Sombrero Festival, Ltd. throws a party for Brownsville the last weekend in February each year during Charro Days, traditionally held in Washington Park in Downtown Brownsville. Sombrero Festival was founded in 1986 to enhance the Charro Days celebration and to provide a venue targeting a broad segment of the community. Our average annual attendance is 40,000. We maintain a low gate admission price for adults, while also offering free admission times to ensure everyone in our community can attend. Children under 12 are always admitted free when accompanied by an adult. We maintain a cooperative agreement with numerous local non-profit groups whereby the group performs volunteer service and we make a donation to their organization. To date, Sombrero Festival, Ltd. has returned approximately $1.5 million back to the community through non-profit organizations and direct donations for tourism, beautification, and recreation venues in the City of Brownsville. Sombrero Festival is staffed completely by volunteers and is a 501 –(c) (4) non-profit organization. Our annual gross income is $400,000, and we retain start-up money for the next year's festival. The remainder pays our bills and is invested back in the community. Sombrero Festival provides the best marketing venue during Charro Days.
Our 3 day event attracts this large segment of the population by featuring well-known Hispanic Artists, local music, unique food-booths, popular events such as the Jalapeno Eating Contest, Waiters Race, Grito Contest, Charro Days Classic 5K run, Tortilla Frisbee Toss, Hat-Stack Relay, and the only Charro Bean cookoff we know of, Frijolympics. We provide a fenced, secure, and family oriented festival.
| Presidentt Olga Gonzalez President-Elect 2014 Norma A. Gomez VP Entertainment Narciso Escareno AVP Entertainment Ernie Barrientes VP Operations Marc Anthony Lucio AVP Operations Hector Lopez VP Special Ops Dillon Vanderford AVP Special Ops Eloy Alvarez VP Events Anika Portillo AVP Events Norma Salazar AVP Events Patty Hernandez VP Cookoff Events Veronica Peña |
Secretary Letty Rodriguez Treasurer Roel Aviles Deputy Secretary Inelda Zuniga Deputy Treasurer Gabriela Flores Membership Coordinator Emily M Mathers Assistant Membership Coordinator Ashley M Mathers Chair Beverage Booth 1 & 3 Inelda Zuniga Chair Beverage Booth 2 Alberto Sanchez VP Vendor Services Albert Garza AVP Vendor Services Guadalupe Rosales AVP Cookoff Events Viro Cardenas Big Tent Chairman Roger Gonzalez VP Corporate Relations Connie Hensley VP Corporate Marketing Victoria Perez |
| Corporate Marketing Team | |
| Connie Hensley | |
| Victoria Perez | |
| Mario Vera | |
| Lupita Vera | |
| Patty Rodriguez | |
| Al Pena | |
| Rachel Galvan | |
| Rosemary Hensley-Robledo | |
| Irma Garcia | |
| Julie Arellano | |
| Cris Garza |
| Sombrero Festival Board of Directors | ||
| Danny Loff | ||
| Mark Bernard | ||
| Dan Alaniz – Chief Financial Officer | ||
| Mary Alice Loya | ||
| Alonso (Tiny) Barrientes | ||
| David Hanawa | ||
| Jose Luis Martinez | ||
| Jack Loff | ||
| Robert (Bobby) Lerma | ||
| Mary Jane Jackson | ||
| David Vela | ||
| Molly Plitt | ||
| Sammy Herrera | ||
| Roberto H. Solis | ||
| Roy Gonzalez | ||
| Adrian Garcia | ||
| Poncho Gomez | ||
| David Musso – Executive Director | ||
| Tommy Bermudez – Board Secretary | ||
| Sandra Herrera | ||
| Roy De los Santos, Jr. – Chairman & CMO | ||
| Gabriel (Gabe) Pena | ||
| J J Gonzalez | ||
| Sergio Rodriguez | ||
Home • Buy Tickets • Event Calendar • Forms • Contact • site by Breeden/McCumber Advertising