During its year-long bicentennial celebration last year, the City of Victoria threw a free community-wide party to celebrate the townòòò½ÊÓƵ™s rich historical and cultural heritage. Now that the cityòòò½ÊÓƵ™s big 200th birthday has come and gone, whatòòò½ÊÓƵ™s in store for the second edition of the annual event?
Tejas Fest officials are looking to make the event the next community tradition and, throughout the 2024 event, there are staple activities that appear to be here to stay.
Continuing in Tejas Fest 2025:
òòò½ÊÓƵ¢òòò½ÊÓƵVariety of live music and performances
òòò½ÊÓƵ¢òòò½ÊÓƵFood and market vendors
òòò½ÊÓƵ¢òòò½ÊÓƵCar show
òòò½ÊÓƵ¢òòò½ÊÓƵCornhole tournamentòòò½ÊÓƵ
òòò½ÊÓƵ¢òòò½ÊÓƵKidsòòò½ÊÓƵ™ Corral
òòò½ÊÓƵ¢òòò½ÊÓƵW°ù±ð²õ³Ù±ô¾±²Ô²µ
òòò½ÊÓƵ¢òòò½ÊÓƵPetting Zooòòò½ÊÓƵ
òòò½ÊÓƵ¢òòò½ÊÓƵTrick roper
òòò½ÊÓƵ¢òòò½ÊÓƵTamale eating contest
òòò½ÊÓƵ¢òòò½ÊÓƵMargarita contest
òòò½ÊÓƵ¢òòò½ÊÓƵPhoto booth
òòò½ÊÓƵ¢òòò½ÊÓƵMerchandise sales
While some of these activities were vestiges of the past from Boot Fest and the Armadillo Confab, the city will seek to establish new traditions for the younger generation. Itòòò½ÊÓƵ™s out with the old and in with the new as this year, the city will be dropping a few activities that failed to excite residents in 2024.
Discontinuing activities from Tejas Fest 2024:
òòò½ÊÓƵ¢òòò½ÊÓƵArmadillo races
òòò½ÊÓƵ¢òòò½ÊÓƵShuttle service
For the birthday celebration, the city went all out, but the 2025 version of Tejas Fest will be nothing short of jam-packed family fun activities. Here are some of the new activities that will be offered at the next Tejas Fest this October:
òòò½ÊÓƵ¢òòò½ÊÓƵMove VIP area near De Leon Plazaòòò½ÊÓƵ™s permeant restroom and water feature
òòò½ÊÓƵ¢òòò½ÊÓƵBottled water and soda sales (potential for a local non-profit to manage)
òòò½ÊÓƵ¢òòò½ÊÓƵChihuahua racing
òòò½ÊÓƵ¢òòò½ÊÓƵFestival mascot and presentations (Texas Zoo armadillo)
òòò½ÊÓƵ¢òòò½ÊÓƵCommunity mascot race
Inspired by the VIP section during the Red Dirt Barbecue and Music Festival, the city will look to move the VIP outdoors instead of holding it inside the foyer of the Leo J. Welder Center. This will save the city money that could be put towards other activities.
Joel Novosad, Director of Victoriaòòò½ÊÓƵ™s Convention and Visitors Bureau, was also inspired by the dachshund racing at the Victoria Livestock Show as an idea to begin Tejas Festòòò½ÊÓƵ™s own dog racing competition. Chihuahua racing will be held in place of armadillo races.
Challenges for last yearòòò½ÊÓƵ™s Tejas Fest:
òòò½ÊÓƵ¢òòò½ÊÓƵRising costs of live music fees
òòò½ÊÓƵ¢òòò½ÊÓƵRising cost for service providers
òòò½ÊÓƵ¢òòò½ÊÓƵReliable volunteer recruitment
òòò½ÊÓƵ¢òòò½ÊÓƵWill need City of Victoria financial support ($100,000 òòò½ÊÓƵ” $150,000 from hotel occupancy tax funds)
òòò½ÊÓƵ¢òòò½ÊÓƵCompetition for sponsorships in 2024 due to Bicentennial Ball
To make the event more cost effective, Novosad and his team put forth three proposals for Tejas Fest 2025 at a city council meeting last month. Last yearòòò½ÊÓƵ™s Tejas Fest incurred a cost of approximately $380,000.
Proposal 1 would keep Tejas Fest as a free two-day event with Tejano music on Friday evening and a day-long celebration on Saturday that would end with country music.
Under Proposal 1, Tejas Fest would retain two music stages on Saturday, one of which would feature local musicians. One key difference in this version of Tejas Fest would be a decreased number of food vendors. Last yearòòò½ÊÓƵ™s event included 17 food vendors. Tejas Fest 2025 would trim that number by two.
The benefit to Proposal 1 would maintain Tejas Festòòò½ÊÓƵ™s status as community festival. It would ensure a format that residents are familiar with and would increase sales for food vendors. The only disadvantage to this version of Tejas Fest is that it would need a higher contribution from hotel occupancy tax funds.
The total expenses for Proposal 1 would be around $302,560. The biggest expense is an anticipated $104,150 for main stage and second stage live music fees.
Proposal 2 would make Tejas Fest a free one-day event, eliminating the Friday night portion. The event would still take place from 10 a.m. to 11:30 p.m.
The main stage would still feature two Tejano music acts and two Country music acts. Instead of 17, proposal two would reduce the number of food vendors to 10.
Benefits of Proposal 2 for Tejas Fest
òòò½ÊÓƵ¢òòò½ÊÓƵLowers overall costs for live music fees (including entertainer hotel costs)
òòò½ÊÓƵ¢òòò½ÊÓƵLowers cost for Main Stage sound, lighting, video and stage management fees
òòò½ÊÓƵ¢òòò½ÊÓƵLowers costs for City of Victoria overtime
òòò½ÊÓƵ¢òòò½ÊÓƵLowers costs for beverages and ice, trash carts and portable toilets, trash pickup, water service for food vendors, kidsòòò½ÊÓƵ™ activities, VIP supplies and services, volunteer and staff supplies and rain insurance fees.
òòò½ÊÓƵ¢òòò½ÊÓƵEach food vendor possibly has higher sales
òòò½ÊÓƵ¢òòò½ÊÓƵReduces overall volunteer needs
Disadvantages
òòò½ÊÓƵ¢òòò½ÊÓƵWould likely reduce overall beverage sales total from two-day event
òòò½ÊÓƵ¢òòò½ÊÓƵWould reduce revenue from food vendor registration fees from two-day event
òòò½ÊÓƵ¢òòò½ÊÓƵWould reduce the number of local food vendors that could participate
òòò½ÊÓƵ¢òòò½ÊÓƵLive music fees reduced, requiring the event to book less-notable acts
To host proposal two of Tejas Fest 2025, the total expenses would be $226,060. Main stage and second stage live music fees would still be the most expensive item on the bill, costing around $77,750.
Proposal 3 is a hybrid free festival with the eventòòò½ÊÓƵ™s concert area of the event being admission only. Tejas Fest would still be a two-day event with the same music nights as last year. The only difference between this proposal and Proposal 1 is an added admission price of $10-$15 per night to enter the concert area.
While charging admission to a select portion of the event would create another revenue stream, Tejas Fest would no longer be considered a true community festival.
Disadvantages
òòò½ÊÓƵ¢òòò½ÊÓƵWould increase security needs and staff needs for ticketing, therefore increasing City of Victoria overtime costs
òòò½ÊÓƵ¢òòò½ÊÓƵRequires a fence rental which would cost nearly $11,000
òòò½ÊÓƵ¢òòò½ÊÓƵReduces space for Saturday daytime activities or would require clearing concert area at a designated time with the onset of charging admission
Victoria already has two music festivals in town that charge admission (Memorial Weekend Bash and Red Dirt Barbecue and Music Festival)
Out of three proposals, this option is the riskiest. Tejas Fest would need to sell at least 4,500 tickets per night. The overall cost for proposal three would be $323, 560.
Concert tickets would add an estimated $135,000 to the budget. But this comes at the cost of the community losing a true free community-wide festival.
Novosad and his staff are advocating for Proposal 1 and feel confident they can book decent and affordable performers for both nights. He stressed that very rarely does a city stage an event where an admission fee is charged.
Last year, over 15,000 people attended the inaugural Tejas Fest. This year, city officials look to draw in more than just area residents to the event. For now, residents can look forward to attending Tejas Fest 2025 on Oct. 3-4.
In this column called Ask Madison, Madison O’Hara, a Victoria native and Advocate reporter, answers questions readers have about anything and everything to do with the Crossroads. Email your question to Madison at askmadison@vicad.com or call her at 361-580-6558.
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