A fall tradition in Portales gets ready for its 46th year as the Peanut Valley Craft & Music Festival gets under way Friday, Oct. 19 and Saturday, Oct. 20 at the Roosevelt County Fairgrounds in Portales.
The festival is all about the arts and crafts and includes a lineup of entertainment from throughout the region. But the name and the flavor pays homage to the local Valencia Peanut. The Valencia is a goober that is smaller but brighter and sweeter than other legumes and has 3-4 nuts per shell. It’s famous roasted in the shell and in candies, cookies, cakes and pies.
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, horse shoe art, Native American pottery, candles, cutlery, embroidered and engraved items and fine arts. A variety of non-profits and franchised reps are included as well.
The PVF Health Fair, will be held in the Pavilion, Saturday only from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. 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 Higher Ground of Albuquerque and Colton Stevens on Saturday and Andy Mason and the Michael Thompson & Friends on Sunday. La Casita Elementary School from Clovis will perform Baile Folklorico at 12:30 p.m. on Saturday and the Fusion World Dancers will perform twice. Other performers over the two days include, Dance Studio Extreme, Wild Bill Cathey, ArchAngel K-9s and Medieval Village re-enactors from the Blackwater Keep.
New this year, the Cultural Affairs Council will hold a fundraising cornhole tournament beginning at 9 a.m. on Saturday. Awards will be presented for first through third in mens, womens and coed divisions. Entry fee is $15 per person and $30 per team. Singles can enter a draw for partner. Call Veda or Joan at 356-6662.
There are always numerous activities for kids including bounce houses, face painting, train rides and the Peanut Olympics organized by National Peanut Board mascot Buddy McNutty and the Portales High School Band. Door prizes will be given out to participants in the Peanut Olympics. The Olympics are open to ages 4-8 and will take place on the slab at 1 p.m. Saturday.
Sponsors of this year’s event are Hampton Farms, Yucca, EDF Renewable Energy, Walmart, New Mexico Bank & Trust, Alta Terra, Wheeler Mortuary, Xcel Energy, Hunton Insurance Agency, White Rock Crushing, LLC and the New Mexico Peanut Growers Association.
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 Events Arena if weather is bad. For more information contact the Chamber at (575) 356-8541.
Also visit the first Queso Vino Wine Festival at ENMU over the same weekend.
