Serving Clovis, Portales and the Surrounding Communities
Serving Clovis, Portales and the Surrounding Communities
File photo The annual Floyd Lions Club Country Jamboree is approaching later this month with live classic and modern country music performed by locals. The event will be $7 per ticket and will be March 24-26 at the Floyd schools gymnasium.
STAFF WRITER
The 66th annual Floyd Lions Club Country Jamboree will be held March 24-27 at the Floyd High School gymnasium.
File photo
The annual Floyd Lions Club Country Jamboree is approaching later this month with live classic and modern country music performed by locals. The event will be $7 per ticket and will be March 24-26 at the Floyd schools gymnasium.
According to Paul Benoit of the Floyd Lions Club, this year’s event will have the standard fare of performers, “which means we don’t have anyone new on the show this year. We have new songs and new acts and the same quality performers. The genre and the goal of the show is to provide traditional, classic country.”
Nationally touring country artist and Portales native Will Banister will be returning to the jamboree, Benoit said.
“He’s always a big draw, just because he’s so well known in the area for his music,” he said.
Benoit also said that long-time jamboree performers Sharon Dixon and Rebecca Lawson will be playing again, along with Benoit himself.
According to Benoit, the longtime backing band for the Floyd Lions Club Jamboree will return to play once again but this time without a key member.
“We’re mourning the passing of one of our long-time band members, Fred Chandler, from Farwell, Texas,” he said. “He passed away about three weeks ago, but the band as a whole is intact, with (pedal steel guitarist) Gary Beevers coming back on the steel guitar, and (piano player) Ronnie Fouts, who has been on the show at least 35 years.”
While the first three performances at the Floyd Jamboree will start at 7 p.m. (Thursday-Saturday), according to Benoit, there will be a special gospel music show at 2 p.m. on March 27, which is Easter Sunday.
Benoit said that the jamboree started as an endeavor to purchase uniforms for one of the Floyd school sports teams 66 years ago and has grown into a way to raise funds to provide scholarships to students in the area.
“We offer usually between $2,000 and $4,000 worth of scholarships, so it depends how well we do, but we offer $1,000 scholarships to anywhere from two to four graduating seniors at Floyd High School,” he said. “This money also goes to support the purchase of eyeglasses for families who are in need, and we do that for communities in our area that don’t have a Lions Club. Eyecare and vision are the Lions Club’s primary mission.”
Benoit said that he looks forward to seeing the community at the event.
“We’re just looking forward to folks coming out. It’s a great night of family fun, and our goal is to attract fun for all ages,” he said.
