3/4/2012 Borderfest

March is month that all the festivals, rodeos and celebrations for this or that start.

One of the oldest and largest is Borderfest.

Our first glimpse as we approach the State Farm Arena in Hidalgo.

This festival, started in 1977 as a project of the Hidalgo Chamber of Commerce. The idea was to promote cultural, international and community spirit. The first event was a small community festival that lasted one day and drew about 500 people or so. Today, the festival has grown to become a nationally recognized, award winning Heritage and Music festival attracting more than 65,000 people over the four day run.

This year’s Borderfest celebrated England. Each year a country or another state is featured. You may find acts, costumes, music and even food geared to that culture or state. In 2008 China was featured, in 2011 it was Hawaii.

After paying our $10.00 each admission fee we walked in to the sights and sounds of a festival in full swing.

The first show we came upon was Wild About Monkeys.

We had seen this show before in Arizona at the Ostrich Festival, same guy, same monkey. Cute show all the same.

The next tent down brought us a hypnotist. I didn’t catch his name but he was quite entertaining. Oh wait, his subjects were quite entertaining I should say. Here they are “asleep”.

A pit stop for both of us brought us close to the car show, if you will. There weren’t many there, and what was, wasn’t all that.

I don’t even know what kind of car this is. Anyone know? I’m not seeing brake lights so this has had to be modified.

Maybe its just me, but I don’t get this. If I had a antique car like this I just wouldn’t DO THIS! I’d try to restore it as best I could, including original color which very likely was black.

Back on the midway we caught the tail end of a dance production.

I just love these colorful costumes!

I haven’t seen this automobile pictured below since 1975 when I was driving straight through from Delaware to Indianapolis, Indiana. I happen to see this at about one in the morning when it passed me. Did I do a double take? Oh yea!

The Oscar Mayer Weinermobile is 27 feet long and stands 11 feet high. It doesn’t have a sun roof, it has a bun roof. The driver’s seat is even the color of relish! The drivers of this vehicle have to attend Hot Dog High in Madison, Wisconsin. It is here they learn all things Oscar Mayer. Each driver takes a one year driving tour visiting venues such as this festival. This is truly one of the most unique and most recognizable vehicles ever made.

Do you see the diver’s in this pic?

Here’s a diver on his way to the high dive platform.

When he reaches the top he will be at height equal to eight stories.

….and he dives!

….and the crowd cheered!

Now remember, this festival is supposed to be honoring England. I found this strange seeing as most of the people in this small Texas town at this festival were either Mexican or Canadian. I didn’t hear anyone from England the whole day. I did hear a lot of Spanish and a lot of French.

When we got to the big tent we finally saw something that reminded us of England. These costumes on this boys band (?) who all sang in Spanish.

Some of the younger ones came down and danced with audience members.

The only song they sang that I recognized was Frank Sinatra’s My Way because of that familiar tune.

After they left the stage we were entertained by a Johnny Carson frequent guest….María del Rosario Mercedes Laura Jennifer Pilar Martínez Molina Baeza,,,yes Ms. Cuchi-Cuchi herself,,,,CHARO!

I will be upfront with you. I have never been a Charo fan.

She claims she is only 60 years old. If this is the truth, and I’m doubting that, then all I can say is this woman has been ridden hard and put away wet on more than one occasion. If she is only 60 years old that means she was only 13 when she married Xavier Cougat from what I’ve been able to find on her.

Now I will give her this. She has a killer body!

It was here when I started praying. “Please God, run her over with a truck.”

I had a very hard time understanding anything she was saying. I did catch that she has been asked several times to appear on Dancing With the Stars but she keeps turning them down because she doesn’t like Bruno Tonioli. She says she can’t stand his accent!

After what I am assuming was a comedy routine because people were laughing and singing some songs, she played her guitar for us.

She does play classical guitar very well.

In additon to all the shows and the great food court provided by HEB and the headliners performing in the State Farm Arena this festival also boasted a good sized carnival and lots of games of chance.

We had the perfect day weather-wise to visit Borderfest!