The Clovis Chamber of Commerce presented the 36th annual ClovisFest, Sept. 18-19, to bring the community together. ClovisFest is the second largest arts and crafts fair in the Central Valley, held along Pollasky Avenue.

Over the weekend, Valley residents were able to enjoy the All Car Show, food, vendors and other entertainment.

ClovisFest also provided attractions such as pony rides, hot air balloons, carnival rides and local radio stations. Despite the economic downtown, vendors and pedestrians still supported ClovisFest and local businesses located in downtown Clovis.

“I think ClovisFest is great; it brings so many new people to our store,” Kim Bradley, owner of Way Out West, said. “Even though the economy is not good, it gives us [the store] added exposure. I’ve been open for about three months but I found that, during ClovisFest, we had doubled our sales and had three to four times the customers come into the store. By being open during ClovisFest, we got a lot more families coming in when, during the week, we usually only get moms.”

Although ClovisFest attracts new vendors, most local shopkeepers look forward to ClovisFest, according to event coordinator Tammi Walton.

“Most shopkeepers have positive attitudes toward ClovisFest,” Walton said. “ClovisFest brings a lot of money to the Clovis area. Most shopkeepers advertise and will stay open to capture the crowd; of course, there are those who close shop because they don’t want to deal with the crowds. ClovisFest brings a lot of people to downtown, causing a lot of money flow for the city.”

Even though the weekend was warm, the weather did not prohibit people from coming out to ClovisFest.

“ClovisFest is very nice,” Del Ellis, owner of Glory Jeanne Honey, said. “ClovisFest is just a great opportunity to expose our business. I’ve been to ClovisFest before as a spectator, but this is my first year as a business. We are a local company, and the honey comes from the Central Valley.”

Although there are various other fall festivities, vendors are still attracted to ClovisFest every year to promote their business.

“There are vendors from all over, and even some out of state,” Walton said. “The vendors keep coming back because we have become like a family, not just a business. A lot of vendors have said ClovisFest is their favorite place to come.”

Over the years, ClovisFest has gained a reputation across the Valley and even has some favorites for locals.

“My favorite part of ClovisFest is the pony rides,” Susan Peckinpah, Clovis Chamber of Commerce office manager, said. “I also like hand-crafted things, woodworks and photographs. The food is really good and meets peoples’ taste.”

For more information on ClovisFest, read the Sept. 9 article, ClovisFest to feature crafts fair, hot air balloons.

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