By Joel Langton
The 830 Times
Del Rio’s chapter of the International Good Neighbor Council has announced its ninth annual Fiesta de Amistad art contest, inviting high school students across Del Rio to create original posters celebrating the 65th anniversary of the Amistad Dam agreement.
The treaty, signed Oct. 23, 1960, in Ciudad Acuña, Coah., Mexico, by U.S. President Dwight D. Eisenhower and Mexico President Adolfo López Mateos, authorized construction of the international dam. This year’s Fiesta de Amistad will honor that milestone on Oct. 17.
Dora Alcala, former mayor of Del Rio, former high-ranking federal government employee and long-time organizer of the ceremony, said she is once-again excited about this year’s Sept. 8 event.
“It’s so vital that we get behind the arts, and we have to support them every way that we can,” Alcala said.
This contest enables teens in the region to have their art in the forefront of the Fiesta de Amistad festivities.
“We take the winning student’s art, and we place it on the IGNC medals sold during Fiesta de Amistad,” Alcala said. “So, a student can win $500 for winning the contest, then have their art featured throughout our promotions during October.”
Alcala said the rules are pretty simple. Students from Del Rio High School, the ninth grade campus, Heritage Academy and Premier High School are eligible to participate. Posters should measure 22- by 28-inches and may include the flags of the United States and Mexico, though other creative depictions of the two nations’ friendship, communities and cultures will be accepted. Five extra points will be awarded if the design incorporates the 65th anniversary theme.
Entries are due by 6 p.m. Friday, Sept. 5, 2025, and must include contact information for the student or parent.
Judging will take place Monday, Sept. 8, at 5 p.m. in the Ramada Inn Sun Blossom Room, followed by an awards reception at 6 p.m. Friends and families of contestants are invited to attend.
A total of $1,500 in scholarships will be awarded: $500 for first place, $400 for second, $300 for third, $200 for fourth and $100 for honorable mention.
For more information, contact contest chair Dora G. Alcala at (830) 719-0324 or aalcala@stx.rr.com.
The writer can be reached at joelalangton@gmail.com .
