While campus students embarked on their first day of Easter break, the annual Big Hat Day event began Clovis and lured crowds from all over the Valley, April 4.
As the name of the event suggests, Big Hat Day’s tradition continues with customers and vendors wearing big hats. Thousands of local residents attended the event and explored the hundreds of venues available.
From food booths and fair rides to crafty and clothing booths placed up and down the streets of Old Town Clovis, Big Hat Day bears a resemblance to the Big Fresno Fair but in a smaller function.
The booths displayed a variety of items, including kitchen appliances and odd instruments, such as a combination of a guitar and bass. All along the street, people performed demonstrations of their products for customers and advertised their new inventions.
In addition to booths, there were rides and attractions available. Other stands provided patrons with the chance to win money or a new car. The numerous concessions booths offered corn dogs, pizza and funnel cakes, as well as Hawaiian drinks.
Carol Whisenant worked at one of the booths selling items such as T-shirts along with her husband. After working at booths for three years, she says the routine is not very stressful.
“[My favorite part is] talking to people and going to big party shows,” Whisenant said. “My least favorite part is setting up and taking it down.”
One of the booths sold Bumpits, a hair product that goes underneath hair to “bump it” up. Tiffany Hurtado, the wife of the vice president of Bumpits, has worked for the company in Fresno for two years.
“It’s fun making someone feel confident about themselves,” Hurtado said. “I love just seeing people feel better about themselves after using the product. My least favorite part is standing up for [a long time].”
Rachel Wilhelm, ’11, attended Big Hat Day and said she enjoyed seeing the different products available at the booths.
“I like how they [booths] were much different than a department store,” Wilhelm said. “It shows a lot about the person selling their own things and what they do.”
As the weather warmed up later that afternoon, the crowd thinned until Big Hat Day closed at midnight.
For more information on local events, visit the March 6 article, Kids Day marshals Valley volunteers.
