ClovisFest Vendor Spotlight:

Hot air balloon fun and tasty food mixed with entertainment for all ages was front and center for attendees of the 47th annual Clovisfest.

The free event kicked off events on Saturday Sept. 24, where attendees visited Old Town Clovis and experienced different stories and products local businesses and vendors had during the event. Mixed with fun music and tasty food, attendees were exposed to a mix of vendors selling handmade goods to a variety of different products.

Vendors such as Kyra Luker’s booth where she and her father displayed taxidermy butterflies in glass cases was a popular booth among attendees.

Luker said that the practice of displaying the insects was a inreticet one that involved a process that was passed down from in her family and is now being taught to her. 

The idea of selling the insects came from a pastime picked up from her great uncle who was an entomologist in the 1970s which helped spark an interest in Luker to make displays with the insects to share with the community at fairs and festivals.

Luker has been involved with the business for approximately a year now and said she is currently learning the process herself from her father.

“Something that they may not have known is the variety we have here, in contrast with the variety we have here is different than you would find in other places,” Luker said.

Luker said because of the amount of insects  that are in the world is so vast,  the variety gives a look at what is out there and the ones on display “are not even a fraction,” of what’s out there and that makes what is on display all the more special.

The booth itself provided a unique experience to attendees who passed by because of Luker’s unique glass display cases that showed off the  intricate detail of different insects that were on display for people who attended Clovisfest to swing by and look at.

Attendees of all ages ranging from children to adults were able to experience the unique looking insects that were on display at Luker’s booth.

“We get some [people] that are a little scared of a couple spiders that we have but most of it is just being amazed at the colors and butterflies,” Lukers said.

Another popular booth was Melissa Horner’s Ranchos Custom Design booth where attendees were able to pick from and potentially order custom signs for their businesses or for themselves.

After starting their business in January of 2021, Horner and her husband partnered up to provide custom woodworking and laser engraving services through their business that is based out of the  Madera Ranchos and will ship anywhere in the country but Horner said they try to keep their service to the Fresno, Clovis, and Madera area.

Horner said the process involves a lot of handwork and customization but the general reception has been positive from the Clovis community and after attending Big Hat days earlier in the year Horner said they were ready for future events.

“It’s a great turnout. There’s a ton of people that come to these events and everybody is interested. If they’re not buying something now they’re asking how they can support the business later by buying items online,” Horner said.

With attendees filling the streets of Old Town Clovis all weekend, vendors had the opportunity to share their businesses with the community and in turn the community had the chance to support the business that came out for Clovisfest.

Adam Solis
Adam Ricardo Solis has written for The Collegian as a staff reporter covering a variety of topics and transferred from Fresno City College to Fresno State where he majored in agriculture business. He is excited to incorporate what he has learned about the agriculture industry in the Central Valley into future articles while also covering a variety of other community matters.