Palm Fest International Folk life Celebration

This year's PalmFest International Folk life Celebration is shaping up to be one of the best in its eight year history.  PalmFest will feature major attraction, historical displays, art, family games, rides & activities.  Cooking competitions and demonstration, live entertainment, diverse food & beverage.  Over 40,000 People will enjoy the event inside the Convention Center and all around the grounds in Oval Park & reflecting pool. The McAllen Heritage Center museum of history and culture will once again feature the rich and colorful history of deep South Texas with numerous displays inside the Convention Center.  The popular outdoor Heitage Village in the Oval Park features an authentic cowboy campsite, the colorful American Indian Village complete with tipi's and performances daily.  You could find Civil war re-enactors roaming the festival grounds daily and you may also encounter the famous revolutionary - Pancho Villa and maybe even the fun and loveable Care Bears! Inside displays include artisans at work; potters& leather works and the larger rail exhibit which is always a favorite with attendees of all ages.  Mother Goose story telling courtesy of South Texas College rejoins the line up at PalmFest again by popular demand!! The rustic Lonesome Dove stage in the area will feature the fun loving and educational magician John OBryant and other local musicians and story-tellers! 
The Fajita Cook off will be back with some of the fiercest cooking competition this side of the Rio Grande River.  There will be 5 cooking categories all indigenous to the Valley, frijoles, pan de campo, mollejas, traditional & gourmet fajitas.  PalmFest give back to our community so back this year will be the HEB/Teach the Children Fun Tent  and the popular Kidsville where kids of all ages will have tons of fun.  CarFest at PalmFest  has been one of our most successful events and it will be back again this year with a tremendous line up of classic cars plus more!  Three live entertainment stages (one indoors) will feature a variety of local performers and musical talent, exciting bands and dance groups including Indian, Folkloric, Middle eastern, Belly dancing and more with two stages outdoors and one inside the convention center.  The exciting "Rancho El Caballo" horse show which enjoyed record breaking crowds at PalmFest 2012 is back again!  Our "el Mercado" Arts and Crafts outdoor shopoing at PalmFest is back this year with even more varied buying options.  Rent a paddle boat in the Reflection Pond to gain another perspective on all festival activities! There are more activities still in the planning stages so check our website often or call our hotline.  The entertainment line up will be posted here prior to the event so you can plan your day at PalmFest.