It’s important to remind people that Texas does not end in San Antonio and that it continues all the way to the Rio Grande River. We have a lot of important history, culture and heritage to share with the rest of the state.
The city of Hidalgo kicked off its 46th annual BorderFest on Friday with live music, carnival rides, and other family-friendly activities.
Like the years before, this year’s festival also has a theme. For the first time, the city of Hidalgo is celebrating the Lone Star State at BorderFest.
“It’s important to remind people that Texas does not end in San Antonio and that it continues all the way to the Rio Grande River,” Julian Gonzalez, city manager for the City of Hidalgo, said. “We have a lot of important history, culture and heritage to share with the rest of the state.”
According to Selenne Garza, special events coordinator for the city of Hidalgo, the festival will include various Texas-themed and Texas-sized activities that highlight both the history and culture of the state.
In fact, this year the festival is hosting its inaugural Taste of Tejas Barbecue cookoff on Saturday, the second day of the event, where people will compete for prize money.
According to Gonzalez, two days after their announcement the slots for the cookout filled up.
He explained that there will be 35 teams competing on Saturday with each team consisting of a minimum of five people.
Throughout the competition, each team will be making brisket, chicken, and pork ribs while also competing in side wars that include a fajita and charro bean contest.
Along with the cookoff, attendees can also enjoy live performances from artists such as Chiquis, Intenso, Gabriela Ariana, El Poder Del Norte, Solido and other artists.
There will also be concerts featured inside the Payne Arena including a performance from country artist, Jon Pardi on Saturday.
Saturday’s event will kick off with a Grand Parade at 10 a.m. which will feature local schools. However, this won’t be the only parade for attendees to enjoy, the festival will also feature two illuminated parades on Saturday and Sunday.
There will also be various activities for children including a sea lion show, camp border fest kids that will include eight tents with a different activity in each, a shenanigans wild wild west show, and a petting zoo.
Throughout the three-day festival attendees can also browse through the artisan vendor stands as well as the various food stands that range from tacos to raspas.
According to Garza there also be several photo op stations for the perfect family photo or selfie.
“There will be plenty of Texas-sized displays that people can take pictures with,” Garza said adding that each display was made by those in the city of Hidalgo.
Although pre-sale tickets are no longer available one can still purchase tickets online or on the festival grounds. Single-day adult tickets are priced at $25 per person while ticket prices for children ages 6 to 17 are $5. Children five and under may enter the festival for free.
