FIVE MORE REASONS TO LOVE Big Hat Days

Every year, thousands of local citizens join with out-of-town visitors to celebrate Big Hat Days in Old Town Clovis. This eightyfive-year-old tradition serves as an opportunity to get together with friends and family, have some fun, and usher in beautiful spring weather.

But, did you know there are many more reasons that Big Hat Days is an important annual event? Here are five reasons to love Big Hat Days:

1. Culture

Every place has its own personality. The characteristics, features and peculiarities are a result of both nurture and nature. Clovis was born from a marriage of railroad and lumber, two industries that came together in the early 1890s and gave birth to what would become the City of Clovis. In all ways, this new, rural community was a small town. And the values and traditions of these early settlers influenced more than a century of growth.

The Clovis Rodeo started in 1914 and became an annual tradition that takes place on the last weekend of April. In 1938, Big Hat

Days was started as a way to kick off the month of April, or as locals call it, “Rodeo Month.”

“It’s in our blood,” says long-tome councilmember and former mayor Jose Flores, “it’s a tradition and our culture.”

2. Supporting Local Businesses

Every year, Clovis is host to over 200 outdoor community events. City leaders know that the folks who call the Central Valley home love these events, and they also know that merchants love seeing new customers. Big Hat Days attracts approximately 140,000 people to Clovis every year. Merchants see every single one of those people as a potential customer.

3. Local and Regional Economic Impact

The number of Big Hat Days attendees is larger than the full-time population of the City of Clovis, and each of those attendees spend an average amount of disposable cash. Of course, the folks who come from out of town and stay in our hotels spend a considerably higher amount than the local folks, and they are all important to our local economy.

These tourist expenditures create an increased number of sales transactions in the community. Clearly, certain businesses receive the bulk of the tourist dollars. Hotels, restaurants, retail stores, the Big Hat Days vendors, gas stations and transportation companies are among the businesses where the visitor actually hands the money to the business operator. These transactions introduce “new money” into the community. This money starts circulating and will end up getting spent at least three more times before it leaves Clovis, and five times before it leaves the region. It’s a very healthy process for the Central Valley.

4. Opportunities for Entrepreneurs

The mission of the Clovis Chamber of Commerce is “to advocate and support a healthy business environment which improves the quality of life in Clovis.” And Chamber leaders don’t limit that support to existing, established businesses.

They provide programs and opportunities for small, start-up businesses too. Big Hat Days is an opportunity for entrepreneurs to sell their wares and build a base of loyal customers.

5. Non Profit Organizations

Big Hat Days is an opportunity for non-profit and communitybased organizations to share their mission and raise funds. To accomplish this, the Chamber of Commerce provides inexpensive booth space to all nonprofit organizations and provides opportunities for other local organizations to raise funds through task-based duties during the event. This includes setup, ongoing maintenance, and countless other jobs.

These five reasons are just some of the ways Big Hat Days is more than just a street fair. It supports the entire region in ways that most people will never know. The reason? Well, Clovis Chamber of Commerce CEO, Greg Newman answered that question best. “Because this event belongs to the entire community.”