Peanut Valley Festival set for this weekend

Eastern New Mexico News, Clovis, N.M.
·2 min read

Oct. 11—PORTALES — The 49th Annual Peanut Valley Festival is happening this weekend at the Roosevelt County Fairgrounds in Portales.

Roosevelt County Chamber of Commerce Executive Director Karl Terry said, "It's primarily an arts and crafts show and sale event. We have a variety of different local folks, folks from out of town too."

Terry said the festival will feature a number of Native American artisans.

"Some have been coming for years," he said.

R. Diane Martinez is among those artists.

"Her work has been featured in the Smithsonian Institution in Washington, D.C.," Terry said.

Terry said this year's Peanut Valley Festival will feature the first appearance of Teresa Poncho, a potter from Acoma Pueblo in western New Mexico.

"We'll have about 100 artists and craftspeople at the festival," Terry said.

Terry said in addition to art and pottery there will be "many jewelry options."

"We'll have a local man who does a variety of lapidary work," Terry said. "And he creates jewelry from old silver settings, you know: Spoons, knives, forks."

There will be food at the festival: Mexican, American, kettle corn and more.

"We'll have a variety of different entertainments," Terry said.

He said something new this year will be the appearance of Citadel Cirque Troop that he described as people from Clovis practicing "the circus arts."

Other entertainers on Saturday will be the Ballet Folklorico class from Portales Junior High School, the band Randy Chavez y Sol on stage from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m., Colton Stevens performing starting at 3 p.m.

"Allegiance K-9 demonstration will be there giving a service dog demonstration," Terry said.

Terry said Saturday from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. there will be a health fair.

Terry said the Peanut Valley Festival will have a display set up by the local chapter of the Society for Creative Anachronism demonstrating medieval living and fighting on "the slab" at the fairgrounds.

Sunday will feature performances by the Pony Creek Trio, Fusion World Dancers and a band named Full Circle at 3 p.m.

Terry said admission is free and the festival runs from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Saturday, 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Sunday.

He said for more information people may go to the events calendar at Portales.com .

"Come and get your Christmas shopping done early," Terry said. "Get a gift you can't get anywhere else."