NEWS Staff Report
Earlier this week, the City of San Benito announced that it will take control of the monthly downtown market days event, typically held mid-month in the historic Robertson Street District.
As previously reported, City officials discussed adopting market days during the January 6 San Benito City Commission regular meeting.
Event organizers, who agreed that market days had grown significantly, bided their time while City of San Benito leaders evaluated logistical details such as which department(s) could help coordinate it, since the event was privately founded and run.
As explained to the San Benito Commissioners during the meeting, the plan was to place the program initially under the Cultural Arts and Tourism Department, which, according to a City memo, has “the staffing capacity, operational experience, and departmental coordination necessary to successfully oversee all aspects.”
That department is partially funded by hotel-motel taxes, which the City of San Benito could theoretically use to cover market days’ expenses.
The meeting memo to elected leaders also stated that the City of San Benito would “include vendor management, event logistics, cultural programming, and public engagement.”
San Benito City Manager Fred Sandoval told commissioners that no market day funds were budgeted. The City staff would need to assess the budgetary impact, including effects on operational needs, staffing, and event programming.
All commissioners and staff agreed, in some form, that market days should continue, but they differed on which department should oversee it and on whether waiting three months was viable.
The Economic Development Corporation and Parks and Recreation were among the San Benito entities and departments cited.
Also, Commissioner Pedro A. Galvan suggested expanding market days to include the Texas Conjunto Music Hall of Fame & Museum, located nearby at 402 West Robertson Street.
During the Public Comments portion of the meeting, one of the market days organizers, Linda De La Rosa, noted that market days has grown significantly under the vision of Iris García, who pioneered the event in 2019.
She told commissioners it began inside La Villita Dance Hall and has since spilled onto the adjacent roadway, requiring the closure of Robertson Street to oncoming traffic for the mid-month event.
“Through Iris’ vision, this came to life when we started small, and we were blessed to begin to grow,” De La Rosa said.
Vendors, some of whom have gone on to become business owners, number over 20 inside La Villita, but on the street the number mushrooms to more than 50, and with it, attendance reaches the hundreds. Many come from throughout the Valley, too, organizers said.
“We’ve been managing it under Iris Garcia for six years, and right now we feel we need help. We’ve done all that we can do, and a lot of great things have come out of it.”
During the meeting’s public comments, co-organizer Norma Boland spoke about the event’s impact.
“We wanted to revitalize Robertson Street, and I think we’ve done a great job of doing that; we have businesses around there, and of course, there’s room for improvement,” Boland said. “There are other people who are showing interest in coming.”
She said it would be a “win-win” for the City of San Benito to take the reins, with input from the current market day organizers, if warranted.
A social media post on the official market days Facebook page, dated January 20, 2026, read, “We are pleased to announce that the City of San Benito – Government has officially adopted Market Days on Historic Robertson Street. Feedback on the City’s exceptional handling of the event has been overwhelmingly positive. Market Days is poised to become even more successful, and Historic Robertson Street continues to flourish.”
Vendors interested in registration may contact Krista at (956) 361-3800 or kacruz@cityofsanbenito.com. The registration fee is $15.
The next market day is slated for Saturday, February 14, 2026, from 9 a.m.-2 p.m. on Robertson Street.
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