Mercedes set Music Festival

By Gabriel Saldaña, Valley Morning Star 8/4/09

Electric guitars will wail accordions will blare and synthesizers will turn out tunes as musicians of various genres take the stage on Sept. 5 at the city’s inaugural Texas Street Festival. Mercedes Chamber of Commerce Director Albert Gonzalez said the free festival, downtown on Texas Avenue will be the city’s only annual event.

So far, six diverse musical acts are scheduled to perform at the Labor Day weekend festival including Jimmy Gonzalez and Grupo Mazz; Del Castillo, a band of guitar-dueling brothers; and Tejano singer Elida Reyna. Also on the noon-to 11 P.M. bill are Pilaseca, an electronic funk and hip-hop band from Guanajuato, Mexico, and local groups Texas Heat and Southern Beat.

“The event is set up that it kind of hits different segments of the population. If you look at the listing of the musical acts, based on the time placement, in the evening… you can kind of see where it’s a more adult oriented venue.”

Musical and folklorico performances from local high schools and universities will be on a separate stage during the event while a video game tournament rages on the center of Texas Avenue. “That’s combined with a kiddie section like rides, inflatables, face-painting and things of that nature,” Gonzalez said.

Art exhibits, street performers, food and drinks will also be offered as part of the festivities. Gonzalez said the one-day festival is expected to bring in about 10,000 people.  “For our community it’s going to set in place an annual event which it’s lacking right now,” he said.