Serving Clovis, Portales and the Surrounding Communities
Serving Clovis, Portales and the Surrounding Communities
Clovis and Portales both have their annual fireworks shows scheduled for Thursday, with the annual "Smoke on the Water" display at Greene Acres Park and Portales' display at the Industrial Drive softball complex.
The fireworks are at night, but the cities of Clovis and Portales welcome you to come out early to celebrate Independence Day in eastern New Mexico.
Preparation for Clovis' annual "Smoke on the Water" event started Tuesday with portions of Main Street closed off for the fireworks shooter to set up. The show itself is scheduled for 9 p.m. Thursday, bringing a "dazzling grand finale" to cap a day of food and live music at Greene Acres Park.
"The annual fireworks show brings in a huge crowd and is highly anticipated," said a news release from the Clovis/Curry County Chamber of Commerce. Streets will be closed off around the park starting at 7 a.m., and live music will begin at 4 p.m. and continue through the night. Be aware of street closures from 1:30 to 10 p.m. on "21st Street from Mitchell to Main, and Mitchell Street from 21st to Purdue."
Bring a chair or a blanket, and "keep in mind that if you bring your pets, they may not love the fireworks as much as you do." With the expected crowd comes tight parking, so if walking to the park is an option then organizers hope you will consider it.
Event sponsors are also providing free 3-D glasses to enhance the nighttime light show, available for pickup at the main stage at Greene Acres park.
In Portales the regular "star-spangled public fireworks show" at the City Softball Complex on Industrial Drive is scheduled for 9:30 p.m. the same night. That's half an hour later than their normal kick-off "to allow for a darker sky and a better show," according to a news release from the Roosevelt County Chamber of Commerce. Organizers are also "dropping the choreographed music in order to try and lengthen the show." It's the visuals that really matter with fireworks anyway, isn't it?
Chamber staff will pass out glow sticks for the kids while supplies last, and "people are welcome to bring their picnics out to the park earlier in the evening."
Both shows are contingent on weather, of course. Follow the Roosevelt chamber's Facebook page "for weather and safety updates as the event approaches," and should the rain interrupt Clovis' show then the fireworks themselves will be pushed to Friday.
Safety is a priority for both events - so residents are asked to heed the road closures and traffic control officers and leave their own fireworks at home.
