SAN ANTONIO — For the 42nd time in the last 43 years, conjunto ensembles will fill the air with Tejano melodies at Rosedale Park to help usher in summer in San Antonio.
The long-running Tejano Conjunto Festival, organized by the Guadalupe Cultural Arts Center, returns this week for five days of dancing, music and food. But, as Guadalupe Executive Director Cristina Ballí remarked at March's poster reveal, it's also an occasion for community and celebration.
"It's not just a place where we come to have a good time," Ballí said about the festival typically attended by thousands. "It's a place where people learn about their culture, about this beautiful folk tradition that's spread all over Texas and all over the world."
Joined by festival founder Juan Tejeda, Ballí revealed the winner of the festival's annual poster competition to be Anna Arce, a San Antonio native attending college in Indiana. Styled after a Lotería tile, Arce's winning submission places a female accordionist front and center, accompanying her with simple but bold colors.
Tejeda noted the female musician prominently featured on the poster, saying it was a notable flourish reflecting the growing number of women becoming involved in the traditionally male-dominated genre.
Arce also won a $2,000 prize for her winning poster.
Lineup revealed
San Antonio's Tejano fans can now start making plans to attend the festival, which is anchored by three days of live music from May 17-19.
The performers will be:
Friday, May 17 (5 p.m. to midnight)
- Conjuntazzo with Joel and Sarah
- Los D Boys
- Gilberto Pérez Jr. y su Conjunto
- Los Conjunto Kings de Flavio Longoria
- David Flores y Los Tremendos Alacranes
- Los Desperadoz
Saturday, May 18 (Noon to midnight)
- Retoño
- J.R. Gómez y Los Conjuntos Bandits
- Mando y La Venganza
- Conjunto Prestigio
- Bernardo y sus Compadres
- Impozzible
- Los Tellez
- Los Monarcas de Pete y Mario Díaz
- Ruben de la Cruz
- Los Cucuys de Rodney Rodriguez
- Lázaro Pérez y su Conjunto
- Other student conjuntos from the Rio Grande Valley
Sunday, May 19 (Noon to 10 p.m.)
- Texas Sweethearts
- Linda Escobar
- Susan Torres y Conjunto Los Pinkys
- Cindy Ramos y su Conjunto
- Los Delta Boyz
- Santiago Garza y la Naturaleza
- Eva Ybarra y su Conjunto Siempre
- Los Texmaniacs with Flaco Jimenez
- Los Fantasmas del Valle
- Other student conjuntos from San Antonio
Preceding the three days of music at Rosedale Park are two days of additional events at VFW Post 9186 (650 East White).
On May 15, from 10 a.m. to noon, the festival will host a free seniors' dance with music provided by Los Hermanos DeLeón and Felipe Perez y sus Polkeros. On May 16, from 6 p.m. to 11 p.m., the festival will hold its Hall of Fame dance with music provided by previous inductees Bene Medina y su Conjunto Aguila, Eddie "Lalo" Torres, Santiago Jimenez Jr., Boni Mauricio y los Máximos, and Ruben Garza y La Nueva Era.
Tickets for the 42nd annual Tejano Conjunto Festival and May 16 Hall of Fame festivities are now on sale. Three-day weekend passes cost $50.
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