Sign up for TPR Today, Texas Public Radio’s newsletter that brings our top stories to your inbox each morning.
A downtown San Antonio festival this weekend centers on a cultural staple: the guayabera.
Guayabera Fest, now in its sixth year, is set for Saturday at Travis Park.
“It’s meant to celebrate the tradition of the guayabera,” said organizer Ray Colau. “But of course, what’s a festival without amazing music and some great food?”
The festival runs from 11 a.m. to 11 p.m. and features a full day of live music spanning salsa, merengue, cumbia and bachata. The lineup opens with GABAs Beat and closes with DJ Cane.
Vendors will be on site throughout the day, offering food, drinks and, fittingly, guayaberas for sale.
“There’s going to be plenty of guayaberas for sale,” Colau said. “If you’ve got one in your closet you’ve been wanting to wear, this is the event for it.”
Organizers expect many attendees to show up dressed for the occasion, turning the festival into both a cultural celebration and a showcase of the iconic shirt.
The event costs $10 and is organized by Centro San Antonio, a nonprofit that manages the downtown public improvement district. Proceeds support its mission to boost local businesses and celebrate culture in downtown spaces.
The festival also serves as an early taste of Fiesta, the city’s annual springtime celebration of San Antonio’s history and culture, a “party with a purpose” that raises money for local nonprofits, running April 16 through 26, when guayaberas are likely to be in even wider rotation.
