The city of Hidalgo is bringing back BorderFest after a year off due to the pandemic, and this year organizers are calling it the “ultimate celebration of community” with Grammy-winning artist Marc Anthony leading the charge.
An event that began in 1976, BorderFest 2022 officially kicked off March 3 with the traditional “Abrazo,” an international ceremony between border mayors Sergio Coronado of Hidalgo and Carlos Peña Ortiz of Reynosa. This year’s ceremony celebrated 46 years of tradition.
“The friendship that has united us for decades has led us not only to celebrate events and festivities but has also allowed us to collaborate jointly on different projects,” Coronado said in Spanish during the ceremony.
The festival is scheduled to run from Friday, April 1 through Sunday, April 3 at the Payne Arena in Hidalgo.
The festivities will take place from 5 p.m to 12 a.m. Friday, from 2 p.m. to 12 a.m. Saturday and Sunday.
Marc Anthony will be performing at the Payne Arena on April 1. Attendees who purchase a Marc Anthony ticket can also get into BorderFest for free, according to Payne Arena General Manager Eric Treviño.
Tickets for the Marc Anthony show can be purchased at www.hidalgoarena.com.
This year’s BorderFest will also feature performances by artists such as La Leyenda, Larry Hernandez and Ramon Ayala, the “King of the Accordion” whose instrumental styling has defined norteño music.
“We are bringing the best entertainment to make them (community) feel happy … music is power, power that brings happiness to people when you’re having a bad day,” Treviño said, explaining that the goal of this festival is “to bring joy to the RGV.”
The festival will include the Miss Hidalgo and Miss Hidalgo BorderFest pageant. The deadline to register for the pageant is March 27.
The fairground tickets allow access to all outdoor main stage entertainment, boardwalk, cultural area, shopping, food court and carnival.
Tickets are available for purchase online at www.hidalgotickets.com, and at the gate for daily entry. Pre-sale three-day passes are $40 and available until March 31. The one-day pass is $20, and kids 10 and under get in for free.
“One of the things that is very important to the city is price control,” Selenne Garza, special events director for the city of Hidalgo, said in a news release. “We strive to make this affordable for the entire family. We keep the ticket price low while still providing great entertainment. There’s almost nowhere else in this country where you could get this level of entertainment for $20.”
