Serving Clovis, Portales and the Surrounding Communities
Serving Clovis, Portales and the Surrounding Communities
The calendar says December but Mother Nature sure isn’t doing her part to put us in the holiday spirit.
However, not to worry.
That mild weather means there will be another opportunity to do some volunteer work to spiff up veterans’ grave markers at the Portales Cemetery, and as for that holiday spirit stuff, well, break out your Santa hats, because a merry weekend is coming at us like a runaway reindeer.
A new little miss merry christmas will soon be crowned, Eastern New Mexico University is putting finishing touches on its holiday concert, Portales and Clovis are hosting Christmas parades this weekend, and you might - might - still be able to snag a ticket for Altrusa’s Holiday Happening on Saturday morning.
Some details … in the order in which you’ll need them.
The little miss merry christmas pageant is at 6 p.m. Thursday in the Memorial Building, 200 E. Seventh Street, Portales.
A slew of lasses are vying for the tiara that goes to the one who has collected the most “votes” (a penny is a vote) in this annual fundraiser supporting the Portales Christmas light and decoration fund.
Hurry from there to ENMU’s Campus Union Ballroom - and don’t forget your mask - for the 7 p.m. Holiday Concert on Thursday.
Dustin Seifert, chair of the ENMU music department, promises “a festive experience for the entire community,” plus a reception afterward sponsored by the University Friends of Music.
All of Eastern’s music ensembles participate in this seasonal smorgasbord, including the symphonic band, the jazz ensemble, and the choirs.
A few of the treats on the program are a humorous arrangement of “The Twelve Days of Christmas,” a samba setting of the “Dreidel Song,” a Pentatonix arrangement of Tchaikovsky’s “Dance of the Sugar Plum Fairy,” and an audience-participation carol - “Lo, He Comes With Clouds Descending” - with brass and full choirs.
Friday evening, Portales hosts its 35th annual Christmas Light Parade and Jubilee, with live music on the square starting at 5:30 p.m. The parade lines up at the Rec Center at 18th Street and Avenue I beginning at 6 p.m. The lighted entries will start rolling their way back downtown at 6:30 p.m., ending in the C & S parking lot, 300 W. First St.
Warm your heart with a few hours of service on Saturday morning, as volunteers gather for an ongoing project at the Portales Cemetery to reset and clean up markers for hundreds of veterans’ graves there.
Randy Dunson, commander of American Legion Post 31, invites us to bring gloves, shovels, prybars, wheelbarrows, and 5-gallon buckets and meet him at the maintenance shed on the west side of the cemetery at 9 a.m. He’ll have drinking water and directions on how to pitch in and make a difference for the next few hours. If you get lost or have questions, call Dunson at 575-760-3341.
Saturday is also the day for the Portales Altrusa Club’s 23rd Holiday Happening, and if you act quickly - as in today - you might score one of a handful of remaining $30 tickets for the 10:30 a.m.-2 p.m. event at ENMU’s Campus Union Ballroom.
You’ve never seen decorated tables until you’ve seen the creations masterminded by these clever and artistic club members. Altrusan Dannah Brown said she may have a seat or two still open for the event, which includes lunch and a silent auction. Call her at 575-607-6201 to find out.
Cap off this festive weekend on Saturday evening with the Clovis MainStreet Christmas Light Parade that rolls south on Main Street beginning at 6 p.m. The parade route starts at 14th Street and will finish at Second Street. Hot chocolate makes an excellent side dish.
Round up some mistletoe and tie on some tinsel. ’Tis the season.
Betty Williamson is working on her letter to Santa. Reach her at:
