Taco enthusiasts, pack your bags. The third annual Taco Fest: Music Y Más will take place at The University of Texas at San Antonio Downtown Campus on Saturday, April 4, 2020. The food lineup will showcase more than 40 restaurants and taquerias, including a few returning champions from previous years. Festival attendees will once again be able to vote on their favorite taco restaurants in categories including “Best Traditional Taco,” “Best Specialty Taco,” “People’s Choice” and more.
“San Antonio is taco country,” says Cesar Zepeda, chef and owner of Sangria on the Burg, a winner of a Best Taco Award at last year’s event. “To compete against the best chefs in the Taco Capital of the World for a knowledgeable audience of taco aficionados is the only way to know you’re the best.”
This year, organizers have added a special presentation by James Beard Foundation Award winner Vera’s Backyard Bar-B-Que from Brownsville, featuring its Tejano style barbacoa cooked traditionally in an underground pit. Although Vera’s will not have a demo pit at the event, pitmaster Armando Vera will bring up 60 lbs of freshly made barbacoa that he will have unearthed in Brownsville the morning of the event.
“The James Beard award for Vera’s confirms what we’ve known for a while, that Vera’s Backyard Bar-B-Que is a treasure that needs to be recognized,” says festival programmer, Jim Mendiola. “Their pit cooking process not only maintains a Tejano tradition, but they make some of the best barbacoa in the state of Texas. It’s an honor that we get to share their food at Taco Fest: Music Y Más.”
In addition to and more than 40 taco joints that range from mom and pop operations to high-end tacos created by award-winning chefs, the event includes performances by more than 20 bands and musicians, art, panel discussions and activities for children.”We don’t just highlight food at Taco Fest: Music Y Más, we celebrate taco culture, San Antonio style,” says Mendiola.
This year’s music lineup will feature more than 20 musicians and bands, including headlining performances by iconic GRAMMY Award-winning singer Lila Downs and a special reunion performance by beloved San Antonio band Girl in A Coma. In addition to this year’s performers and taco vendors, the festival will feature presentations by writer Gustavo Arellano, expanded children’s programming and a wide variety of vendors.
Tickets are on sale now with General Admission, VIP and Premium VIP packages available. Children under the age of 10 get free admission when accompanied by a ticketed adult. A portion of Taco Fest proceeds will benefit SATX Inner City Development, a local non-profit organization.