By Louis Zylka
The 830 Times
Del Rio has a full four-day Fourth of July schedule starting Saturday including golfing, swimming, a Miss 4th of July pageant and lots of music.
Things kick off on Saturday with a flag football tournament at the Field of Our Dreams. The tournament is scheduled to begin at 8 a.m. and continue until 5 p.m. Fee is $50 and teams can sign up online at https://www.cityofdelrio.com/Home/Components/Calendar/Event/1574/352
On Saturday, July 1, the Queen City Belles will host a golf tournament starting at 9 a.m. at the San Felipe Springs Golf Course. Registration is $125 per member, and teams of four are allowed to enter.
The teams can win prizes starting from $1,200 for first place, $800 for second place, and $500 for third place. The Queen City Bells will be at the golf course offering food and refreshments including breakfast tacos, burgers during lunch and goodie bags for all the teams.
All proceeds will go to help fund a trip for the Queen City Belles to the 2023 Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade in New York City. Kayla Rodriguez, director of the Queen City Bells, said they’re thankful to have been a part of the parade last year and they want to send a new group of Belles to the Big Apple in November.
On the same day, the San Felipe Lions Club host a 5k Color Run at the Dr. Alfredo Gutierrez Amphitheater. The race will begin at 8 a.m., and entry fee is $20. All proceeds will go to scholarships the Lions Club offers to high school students.
Saturday night, KDLK”s Creek Fest will feature a 6:30 p.m. concert with The Randy Rogers Band at Lt. Romanelli Park. Randy Rogers Band is an American country music band from San Marcos, Texas that tours nationally.
The band has been around since 2000 and has released several Top Ten country albums including 2006’s Just a Matter of Time, 2013’s Trouble and 2016’s Nothing Shines Like Neon.
Pre-sale tickets are available at the KDLK studio, 107 Center Drive, or at Rudy’s BBQ. Tickets will also be available at the gate the day of the concert for an additional fee.
Also taking place Saturday night will be the Del Rio Rotary Club’s 18th Annual Independence Day Rodeo. Doors open at 6:30 p.m., and the event begins at 8 p.m. at the Val Verde County Fairgrounds. Pre-sale tickets are available at Del Rio Feed and Supply, C&S Western Wear and Cowboy John’s. Tickets will also be available at the gate.
Sunday, the music plays on but the new name is Freedom Fest. From 2 to 8 p.m., KDLK’s stage will feature Da Krazy Pimpz, Ricardo Castillon Y La Diferenzia, La Quimica, Family Jewelz and Madison Hailey.
Across the San Felipe Creek, Freedom Fest continues at the Dr. Alfredo Gutierrez Amphitheater from 6 to 11 p.m. The amphitheater will feature Angel Baena, Radney Foster and Los Lobos. Baena is a local artist who plays throughout the region. Foster is an award-winning singer/songwriter who has been a part of the country music scene since the 1980’s. He’s best known for his debut solo album, “Del Rio Texas 1959” which features the hits “Just Call Me Lonesome,” Nobody Wins,” and “Hammer and Nails.”
Following Foster will be Los Lobos, a rock band out of Los Angeles that plays a variety of music styles. Some of Los Lobos’ popular songs include “La Bamba,” “Come On, Let’s Go,” “Don’t Worry Baby,” “Kiko and the Lavender Moon,” and “Will the Wolf Survive?”
Also Sunday evening, the Independence Day Rodeo will return to the fairgrounds for a second performance. Again, doors open at 6:30 p.m. and the performance begins at 8 p.m.
On Monday, July 3, the City of Del Rio will host its first Miss 4th of July Pageant. The fee to attend the pageant is $20, and the event will take place at the Amphitheater.
The pageant will have separate age divisions starting from six-months-old to 26-years-old. There will be other categories including Miss Firecracker (most patriotic) and Miss Independence (people’s choice awards).
On Tuesday, July 4, The City of Del Rio presents the Brave Hearts, Bright Stars Parade to celebrate the Fourth of July. The parade will begin at Ogden and Main streets and end at Nicholson Street.
Although registration ended June 23, community service director Esmeralda Meza said people can still contact the city to participate in the parade. She said there is no fee to join but anybody signing up after the June 23 registration will be at the end of the parade’s lineup.
At the Joe Ramos Gymnasium off East De La Rosa Street, the city will host a free throw contest and a 3-point shooting contest. The free throw contest begins at 2 p.m. and is scheduled to continue until 8 p.m. The 3-point contest is slated to run from 8 to 9 p.m. A $200 cash prize, sponsored by KWMC 1490, will be available.
More live music will feature local bands Nightlife and Accidental Drama performing at the Amphitheater with free admissions from 6:30 p.m. to 10:00 p.m. The Firework Spectacular will start at 10 p.m.
Anita Mariner, communication and marketing director, asked people to not park at the golf course in order to keep people safe from any hazards.
Other activities happening Tuesday include free admissions for Buena Vista Pool and Moore Park Pool from 1 to 5 p.m. Buena Vista will also continue to have its pool open from 7 to 10 p.m. Susie Gomez, pool manager, said they do not allow hot foods, but guests can bring a wheel cooler with sport drinks and sandwiches.
