When: Fri., May 26, 5:30 p.m.-12 a.m., Sat., May 27, 1 p.m.-12 a.m. and Sun., May 28, 1-10 p.m. 2017
Back for its 36th year, the Tejano Conjunto Festival, presented by the Guadalupe Cultural Arts Center, is gearing up for what’s looking like a pretty impressive event. The festival will include performances from 30 of the most popular conjunto musicians, including Grammy-winning accordion hero Flaco Jiménez and his son Santiago Jiménez Jr. The annual celebration expects to draw more than 5,000 conjunto music lovers from across Texas, the U.S., Mexico, and beyond. “I am honored to take on the tremendous task of filling the shoes of festival founder Juan Tejeda, who brought conjunto music to the forefront with this event,” said Cristina Ballí, executive director of the Guadalupe. Ballí recently made a significant impact statewide as executive director of Texas Folklife, the Austin-based organization designated by the National Endowment for the Arts to preserve and present the diverse cultures and living heritage of the Lone Star State. Some of this year’s TCF highlights include a presentation of new inductees into the Conjunto Music Hall of Fame at a special gala event, a free seniors conjunto dance and the opportunity to win a top-of-the-line Hohner accordion.