SAN BENITO — It’s time to party in San Benito this weekend.
The Narciso Martinez Cultural Arts Center 25th Annual Conjunto Festival is this weekend, Friday through Sunday.
Everyone is encouraged to make plans to attend one of the biggest conjunto festivals in all of Texas and the only conjunto festival in the Rio Grande Valley.
It’s food booths, drinks, T-shirts, vendors, and plenty of authentic South Texas conjunto music by some of conjunto’s greatest. It’s an event no one will want to miss.
This weekend’s event also marks a milestone Silver Anniversary 25th Annual Conjunto Festival.
Center co-founder Rogelio Nunez said the bands scheduled to appear are some of the greatest bands that exist.
“For 25 years, we have been the most consistent and longest-running festival of its kind,” he said.
The center was named in honor of Narciso Martinez as the result of his philosophy of being a proud man of Mexican ancestry and working-class origins.
He was a man of the people who over the years gave of himself and his musical talents so others could enjoy his contributions.
He was a man who was willing to share his rich musical and Texas-Mexican border experience.
“The arts are a very important part of a community, especially one like this,” center coordinator Soledad Nunez said. “A tourist comes in from out of town and stays for the festival for three days, spends money here and stays here.”
Since its inception, the center has prided itself on producing quality year-round programming.
The biggest event is the annual Conjunto Festival, which brings some of the best conjunto musicians from the Rio Grande Valley and across Texas for three days of pure conjunto music.
Every year, Nunez said in an interview in July, people from all over the United States come to the festival.
“I have been getting a lot of calls from people all over asking when the festival is happening,” she said. “We’re looking to make this year’s the biggest yet.”
As a regional type of music, Nunez said conjunto music still reaches places like the United Kingdom and Japan.
“I got a call from a man in Afghanistan who really wanted to come to the festival,” she said. “There are Japanese conjuntos.”
There is a man from the United Kingdom who Nunez said is a fanatic fan of conjunto music.
This year’s conjuntos come from the Rio Grande Valley, Corpus Christi, Alice, Eagle Pass, San Antonio, Dallas and Houston. Conjunto artist Boni Mauricio will bring his unique conjunto style to the festival. Mando y La Venganza of Corpus Christi will be making their debut.
Flavio Longoria y Los Conjunto Kingz, son of pioneering conjunto musician Valerio Longoria, Rio Jordan, the sons of the great Esteban Jordan, Chano Cadena y Su Conjunto, Los Garcia Brothers, Los Morales Boyz and Los Monarcas will be returning to the festival.
Also, there will be the sound of El Valle Grupo Inevitable, Los Ángeles Del Sur, Rubén Garza y La Nueva Era, Los Fantasmas Del Valle, La Clica, Rubén De La Cruz y Su Conjunto, and Gilberto Pérez y Sus Compadres and The Palmview High School Conjunto Tradición.
There will be dancing, food, beverages and South Texas-driven hospitality. Bring your own chairs and umbrellas.
No outside food or beverages are allowed.
Nunez expects between 3,000 and 5,000 people to attend this weekend’s events.
