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Sombrero Festival, Ltd. throws a party for
Brownsville the last weekend in February each year during Charro Days.
Sombrero Festival is traditionally held in Washington Park in Downtown
Brownsville. Sombrero Festival was founded in 1956 to revive waning
interest in the Charro Days celebration and to provide a venue targeting a
broad segment of the community. Our average annual attendance is 40,000.
Our gate price is $5.00 for adults and children under 12 are 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
$350,000, and we retain only 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 only 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 Marathon, Tortilla Frisbee Toss,
Hat-Stack Relay, and the only Charro Bean cookoff we know of,
Frijolympics. In 2007 we plan to add events
and additional cookoff opportunities. We provide a fenced, secure, and
family oriented festival. |
