There’s going to be a big fiesta at this year’s Peanut Valley Craft & Music Festival as the fall
tradition celebrates its 50th birthday Oct. 21-22 at the Roosevelt County Fairgrounds in Portales.
According to Roosevelt County Chamber Executive Director Karl Terry the plan to mark the
festival’s 50th year will feature the local band Randy Chavez y Sol at 12 noon on Saturday. The
band will be followed by La Casita Elementary School’s Baile Folklorico group performing
traditional folk dance in colorful costumes. What birthday fiesta would be complete without
piñatas? Kids can get ready for lots of candy as piñatas get smashed on the slab near the outdoor
stage. There will also be birthday cake and prizes as well.
The festival is all about the arts and crafts but the name and the flavor pays homage to the area’s
heritage growing and processing peanuts.
Peanut Festival title sponsor Hampton Farms will be supplying all the peanuts at the festival. The
Portales Woman’s Club, the oldest service club in the county, will have a booth dedicated to
selling peanuts. They’ll have roasted in both salted and unsalted as well as raw peanuts for those
holiday bakers. They will also be selling a variety of flavored peanuts and candies including
peanut patties and peanut brittle.
Peanut Valley Festival has long been known as the largest and best arts and crafts show in
Eastern New Mexico and West Texas. This year’s lineup of approximately 100 vendors speaks
to that tradition. Included in the wares of the vendors at Peanut Festival are jewelry, Native
American pottery, candles, cutlery, embroidered and engraved items and fine arts. A variety of
non-profits and franchised reps are included as well.
“Peanut Festival is the perfect place to get your Christmas shopping started with unique gifts for
all ages and price ranges,” said Terry.
The PVF Health Fair, will be held in the Pavilion, Saturday only from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. Free flu
shots as well as a variety of screenings, including hearing and speech will be available.
The festival features continuous live entertainment. Musical acts include Audra & the
Stringbenders Saturday morning and Pony Creek that afternoon. On Sunday, Full Circle
featuring classic rock and country is on stage at 12:30 p.m. and Kenny Allen and Friends finishes
out the festival with classic country.
Saturday following the birthday fiesta Citadel Cirque Troupe will perform on the slab. Fusion
World Dancers will perform Sunday morning and. Dance Studio Extreme will follow Full Circle
that afternoon, Allegiance K-9 and Medieval Village re-enactors from the Blackwater Keep will
give demos several times on the slab throughout the festival.
Sponsors of this year’s event are Hampton Farms, Walmart, Wheeler Mortuary, Xcel Energy, LP
Insurance Agency, U.S. Bank, DWI Task Force, ENMU and Western Commerce Bank.
The Peanut Festival is always held on the third Saturday/Sunday in October. Saturday’s hours
are 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. with Sunday from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Admission is free. Handicap parking, with placard is available inside the grounds, both west of
the midway buildings and north of the Pavilion. The entertainment stage moves inside the
Pavilion if weather is bad. For more information contact the Chamber at (575) 356-8541 or see
the full schedule at www.portales.com
