New festival in Crosbyton celebrates wind power

CROSBYTON - Wind energy is in West Texas, and so is a new way to celebrate it.

Whirligig Weekend - Crosbyton's new wind festival - is set for Saturday in the downtown area.

"It's to educate people on wind energy," City Administrator Margot Hardin said. "We're going to celebrate through arts and music and food."

Merchandise booths have a theme related to wind and its uses.

"We are looking at some of the great things about our wind," said Jacque James, director of the town's Chamber of Commerce. "It keeps you cooler in summer, powers toys and wind chimes and now is one of our most valuable resources."

In a contest whose results will be announced that afternoon, participants create arts-and-crafts items that respond to wind.

Categories are whirligig, wind chimes and wind whimsy. What are those, you ask?

¦ Whirligig: "A contraption from repurposed, reclaimed or upscaled materials made to spin or move in a direction in the wind." Must be attached to a standing base.

¦ Wind chime - "A hanging collection of repurposed, reclaimed or upscaled items that move and make a pleasant sound in the wind."

¦ Wind whimsy - "A hanging object that flutters or sways in the wind. May make a noise, but its noise is not its most noticeable feature."

Contestants may represent an individual, group or business. Submit entries from 1-6 p.m. Friday or 8-9:30 a.m. Saturday at the Chamber of Commerce, 124 S. Berkshire.

"This is a chance for anyone in the South Plains to try their hand at engineering a working wind whirligig that can spin or move with the wind," James said.

A three-judge panel will grade the entries Saturday morning, then award first-, second- and third-place prizes at 2 p.m. at the Gazebo on the Pioneer Memorial Museum grounds.

Supporters consider the festival a great way to pay tribute to a resource that's in abundant supply in West Texas, but sometimes underappreciated.

"We complain about the wind, but it's time to celebrate our natural resource," Hardin said.

Crosby County Judge David Wigley said multiple wind projects are in various stages of completion throughout the county. He's enthusiastic about the industry's potential.

"I think the future of wind energy is bright in our county because of all this free West Texas air," he said. "...It's got a great future, and we certainly welcome wind energy construction and development."

josephine.musico@lubbockonline.com

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