SAN BENITO — The city might be putting big bucks behind its latest music festival.
Later today, city commissioners will consider approving a payment request to Donna-based Kool River Media for a $10,000 deposit to secure a headliner for the city’s Hog Waddle Country Concert and Cook-Off.
The promoter is apparently considering country singer Mark Chesnutt, a recording artist with eight No. 1 hits, to serve as the headliner for the concert set for May 19 at the San Benito Fairgrounds, Commissioner Esteban Rodriguez said.
As part of the agreement, the city will give the promoter 15 percent of the total cost of staging the event.
The festival will feature country music bands and an officially-sanctioned barbecue cook-off.
In January, the city’s Economic Development Corporation earmarked as much as $10,000 to market the event.
For barbecue aficionados, the menu will feature classic pork recipes.
The city turned back the pages of history to the city’s pioneering past to come up with this festival’s theme.
Near the turn of the 20th century, Alba Heywood, a farmer who co-founded San Benito Bank & Trust, drove 2,000 hogs onto the dusty Sam Houston Boulevard to stage a parade.
But the crack of pistol shot spooked the pigs, which took about three days to round up.
The new festival is part of a plan to showcase San Benito’s musical heritage to draw tourists to town.
Known as the birthplace of conjunto music, the city debuted its own Resaca City Music Festival, featuring a variety of music including conjunto last October.
Who is Mark Chesnutt
– Recording artist
– Eight No. 1 hits
– Hits include Brother Jukebox, Blame it on Texas, Broken Promise Land
Wha’ts in a name?
Turning back the pages of history.
Near the turn of the 20th century, Alba Heywood, a farmer who co-founded San Benito Bank & Trust, drove 2,000 hogs onto the dusty Sam Houston Boulevard to stage a parade. But the crack of pistol shot spooked the pigs, which took about three days to round up.
That’s where the name Hog Waddle comes from.
