Serving Clovis, Portales and the Surrounding Communities

Celebration spans states

CNJ staff photo: Gabriel Monte Mason Ketcherside, 6, of Farwell makes his way to the top of a 24-foot rock-climbing wall Saturday at the Farwell City Park during Border Town Days.

Mason Ketcherside, 6, of Farwell inched higher and higher as his mother, Kristen Tunnell, coached him from about 20 feet below.

She cheered for him as he reached the top, hitting the buzzer of the rock wall.

Mason was one of many children who challenged their climbing skills Saturday at the rock-climbing wall during the 41st annual Border Town Days celebration at the Farwell City Park.

Communities that border the Texas and New Mexico state line participate in the event. About 1,000 to 2,000 people from around Texico and Farwell usually attend, said event committee chairman Mike Pomper.

Festivities included a parade that started in Texico and ended in Farwell after crossing the Texas state line.

Trey Moralez of Clovis said he and his family traveled to Farwell to attend the event for the first time. Moralez said he enjoyed the fellowship of the event.

“It’s a family event,” he said. “It’s a lot of fun.”

Pomper said six local nonprofit groups, such as the Pleasant Hill Baptist Church and Texico 4-H Club, operated concession stands that sold hamburgers, hot dogs, ice cream and sodas.

The Texico-Farwell Rotary Club sold plates of barbecued beef rounds, beans, pickled peppers and coleslaw, said club member Walter Hughes.

Fritz Friemel, who owns Games, Rides, Novelties in Farwell, gave children train rides pulled by a tractor. Friemel also set up a water balloon arena and a blow-up bouncing house.

Hilbert Schramm of Amarillo operated his Ferris wheel.

“We do events from all over the country,” he said.

The rock-climbing wall, set up by Tom Pendleton and his father, Jerry, of Lubbock, was one of the fair’s more popular events.

“Now I want to do the Ferris wheel,” Mason told his mother.

After the parade, Susan White of Farwell and her children, Edie, 8, and Katey, 6, came to the park and headed straight for the rock-climbing wall.

“They could see the wall during the parade, and it’s the first thing they wanted to do,” she said.