a street dance featuring live music from The Blackwater Band. It was a strong start to a weekend that followed through Saturday in attendance and atmosphere.

"It was just an outstanding time," Terry added.