Valdez: Alfresco Weslaco can provide downtown businesses with busiest night of the month

WESLACO, Texas – Downtown business owners say their busiest night of the month is when the city’s economic development corporation hosts Alfresco Weslaco, a popular music and art on the street festival.

Alfresco Weslaco occurs every third Thursday of the month from August to February, from 6:00 pm to 9:30 pm., along Texas Boulevard in Weslaco’s Historic Downtown District.

Economic Development Corporation of Weslaco Executive Director Steve Valdez spoke about the long-running cultural festival during a recent podcast with the Rio Grande Guardian.

Valdez said Alfresco Weslaco is a testament to community collaboration and celebration of local culture. He said the festival has become an event for new and upcoming local bands to perform on stage along with showcasing local talent and business vendors ranging from food to artisanal crafts, and informational booths.

Valdez thanked the City of Weslaco for its support.

“We’ve been doing Alfresco for a little over ten years and just recently we’ve been able to acquire some great staff that have grown the event to where it is today,” Valdez said.

“I think when I started (with the EDC) back in 2016 we had maybe 25 to 30 vendors. We’re now busting at the seams with about 140 vendors that come out each night (we host the event).”

“The vendor pool that we get is really what’s attracting so many people,” Valdez said. “We have live performances, live bands. We get the schools involved. We get on an average of about 8,000 visitors per event. We use a software solution that allows us to count, at least track phones to tell us how many people show, and they actually stay for about 90 minutes on an average.”

Interest from potential vendors is growing, Valdez explained. “We only have space for 130 vendors, but we get 400 applicants that come in that want to participate.”

Which vendors are selected is largely decided by Michelle V. Garcia, WEDC’s community development and marketing manager, Valdez said.

“Michelle, in particular, has got to use her magic wand and say, okay, we need more of this vendor or more of that. But we need a circulation of a different type of vendor, so that every Alfresco is unique in the kind of vendors that show up.”

Valdez continued: “We have our food vendors. We have our craft vendors, our art vendors. A lot of our downtown businesses stay open. A lot of our downtown business owners tell us that the best night they have each month is Alfresco. And so, we really do it to benefit our downtown vendors, our downtown businesses.”

Teddy’s Barbecue is a good example of what can happen, Valdez said.

“Teddy’s Barbecue started at Alfresco many years ago out of a tent. Now, they have moved into brick and mortar. So that’s really the intent of Al Fresco, and it’s been working great for us.”

Garcia, WEDC’s community development and marketing manager, said Alfresco has grown extensively in both spectators and vendors over the last 15 years.

She pointed to new data provided by Placer AI, a data analytics platform. It shows the 2023-2024 Alfresco Weslaco season drew an average of 7,540 spectators each month.

“Alfresco Weslaco serves as a beacon of warmth and creativity. During the cooler months, it attracts visitors from states as far as Michigan, Ohio, New Jersey, and Georgia to visit Weslaco and experience the unique blend of music, art, and culture that the festival has to offer in the heart of Weslaco’s Historic Downtown District,” Garcia said.

Jerry Gonzalez is board president for the Economic Development Corporation of Weslaco. Gonzalez said that in analyzing the data, the EDCW team was able to expand Alfresco Weslaco by further accommodating a 48 percent vendor growth rate to reach roughly 135 vendors.

“Upon observation, the interest and the support from the spectators each month, was recognized by the EDCW team as an opportunity to expand the festival,” Gonzalez said.

Downtown business owners are equally invested in the event, Gonzalez said, as they stay open late to accommodate the spectators and to welcome them into their doors.

Garcia said the event prides itself on being a free, family and pet-friendly scene, encouraging attendees to bring lawn chairs and frequently offering pet vaccinations and adoptions on-site brought by the Weslaco Animal Care Services.

Garcia said she invites the surrounding communities, vendors, and winter Texans to join the EDC at Alfresco Weslaco – Music & Art on the Street on August 15, 2024, September 19, 2024, October 17, 2024, November 21, 2024, December 19, 2024, January 16, 2025, and February 20, 2025.

Editor’s Note: For inquiries, contact the Economic Development Corporation of Weslaco by calling 956-969-0838. EDCW staff say they also welcome in-person visits at their office located at 275 S. Kansas Ave. next to the City Hall in Weslaco.

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