TRI-COUNTY — The 13th Annual Viva Big Bend Musical Festival is taking place next week from Wednesday, July 24, to Sunday, July 28, at 21 venues — the most the event has ever had — across the communities of Marathon, Alpine, Terlingua, Fort Davis, Marfa and Presidio.
The 66-artist lineup showcases many local musicians as well as bands from El Paso and other Texas towns, said the festival’s founder and organizer Stewart Ramser. “We’ll have very diverse music, as we’ve always had in the past,” Ramser said. “We’ve got bands coming from all over the state and beyond to be part of this.”
Music kicks off Wednesday night with free performances at The Starlight and Chateau Wright. Free shows are taking place in every community. Attendees can also opt to pay cover charges at individual shows and locals can purchase a wristband to access all of the shows for $50. “One of the important things about Viva is that there are multiple ways to participate,” Ramser said.
Viva Big Bend is featuring local tri-county bands Marijuana Sweet Tooth, Zona Mutante, The Swifts, The Doodlin’ Hogwallops, Primo y Beebe, Calamity Creek String Band, Doug Moreland and Charlie Maxwell. El Paso bands include Anna Rosales and the Unfit Mothers, Estereomance and Radio La Chusma.
New to the Viva Big Bend musical festival this year are Fort Worth-based country/Tejano group Squeezebox Bandits and singer-songwriter Keegan Mcinroe, Austin-based country outfit Johnny McGowan’s Rugged Gents, country/pop singer-songwriter Ruby Dice, 16-year-old musician Pedal Steel Noah and Lubbock-based country singer-songwriter Slade Coulter.
Returning to the festival this year is country musician Jack Ingram, who will play a show Thursday night at Cibolo Creek Ranch; Selena tribute group Bidi Bidi Banda, who perform Saturday night at Planet Marfa; and Americana/roots trio The Zack Walther Band, who are taking to the stage Thursday night at Railroad Blues.
The free ukulele class with Kevin Carroll is back this year by popular demand, taking place at Planet Marfa Saturday afternoon from 2 to 3 p.m.
Primary venues include Granada Theatre, Spicewood, Amigo, Railroad Blues, Planet Marfa and Marfa Spirit Co., with other shows taking place at Cibolo Creek Ranch, Chateau Wright, Gage Hotel, Presidio Pour Over Coffee and more.
Ramser said, based on past attendance, festival organizers are anticipating 2,000 to 3,000 attendees to the festival each day. Viva Big Bend is a recipient of hotel occupancy tax (HOT) grants from the cities of Marfa, Alpine and Presidio as well as Jeff Davis and Brewster counties.
This year’s main sponsor is the Big Bend Regional Medical Center. “Helping the event helps create a vibrant town and creates a lot of money coming into the town,” Ramser said. “With their support we’re able to do bigger things, thus drive more interest and drive more people to it.”
For more information or to purchase tickets, visit vivabigbend.com/