Residents celebrate Heritage Days

Children giggled as they lined Second Street Saturday morning making sure they were in range of flying candy that would be thrown from festive New Mexico centennial-themed floats.

Christina Calloway: Portales News-Tribune

The children of Baptist Childrens Home wore bonnets and other attire reminiscent of the early 1900's on their parade float in the Heritage Days Parade.

The sirens from police cars and fire engines alerted the excited crowd that a parade was about to come through.

The parade kicked off a day of events celebrating Roosevelt County's 28th annual Heritage Days, which exhibited strong hometown pride from Roosevelt County residents.

"I liked the old cars and the motorcycles," said Portales-native Dianne Coats.

Coats and her husband James have been attending Heritage Days since the beginning and they said they wouldn't want to live anywhere else.

"It feels good to be from here," James Coats said. "(Heritage Days) stays with tradition."

The parade led the crowd to City Park where most of the day's festivities took place.

Bluegrass music, tasty food, and family-fun games are usually a guarantee at Heritage Days, but this year's centennial theme made the celebration one of a kind.

A centennial booth was set up in the Memorial Building displaying pictures that represented Roosevelt County history since New Mexico statehood.

Heritage Days represented to Roosevelt County residents just how close the community is as the young and old celebrated.

"Heritage Days means to me that (organizers) actually care about the county," said Crystal Irwin of Portales. "There are a lot of people that support each other here."

Christina Calloway: Portales News-Tribune

James Terry of Portales sits behind the wheel of his 1965 Chevrolet. The vehicle has been in his family since it was purchased by his parents in 1965. Terry said he took his wife on their first date in that car.

Car show

Classic and antique vehicles were on display at City Park at the car show portion of Heritage Days. Car models dating back to the 1920's were on display

Quentin Carnes of Portales and the Sun Country Car Club had his 47-year-old beauty on display, a 1965 red Ford Mustang convertible, which he's owned about 30 years.

The car has been in Roosevelt County since it was sold to a high school girl in Portales in 1965. Carnes purchased the car in the early 80's and has taken good care of it since.

"I keep it inside a shop with a cover on it when I'm not playing with it," said Carnes.

Former Portales mayor Orlando Ortega brought his 1924 Model T Ford to the car show, one of the older models there.

"This car changed the world because it was the first affordable car," Ortega said.

Roosevelt County's James Terry, pastor at Faith Triumphant Church in Portales, acquired his 1956 Chevrolet from his parents after he received his driver's license.

Terry took his wife on their first date in the Chevrolet and hangs the comb that she dropped in the dash while they were dating on the mirror today.

Activities and booths

The Heritage Days crowd had entertainment in many forms at the park. In addition to the music, games and booths were set up all about the park.

Friends and family made a splash in the new Water Wars water balloon launcher booth, and other children bounced around in the Baptist Children's Home's bounce house.

United Way and other non-profits were also offering fun ways to dispense information like their spin-to-win a prize wheel. Participants answered trivia questions about local services to win shirts and other United Way gear.

The Church of Nazarene in Portales gave away at least 400 hot dogs and sodas to the Heritage Days crowd, according to Pastor Johnny Pacheco.

"Where everyone is selling, we're giving for free," Pacheco said. "We wanted to bless the community."

Pioneers

Bill and Peggy Prater of Dora were honored as the Pioneers of the Year. The 80-year-old couple educated the children of Dora for 50 years between them.

The Praters, who met in first grade, have been married for 62 years. They devoted much of their lives to serving the Roosevelt County community and said they don't expect much in return but were thrilled to be recognized as pioneers.

"Being the Grand Marshals on top of the float was the most entertaining thing we ever did," Bill said.

"We're so happy to have had this happen to us," said Peggy.