The city of Mercedes’ Chamber of Commerce held a press conference last Tuesday at the Texas National Bank. The conference covered details about their 18th annual Texas Street Festival, and brought together sponsors, city officials, and various guests who showed their support and excitement for the upcoming event.

Edna Martinez, Executive Vice President for Texas National Bank and long-time sponsor of the chamber of commerce, said that she was proud to see the growth that Texas Street Festival has been able to achieve.

“… I’m so elated to see that it continues to grow and that we have traditionally kept it going,” Martinez said. 

She gave a warm welcome to all guests in attendance, and gave thanks to every member of the committee who was able to keep the event going even after her departure from the original committee that started it.

The Chamber of Commerce’s president, Hector Rocha Jr., then elaborated on some of the activities that could be found at the event, such as petting zoos, wrestling, and much more.

“We will see the historic downtown Texas street in Mercedes transform into a vibrant festival ground with live music, with top artists and crowd favorites,” Rocha said.

After he finished outlining the various events, Rocha passed the mic to the City of Mercedes’ Mayor Pro Tem, Ruben J. Saldana, who expressed how excited he was for the event himself. 

“It’s a big event for our small but proud city, and we’re moving the city forward…”Saldana said.

Raquel Lopez, Co-Chair of the Texas Street Festival, provided a guest list for the various musical artists who would be in attendance, including names such as Anthony Trevino, Lucky Joe, Los Cadetes De Linares, and Los Traileros Del Norte.

When asked how the event got its start, Fred Gonzalez, the Mercedes Chamber of Commerce’s immediate past president said that the mayor who first started the event simply wanted an annual event in the downtown area.

“Our mayor back then, Mr. [Henry] Hinojosa, wanted an annual event, and wanted it to take place in our historic downtown Mercedes, showcasing all of our original buildings from back in the 40s and 30s, so we put our heads together and we figured there was nothing ever happening on labor day weekend, so we’ll call it the Texas Street Festival…”Gonzalez said.

In the beginning, there were only a couple thousand attendees, but in the years since, the event has garnered an average of 20 to 25 thousand people every year, with one year having over 30,000 people all in downtown Mercedes at once.

The Texas Street Festival will start at 4 p.m. on September 5, 2026. Admission is free, but outside food, drink, and ice chests will not be allowed. Various vendors will be selling food and drink inside, and there are various activities that people of all ages can enjoy for free. V.I.P. seating will also be available for purchase.