Pioneer Days (clovisnm.org), held from late May to early June, honors the culture and founding of Clovis. The week-long celebration includes numerous rodeo events, roping and horsemanship competitions, a barbecue, a parade and a pageant. The parade experienced its 40th anniversary in 2010.
For a low entry fee, visitors can enjoy country music performances and a variety of free dairy treats and foods provided by dairy industry businesses and sponsors at Dairy Fest (clovisnm.org). Guests can take an educational virtual tour that describes the care and feeding of dairy cattle, sanitation practices and how milk goes to market. The festival takes place in late June and is held at the Curry County Fairgrounds.
The Fourth of July celebration "Smoke on the Water" (clovisnm.org) takes place annually at Greene Acres Park. The event includes music and food, capped off by a massive fireworks display. Local radio station Q101.5 provides a musical accompaniment to the display. The event is funded and sponsored by local businesses, and a 5K fun run and walk held in late June helps to support the event.
Clovis Community College (clovis.edu) hosts an annual series celebrating the performing arts. Visitors have the opportunity to experience live plays, concerts, vocal performances and world music, and travelers will find related events occurring throughout the year. The series will experience its 11th season in 2011-2012. Past series have featured an eclectic selection of acts, ranging from Gypsy and Celtic music to circus acts and operatic arias.
Visitors to Clovis can tour Canon Air Force Base (cannon.af.mil), home to the 27th Special Operations Wing. Tours of the base run from Monday through Friday, are under four hours in duration and are intended for those aged 13 and older. Guests can select three areas from among the 11 available for tour within the base, including the fire department, security forces, historic aircraft park and military working dogs. Groups must submit their tour requests at least a month in advance via fax, mail or email. Each group must contain one adult for every four children under age 10 and one adult for every eight children aged 11 through 18.
