Clovis Trail Fest 2023

Clovis Trails Provide Great Outdoor Activities

This summer if you’re looking for something new to do, you may want to visit Clovis’ public trail system.

The trails are open to the public and offer fun and exciting entertainment for the whole family.

Within Clovis alone there are over 13 trails that span over miles of town that provide a perfect opportunity to decompress and enjoy the recreational side of Clovis.

One trail in particular offers a fun experience for anyone wishing to visit the trail solo or with a group. The Old Town Trail that starts at Sugar Pine Trail at North Willow avenue runs for approximately 5 miles and ends north of East Shields avenue.

For those interested in more than walking, the trail is covered in asphalt and open for bikers, skaters and is wheelchair accessible for those who may need such accommodations.

For the Old Town Trail in particular, the experience of walking the trail during the day may cause some to reconsider because of the heat. But because of the large trees along the path of the trail, there is an almost constant amount of shade for those walking along the trail.

For the men, women, and children in the Clovis community, if you are looking for a fun and healthy activity, look no further.

The Clovis Trail Fest will once again take place on the Old Town and Dry Creek Trails from Treasure Ingmire Park to Dry Creek Park and Railroad Park. Sponsored by the city along with numerous food, entertainment, and wellness vendors, friends and families can enjoy a free community event from 8:00 am to 12:00 pm on Saturday,

May 6, 2023.

“It’s a free event and everyone is welcome,” Moniqua Randolph said “We have food vendors and things for the kids to do. It is going to be a great time.”

In total, more than 35 locations along the three-mile trail will have snacks, food, blood pressure checks, music entertainment, and refreshments for individuals taking part. Whether on a bike, scooter or on foot, everyone is welcome, including your four-legged friends.

Along with building a sense of unity throughout the community, the Clovis Trail Fest

is a perfect opportunity to get some exercise, while also having some fun.

“We want to promote health and wellness here in Clovis. The Trail Fest allows families to come out, enjoy a snack and some entertainment and exercise together,” Randolph said.

Not only are community members encouraged to join in for some fun, but there are also learning activities along the trail. The Clovis Fire Department will be giving a hands-only CPR demonstration, Kaiser Permanente will be providing blood pressure checks, giveaways, and fun activities, the

Clovis Chorale will be offering some musical entertainment, and America’s Kids in Motion will be providing games in addition, AKIM mascot character will be present.

Whether an adult or a child, there are many life-saving and worth-knowing tips that can be learned from this event. Along with the free tips from the professionals, there will be activities for kids and adults, along with a special visit from Central California SPCA with their animal adoption trailer.

When on the trail, there are

CLOVIS ROUNDUP PHOTO Clovis Trail Fest draws thousands of community members out to the Clovis trails in May. The purpose of the city event is promote health and wellness.

ADAM SOLIS Clovis Roundup

AMY HANCE General Services Manager, City of Clovis

Clovis keeps Memorial Day tradition running

Each year Clovis Senior Activity Center pays a special tribute to veterans and active military by honoring their legacy with the annual Memorial Run on Saturday, May 27, 2023. Part of the event is a resource fair and involves vendors from all kinds of different businesses in the community.

The run attracts both serious and casual athletes, as well as families and children. It consists of a 5K run or walk, a non-timed 2-mile walk and a non-timed half-mile kids run in addition to a non-timed half-mile senior walk and roll. To register, please visit www.ClovisMemorialRun.com. Prices increase after May 8.

“The response [to the race] is always exciting.” said event coordinator Amy Hance with the City of Clovis. “I believe it is because our community values service. We value our service members and I know people take it as an opportunity to honor those who have fallen in the line of duty and who have kept our nation free.”

Ollie Smith, 92, was the eldest competitor in this event since its opening run in 2011. In 2022, Smith walked in the half-mile senior walk and roll to honor all of those in our community. Ollie passed away in June 2022 just weeks after attending the memorial run. She will be missed this year and every year in the future. The race was important to her and held a lot of significance.

This is the twelfth year for the run and Hance said the success of it continues to grow. Registration includes a pancake breakfast, a swag bag, and a nice finisher medal to keep as a memento. Those who register also receive an event T-shirt that

has the Clovis Memorial Run logo on the front and platinum and gold-level sponsors on the back. But that’s not it, participants also have a chance to win selected prizes from contributing vendors.

All proceeds benefit activities provided at the Clovis Senior Center. Some of the community partners that help put on the

event include Clovis Veterans Memorial District, Clovis Unified School District, Clovis East High School ROTC, Clovis Chorale Choir, California International Order of the Rainbow Girls, and the Clovis Kiwanis Club.

“It is our whole community helping to make this event a success and we want to

thank our sponsors and partners for their support.” Hance said. “The success is an indicator of the flavor of our community and what we value.”

Clovis Senior Center, located at 850 Fourth Street in Clovis, will host a free health and wellness fair in its main hall on July 12, 2023, from 1:00 pm – 3:00 pm.

PHOTO BY BILLY XIONG, CLOVIS ROUNDUP Runners take off from the starting line during the 2018 Clovis Memorial Run held annually at Clovis Senior Center on Memorial Day weekend

A Trail Fest throw back... see anyone you know?

Fun Advice to Introduce Kids to Gardening

Warmer months are likely to have the whole family eager to dive into outdoor activities. This year, as you tackle the garden, find ways to get the youngest family members in on the action, too.

Not only is gardening an activity you can enjoy together, there are numerous ways to incorporate age-appropriate, teachable moments from counting and colors to responsible care of living things.

Creating a positive first experience with gardening can start with this simple advice:

* Dedicate a spot for a junior garden, which allows you to instill a sense of pride and ownership in the little gardener while protecting your own garden areas from ambitious young hands.

* Provide appropriate tools in child sizes. Just as you would teach a child the finer points of baseball using a bat and glove, demonstrate the joys of gardening with tools such as a rake, hoe and trowel, all of which can be found in sizes more manageable for little helpers.

* Let the kids choose what to plant. Whether flowers or food plants, allow children to make their own decisions (within reason) about what they would like to grow. This can help them engage in the magic of watching items they selected emerge from the ground and grow into their finished forms.

* Encourage exposure to unfamiliar plants that entice the senses with appealing

smells and flavors. Herbs such as chives, mint and basil are good choices, or consider edible flowers such as pansies or violets.

* Set an example for your child to

imitate by giving regular and proper care to your own garden.

Remember to bring the lesson full circle by enjoying the bounty of your garden together, whether it’s a small hand-cut

bouquet or a meal featuring your child’s fresh-grown produce. Find more tips for gardening with your kids at eLivingtoday.com.

PHOTO COURTESY OF UNSPLASH

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The trail itself is a very accessible trail to try out if this is your first time or bringing family. The trail sits flat and provides a wide area for multiple visitors to pass by. The wide path also provides a very leisurely ride in the shade for those looking to get some exercise this summer.

Along the trail are unique spots that help bring a unique feel and look to the trail. For children visiting the trail, the tunnels that run underneath major streets along the path provide a fun area for races and funny echoes. While the tunnels along the path provide for a nice break in the shade for anyone else walking the trail.

Another unique aspect of the trail in Old Town is a free standing library drop where visitors can bring a book and take a book when visiting.

An aspect of the trail is the historical significance of some areas along the trail. One spot such as the Sugar Pine Trail commemorative rock that describes the history of the Sugar Pine Trail along the Old Town Trail.

“The trail property was purchased from the Southern Pacific Railroad in December 1997 for the purpose of establishing a pedestrian/bike path and preserving a corridor for future light rail.”

Finally for those visiting the trail, a must visit location along the trail is the “lock bridge” that is filled with padlocks from couples visiting the bridge.

Whether you visit the trail for exercise

Trail Fest

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three different areas to get into the Trail Fest: Railroad Park, Treasure Ingmire Park at the corner of Clovis Ave, and Sierra and Cottonwood Park. Volunteers along the three-mile stretch will be assisting with information and

or just to get out of the house, there is something for everyone to find interesting along the trails in Clovis. There are nine trails to explore with more than 40 miles of area to walk or bike this summer and remain open to the public incase you are a person who wants to visit the trails early in the morning or late in the evening to beat the heat.

other event-related tasks.

Whether you are wondering where a certain vendor is, or where the nearest bathroom is, there will be someone there to help.

After a huge turnout last year, the Clovis Trail Fest can only look to grow. To view the Trail Fest map, visit www.CityofClovis.com/ TrailFest.

PHOTO BY J.T. GOMEZ, CLOVIS ROUNDUP

Bike riders weren’t the only ones who participated in Clovis’ Trail Fest Saturday morning. Runners, roller bladers, and walkers moved throughout Clovis’ trail system to the tune of music, familiar faces, and booths along the way.

PHOTO COURTESY OF GET FIT CLOVIS Clovis Trail Fest, a free event for all ages, will feature activities, demonstrations, vendors, food trucks, and entertainment at over 25 locations along the Old Town and Dry Creek trails between Fifth Street and Dry Creek Park.

New technology counts traffic along Clovis Trails

practical aspect in that we get to keep track of who is using our trails for when it comes time for upgrading or how we determine maintenance. When we request grants, the use of the trail is something that they’re going to be really interested in.”

The equipment uses special sensors to count and distinguish between bicyclists and pedestrians walking or jogging along the path. The counter displays the number of pedestrians and bicyclists who use the path each day, and also year-to-date.

“The citizens of Clovis enjoy riding and walking on the trails, and these new counters are a fun way for city staff to obtain data to ensure that trail users have the facilities and safety resources they need,” said Colleen Vidinoff, Assistant Engineer with the City of Clovis and one of the leaders of this project.

The data acquired, which will allow staff to better analyze year-round usage patterns of the trail systems, will also be uploaded on a daily basis to the City of Clovis website for the public to view.

“I’m so happy to get this up and running and let people see themselves counted as they cross the counting line,” Vidinoff added. “They do matter and we’re excited to encourage trial use.”

Just in time for the 2018 Trail Fest, new equipment was installed to count pedestrians and bicyclists along the Old Town and Dry Creek Trails in Clovis. City officials held a grand opening of the

latest Eco-Display counter at the southeast corner of Clovis and Sierra avenues along the Old Town Trail. The other display is located along the Dry Creek Trail at Clovis and Nees avenues.

During the ceremony, Clovis Mayor Bob Whalen delivered a statement before running through a green ribbon to mark the

official opening.

“This was an idea that has been needed and the technology finally caught up to us to a point where we can actually do something as clever as this,” said Whalen. “It takes a lot of people to be able to make something like this happen. There’s a real fun aspect to it but at the same time there’s a real

Both trail counter displays were purchased for approximately $58,000 from Eco-Counter, Inc., a world leader in active user monitoring systems, with funding from Measure C.

PHOTO BY DANIEL LEON, CLOVIS ROUNDUP Clovis Mayor Bob Whalen (far right) and city officials pose for a group photo next to the newly unveiled trail counter display on the Old Town Trail near Clovis and Sierra avenues, May 5, 2018.

DANIEL LEOM Clovis Roundup