FIESTA 2020

Updated: February 28, 2020

Annual celebration draws large crowds

Fiesta de La Feria attendants Betty and Dale Guder enjoy a funnel cake. Photo: Tony Vindell/LFN

By TONY VINDELL / LFN

Area residents and visitors partied until they dropped during the annual Fiesta de La Feria, which was held Feb. 15.

Some of them danced to their favorite rock ‘n’ roll, Tejano, cumbia and even Huapango tunes.

Others ate a variety of foods such as barbecue sandwiches, turkey legs, tacos, corn on cob and funnel cakes.

On one side of Main Street, people danced to the nearly half dozen bands that took part in the event while others admired the many muscle and classic cars parked on the south side of the street.

Others were taking a look or shopping from the many vendors offering a variety of items.

Anna Aleman with Katie’s Kakes and Jake’s Bar-B-Que food trucks, said the Fiesta de La Feria is a citywide celebration where everybody enjoys the many things available to them.

“I have been running a booth since the first year the Fiesta de La Feria was held 27 years ago,” she said. “I started selling wreaths and a couple of years later I switched to food.

Aleman said she remembers the street half full of vendors selling goods back them, compared to dozens upon dozens today.

She said tacos and fajitas were the food items available then and that most of the people attending the annual fiesta were area residents. But that has changed, Aleman added, as visitors from other areas of the United States are among the many people celebrating the Fiesta de la Feria.

Winter Texans Dale and Betty Guder were among the many out-of-town visitors who attended the street party. She said they love the weather, the food and, especially, the people.

“Although we have been coming to the Rio Grande Valley for four years,” she said, before munching on a funnel cake covered with fresh strawberries, “this was our first time here (to the Fiesta).”