July 12, 2025 — The Clovis Veterans Memorial District came alive Friday afternoon as Veterans GameFest 2025 opened its doors for a weekend of board games, tournaments, and community-driven fun — all in support of local Junior ROTC scholarships and veteran rehabilitation programs. The three-day event, organized by Vietnam Veterans of America Chapter 933 and staffed entirely by volunteers, runs through Sunday, July 13.
Held annually in Old Town Clovis, GameFest has grown into a unique blend of hobby and service. Brent Burdine, a retired veteran and Clovis resident, is one of the many local organizers making the event possible. As a member of both the Vietnam Veterans of America and a local tabletop club called the Little Generals, Burdine explained that everyone involved has “come together to help make GameFest happen.” The heart of the event, he said, lies in its purpose: “GameFest is a fundraising event for Fresno County Junior ROTC scholarship fund. All the proceeds, whether through the front door, through raffles, through selling of food, all go into the scholarship fund. All, everybody who works here, it’s all volunteers.”
Friday’s crowd reflected the event’s welcoming spirit, with families, longtime gamers, and first-time attendees sitting side by side at long rows of tables filled with card games, board games, and tabletop miniatures. The gaming options are broad and accessible, from casual general play areas to structured tournaments. “The type of games that we offer — we have card games, we’ve got board games, we’ve got miniature games, we have RPG games,” Burdine said, noting the mix of genres designed to appeal to a wide audience…