Hand crafts featured at peanut festival

Eastern New Mexico University celebrated a little legume that has a large impact on Roosevelt County and much of eastern New Mexico.

The 36th Peanut Valley Festival Saturday featured arts and craft vendors from across the region and west Texas.

Sandy Anthony-Beaty of Portales has been coming out the festival for a ten years.

“The crafts, people and you get to spend time with family and friends is the best part about the festival,” Beaty said. “Just being able to walk through it all.”

Beaty said she loves wooden crosses and purses on sale at the craft show.

Bonnie Grant, of Deming, owns Hobby Horse Creations and has been coming to the festival for five years.

“Everything in my booth is hand made, nothing commercial,” Grant said. “I make it all by myself. Some of these are my own idea, such as heart shaped heatpads, with the opening in the back.”

She said it has been slow this year at her booth and is thinking about looking into other craft shows closer to home.

The focus of the festival is hand-made items rather than manufactured goods. Peanut Valley Festival Coordinator Caitlin Medlicott said the craft show had 65 vendors.

“It is a way for Portales to get some excitement in a small town,” Medlicott said. “The festival goes pretty well every year. We have strong vendors this year and we’re looking for quality more than quantity.”

Folks at the festival got the chance to look at candles, jewelry, shirts, quilts , different kinds of fudge, toys, dolls and more.

The Peanut Valley Festival continues from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m., today at the ENMU Campus Union Building.