Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Community Events topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Roosevelt County to co-sponsor Peanut Festival; approves fairgrounds use and alcohol permit for wine festival
Summary
The county agreed to co-sponsor an expanded Peanut Festival by allowing free use of the fairgrounds and approved an alcohol permit for a linked wine festival after presentations from the Roosevelt County Chamber of Commerce and Eastern New Mexico University. Details on vendor exclusivity and ticketing were discussed.
Roosevelt County commissioners agreed to co-sponsor this year’s Peanut Festival and to allow organizers to use the county fairgrounds at no charge, following presentations from the Roosevelt County Chamber of Commerce and Eastern New Mexico University.
"For those of you who don't know me... I'm Quaen Parky, executive director of the Roosevelt County Chamber of Commerce," Parky said in introducing the proposal, framing the event as a partnership among city, county, university and chamber to draw visitors and revitalize the community. He asked the commission to provide fairgrounds use as the county's share of co-sponsorship.
John Hower, associate vice president at Eastern New Mexico University, described plans to move concert programming to the fairgrounds on Oct. 18, with live music from about 1 p.m. to 9 p.m., a regional opener and a headlining country act. Hower said organizers had "not have the contract signed yet" for the headliner and that profits would be reinvested to attract larger acts in future years. He also said Enchantment Vineyards had agreed to sell beer and wine (if approved) and Santa Fe Brewing would provide beer trucks.
Commissioners asked whether exclusive alcohol vending was required. Hower and Parky said state permitting and festival-permit logistics favored a single licensed vendor; they said the model would protect ticket revenue that supports the chamber and ENMU’s future events.
The board discussed whether co-sponsoring this event would conflict with anti-donation rules; one commissioner said the festival’s public nature and the fact that fees "work their way back into the county treasury" helped distinguish this request from prior denials of co-sponsorship for private-club events. After discussion a commissioner moved to approve use of the fairgrounds and co-sponsorship; the motion was seconded and the motion carried. The transcript does not record a roll-call tally for the vote.
The agenda’s alcohol-permit item for a wine festival (item 6C) was presented and likewise approved by motion and second. Organizers asked that the Roosevelt County logo be prominent in publicity materials.
Next steps: staff will coordinate permit details and venue logistics; the county manager was tasked with following up on implementation details and verifying insurance and vendor licensing.
