McALLEN — Saturday’s downpour barely slowed the traffic at the sixth annual PalmFest, which organizers said drew at least 35,000 people.
This year’s festival — officially named “PalmFest: International Folklife Celebration” — also celebrated the 100th anniversary of the city of McAllen’s charter. the free celebration at the McAllen Convention Center featured an array of activities and events, including three stages with live entertainment, a car show, art shows, a horse show, food, a market, games, children’s rides and exhibits.
The rain Saturday afternoon drove out visitors, but they returned for the night entertainment, which included a horseback riding show by Rancho El Caballo and a concert by Ramon Ayala. Both events were filled to capacity, said Elva Cerda, the chairwoman of PalmFest.
Attendees also could take a 6-minute helicopter ride, a popular new feature this year, Cerda said. even Mayor Richard Cortez went up in the helicopter to see his city from above.
Nine-year-old McAllen resident Aitzin Finn-Reyes said she was excited to see the helicopter from the ground and made sure to reassure her father when it flew by.
“I told my dad not to be scared of it,” she said, as she and her father Gilbert Reyes watched model trains zoom around miniature railroad tracks inside the Convention Center.
Rio Grande Valley Rails brought in the model sets. Richard Habermann, a member of the organization, explained the importance of trains to McAllen’s founding.
“without trains there would be no McAllen,” he said, explaining that the first rail system to the McAllen ranch in 1904 was what brought people and supplies to the area.
History was an important part of this year’s PalmFest. although founded in 1904, McAllen did not have a charter until Aug. 20, 1911, making this year the centennial of the charter, said Lydia Mora, a board member of the McAllen Heritage Center, which had displays at the event.
Visitors could see what it was like to be a settler and even visit with an impersonator of the Mexican revolutionary Pancho Villa, Cerda said.
Other not-so-historical characters, including Garfield and Odie of comic strip fame, were also on hand to greet and take photos with visitors.
Cooks battled it out during the cook-off where they made six types of traditional South Texas food, including fajitas, pan de campo, frijoles a la charra, beef mollejas and salsa.
Visitors ate traditional carnival food including elephant ears, turkey legs, tacos and fajitas.
Cerda said the event gets “bigger and better” each year.
“We are thrilled,” she said Sunday afternoon. “Everything is going great.”
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Gail Burkhardt covers Mission, western Hidalgo County, Starr County and general assignments for The Monitor. She can be reached at (956) 683-4462.