(Courtesy photo/San Benito Chamber of Commerce)
By ALBERT VILLEGAS
Special to the NEWS
San Benito leaders are going “whole hog” and diving head first, not into the mud, but flying into what they hope will be hog heaven as they look to upgrade most facets within this year’s budget for an event that began in 2018.
Hoping to attract more attendees from far and wide, this year’s San Benito Hog Waddle Concert & Cookoff is being held at the San Benito Fairgrounds, Feb. 20-23 and includes music from various genres, including country, Norteño and rock.
Admission is $10 per person, and children 12 years and younger enter free.
During a Monday, Jan. 13 press conference at the San Benito Cultural Heritage Museum (250 East Heywood St.) that included elected leaders and city administrators, around an estimated 150 attendees were told this event would continue to be San Benito’s own with its taxpayers in mind.
Citing established events that occur in neighboring cities to the north and south of San Benito, Mayor Ricardo Guerra said “there is enough room for everyone to grow.”
“We’re not trying to beat Brownsville, not trying to beat Harlingen, we’re just trying to be San Benito,” said Guerra, who received applause for his comment. Although he said the origins of the Hog Waddle were made with locals in mind, in time it has attracted residents from outside of state, including Colorado. The day of the press conference, a couple who resided in Michigan, said they came to San Benito to view the Freddy Fender exhibit at the CHM, which is set to close after months of being displayed.
As time has moved on, Guerra admitted there are some who don’t know the impact Fender made on his community. It’s another reason City Manager Fred Sandoval said it’s important for those today who can to “leave a legacy” and the annual Hog Waddle is part of that legacy.
“A big word I use a lot is ‘legacy.’ What’s our legacy? We have Freddy Fender, we have Conjunto…a big musical heritage,” said Sandoval, who will be involved in the event for a second time. “We’re expanding the franchise and want to put the City where it needs to be, the center of the growth in Cameron County. This is a big event for many of us.”
Guests were told, the event will continue to have input from leaders in various City departments including Economic Development Corporation (EDC), Cultural Arts, Parks & Recreation, and first responders – all of whom had a representative on hand; and, in some cases, spoke during the press conference.
Guests were shown a video that included a black and white photo dated March 1914, the “last and real hog waddle” of which the event received its name.
Historically, San Benito organized a Cabbage Day celebration for an abundant cabbage crop, and leaders decided to add a Hog Waddle to the parade, attempting to show the country the abundant numbers of those animals being raised in the Valley.
On March 17, at the rear of the float parade, between 1,000 and 2,000 hogs of all types and sizes were escorted by multiple herdsmen. Upon reaching the disbanding area of the short parade, some unknown celebrants fired guns in the air. The hogs scattered and it took two days to round them up.
This and other vital information can be found on the City of San Benito Government Facebook page.
San Benito Public Relations Officer Cristina Garcia said the event will continue to be updated for the public through social media and city meetings.
The Hog Waddle musical lineup is as follows:
* Friday, Feb. 21: Randy Rogers Band, Louie The Singer, Buck Crazy, and Cheyenne.
* Saturday, Feb. 22: Cardenales de Nuevo León, Los Viejones de Linares, and Miya 22.
* Sunday, Feb. 23 Thunderstruck, Whiskey D, and the School of Rock from McAllen.
Organizers said vendors and volunteers are needed.
1 comment
So you want to talk about your LEGACY San Benito…your legacy is as follows: the city of WELFARE where the majority of the population has never worked a regular job in their entire life and the POSTER CHILD for the Lone Star Card. Any questions?!