For the past five years Viva Big Bend has attracted thousands to West Texas for live music at venues in Alpine, Marfa, Fort Davis and Marathon.
The festival focuses on Texas music-roots-rock, country, Tex-Mex, Latin, blues, and folk.
“This is one of the biggest event for this city and it does such great things for the local community,” Said Alpine local Alicia Fernbaugh. “Its a showcase for these local artists, its great business for all of the restaurants and all the hotels.”
Executive Chef Marcus Van Winden runs the Century Century Bar and Grill. He said he looked forward to the festival weekend all year long.
“It’s at least three times if it’s not four times as busy as it normally would be.”
The event is something he and his kitchen staff work around the clock to prepare for.
“We’re planning at least two weeks out, to already get ourselves prepped up for this week that’s twice as big orders that are coming in,”
Fernbaugh said local bars that have low attendance on a normal weekend are filled with locals and visitors alike who come out to enjoy the live music.
“It brings a crowd to the area who may not otherwise come here, we’re very popular with people who are here for the parks and outdoors and hiking, and so its an entirely different crowd.”
Festival producer Stewart Ramser said the event has grown significantly in the last five years.
“The first year we just did Alpine and Marfa, and then we added shows in Marathon and Fort Davis in Year two, but we had about 50 shows in the first year, and now we have 60 to 65 shows, so more live music, more venues.”
The festival not only attracts visitors from all over, performers like Mike Harmeier traveled more than 7 hours from Austin with his band Mike & the Moonpies, he’s performed at the festival for the last 4 years.
“From the very first year I knew it was something we were going to do for as long as we could so I plan on continuing to do it for as long as the band is still together.”
Ramser said he and the festivals organizers are already planning for next year in hopes of making the event bigger and better.
For more information on the festival you can visit their website http://vivabigbend.com.
(Information from YourBasin.com)