Serving Clovis, Portales and the Surrounding Communities
Serving Clovis, Portales and the Surrounding Communities
I was at a concert outside the Lea County Museum in Lovington last week, enjoying a balmy evening and some good tunes.
As the sun set and the evening thankfully began to cool off, multi-colored neon lights started to wink on a few blocks to our east.
Although I was puzzled at first, it soon became clear they were the tops of carnival rides, setting up in preparation for the opening of the region’s first county fair this year.
If you’re the kind of person who keeps score (and by golly, I am) and if you get cracking, you could attend nine (count ’em … NINE) county fairs in New Mexico this week.
The fine folks at New Mexico State University who oversee our county extension service keep an online list of these annual celebrations of all-things-agriculture in our state.
Even as you read this, there are people lined up for smoked turkey legs and funnel cakes in Colfax, De Baca, Lea, Lincoln, Los Alamos, Mora/San Miguel (they join forces), Torrance, Union, and Valencia counties.
I listed those in alphabetical order … to be “fair,” you know.
Next week the fun comes closer to home as Curry County swings into action on Monday, and Quay County opens its gates one week from today. The rides will be spinning in Roosevelt County from Aug. 26-31.
After all of that, if you’ve still not had your fill of cotton candy and caramel apples, the New Mexico State Fair in Albuquerque offers 10 days of excitement from Sept. 5-15.
Save room for one more corn dog at the Eastern New Mexico State Fair in Roswell from Oct. 1-6.
I grew up in a three-fair family, like a “fair” number (sorry … I just can’t stop it) of my friends. We were rank amateurs in the market steer competition, but we had some good years playing the game, with annual week-long pilgrimages to Portales, Albuquerque, and Roswell.
While our focus was on our animals — no, really — there were definitely traditions to be enjoyed at each location: Green chile cheeseburgers from the 4-H booth in Portales, fry bread at the state fair Native American village, and the best posole of our lives at a church-sponsored food booth in Roswell.
It’s highly possible my favorite thing about fairs is food.
No, that’s wrong. It’s my second favorite.
My favorite is a chance to celebrate so many of the good things we have in our rural communities: Kids and crafts and animals and friendships that go back for generations.
All of that … and maybe a heaping platter of salty fried potatoes.
Betty Williamson is fair-ly beside herself with anticipation. Reach her at:
