Officials optimistic on summer events

The fate of traditional summertime events remains up in the air. But local Chamber of Commerce directors are feeling optimistic.

Curry County Chamber Executive Director Ernie Kos said with Curry County just moving from yellow (high risk) to green (medium risk) on the state's COVID-19 risk scale last week, it is too soon to be able to say what will happen.

"Everything right now is just too soon to be determined," Kos said. "I anticipate that everyone will do their best to try to push forward and hold events. Other than events, it's really exciting that we're in green. Last (Thursday) night, the bowling alley was already advertising that they were open."

Kos said the chamber's biggest concern at the moment is the annual music festival and Draggin' Main events scheduled for June. She said community meetings will be set soon to "figure out how we can have community events and still be COVID safe."

She said Pioneer Days will not take place this year, but she's hopeful the county fair will happen in August.

"I can tell you this much, the communities of Clovis and Portales are ready to break out and have some outdoor events. So, I think if we can get them back up, they'll be very successful events this year," Kos said.

Roosevelt County is at the turquoise level (low risk) on the state's COVID-19 risk scale.

Roosevelt County Chamber Executive Director Karl Terry said he feels confident that most, if not all, of the county's warm-weather traditions will take place this year.

"As far as visiting with my board (of directors), the word has been to move forward as if everything is going to be normal and adjust as the situation dictates," he said. "So, if we have to have everyone at Heritage Days (June 18-19) masked up, we'll do our best to make that happen."

He said chamber staff are about to send out registration forms for the classic car show held in conjunction with Heritage Days.

Terry said some activities usually held as part of Heritage Days may have to be canceled or altered, such as the street dance usually held the first night of the event.

"I'm not ready to throw the towel in on that yet, but that may be one of the things we have to make changes on," he said. "Heritage Days may be a little stickier, but I am 99 percent sure the fireworks show (in July) will happen, because there are standards that will allow that as a drive-in event. In our conversations with folks from the state government, they're scratching their heads on events a little bit. They have said they will be back with communities with some guidance by late April in regard to guidelines for outdoor events."

Terry said merchants at the fair in August will depend on the county's risk rating and guidelines at the time.

"If we stay in turquoise by then, we should be able to operate fairly normally (for the fair)," he said. "The next event that is kind of iffy is the Halloween downtown trick-or-treat, because it includes a lot of close contact, so if this (the virus) comes back around again, that may have to be canceled."

Terry said he also has concerns about indoor events for the fall, such the annual Peanut Valley Festival in October. He said chamber staff will begin communicating with vendors for the festival in the summer, so businesses can begin registering as if the event will be held.

"With the turquoise level, we think we should be able to do a legislative appreciation event (on April 15) as well. Whether it will be a lunch or not, we are not sure yet. If we do lunch, it would be a sack lunch-type thing that they walk by and pick up," he said.

Looking ahead to Christmas, Terry said last year's drive-through parade is not likely to be repeated because of traffic safety issues it created. Hopefully, a traditional Christmas parade can return safely.

For now, Terry said he feels overall optimistic about the future.

"I think we're going to see people really happy to be back to doing things more normally," he said. "And I think they will do them safely, because they've been through hell, and they don't want to go back."