Serving Clovis, Portales and the Surrounding Communities
Serving Clovis, Portales and the Surrounding Communities
Expo to feature livestock sale and shows, other youth contests under FFA and 4-H umbrellas.
CLOVIS -- Out with the Curry County Fair, in with the Curry County Expo.
The Curry County Commission unanimously approved on Wednesday a pair of actions to deal with uncertainty over large public gatherings and the fair that was scheduled for Aug. 11-15.
The first motion, following more than 45 minutes of discussion, postponed the Curry County Fair until 2021 due to limitations on gatherings pursuant to public health orders.
The second motion created the expo, using only the Kevin Roberts Show Arena and the Home Arts Building to feature the youth livestock sale, livestock shows and any other judged youth events under the purview of FFA or 4-H. Youth events that do not fall into that category include the turtle race and the Miss Curry County pageant. Also under the motion, exhibits would be open to spectators in accordance with whatever restrictions on mass gatherings exist at the time.
Victor Reyes of the governor’s office joined the meeting before the fair discussion and gave no particular information about plans for mass gathering limitations in August, but doubted groups of larger than 100 could be convened by then.
“As we continue to reopen various parts of the economy, we’d be very careful about what we consider mass gatherings,” Reyes said. “It’s unlikely that number is going to change in a way that we would see county fairs be able to operate in a way close to what has always been the case.”
The fair was scheduled for Aug. 11-15. While the fair board still has to work out event details, it's anticipated the expo will fall within that same timeline.
Commissioners expressed frustration at the lack of direction coming from Santa Fe on county fairs, but they agreed putting up to $181,000 in taxpayer dollars at risk -- the amount County Manager Lance Pyle has advised putting on a standard fair could run -- would not be the way to take a stand.
There was no specific vote on gate admission, but Fairgrounds Manager Kadee Hande noted the cancellation of the fair also cancels its associated admission rates. For the expo, Hande and commissioners agreed they didn’t see the value in charging admission.
We will have a more detailed story in Sunday’s edition.
