Clovis, CA Offers More Than Just a Rodeo and Farmer’s Market
And that’s not a derogatory statement. I love Clovis, CA this time of the year. Big Hat Days kicked off the festive month of April and followed up with the ever-popular rodeo at the end of the month.
Kudos to the banners that stream down Shaw… pardon me… “The Avenue”. They add extra flair and serve as a constant reminder that Clovis, CA is, indeed, a way of life.
In fact, right now, maroon and gold banners are waving for miles down “The Avenue” with the images of bucking cowboys as floating invitations to the upcoming rodeo. They are rotated seasonally, in accordance with upcoming events. Come July, I expect to see those flags waving a tribute in red, white and blue.
One of my favorite Clovis, CA hot-spots is almost here. That’s right, folks. I’m talking about the weekly Friday afternoon Farmers’ Market. It’s quite simply the combined pinnacle of the agriculture-rich central Valley mixed with the close-knit feel of Clovis.
I don’t even shop for produce at the supermarket from May through August. Why would you trek into a cold, bland environment when all the fresh produce you could ask for is waiting in a brown wooden crate on the back of a truck bed every Friday afternoon? I defy you to beat this kind of ambiance that only the CA central Valley could provide.
Speaking of produce, I’m also awaiting the strawberry stands with the hand painted, often misspelled signs which are dotted around the outskirts of town. They lie dormant now, but throughout the summer, there’s not a better treat than a fresh basket of sweet, sticky, juicy strawberries.
Off the top of my head, I can think of five produce stands close to home, but I know there must be more than that. In a relatively small town of 85,000+ people, even four curbside “markets” is a large number. From experience, I’ve found that the stand on the corner of Herndon and Tollhouse carries the largest, prettiest strawberries, but keep on trucking to the Shaw Avenue stand, just east of Temperance, to nab the sweetest ones.
Yes, it’s the little things that make Clovis, CA so dear to my heart.
For example, when traveling east from Fresno, there stands a city limits marker placed along Bullard Avenue just past Willow Avenue. It’s bright blue and informs motorists of the elevation and population of Clovis.
This has become our family ritual: I’m driving home from Fresno; kids in tow. They love to look for the sign so that they know they’re back in Clovis. While driving past the marker, I yell “NOW!”, and we all put our hands up in the air and scream. Goofy? Ok … yes. But the anticipation of the sign always makes the drive across town a little bit more fun.
Sierra Vista Mall is soon to be a bustling hangout. The multi-plex theater is scheduled to open in November, and I’m counting down the days that our family can ride our bikes to the mall and catch a flick.
Sure, River Park is all the rage right now, but for those of us in east Clovis, it’s a long drive. Granted, only someone from the central Valley would make a statement like that. After all, the drive to River Park is all of 20 minutes, but when the heart of Clovis is just down the street, driving that 20 minutes almost feels like I’ve wasted part of my day.
What this town represents to me, however, is in the form of a prominent, yet subtle insignia; one that my northern neighbors may never even notice.
Every day I pass by the newly constructed, large rectangular blue and metallic statuesque sign which sits in the center divider of Shaw and Armstrong. Going west on Shaw the sign greets visitors with, “Welcome to Clovis- The Avenue”. Driving east on Shaw the signs reads, “Thanks for Visiting – The Avenue”. A rodeo figure embellishes the lower right-hand corner.
This sign is the epitome of what Clovis, CA represents- ever polite, never daunting, yet always makes a bold statement. The annual events and sense of pride that radiate throughout the town are so rich with tradition. From the award-winning schools, to the impressive police department, to the nationally recognized rodeo, Clovis, CA is a small, yet strong community; one in which I’m proud to call, not just home, but my way of life.
