It’s back and it’s bigger than ever and packed with everything from sharks to music to motorcycle stuntmen on the globe of death.
Fiesta West Texas opens today and ends on Sunday at the Ector County Coliseum, 4201 Andrews Highway.
Doors open 8 a.m. today and at noon Saturday and Sunday.
The festivities include live sharks, lions and tigers, BMX Stunt Shows, Selena Look A Like Contest, food, vendors and more.
Friday concert entertainers are Aaron Watson, Jason Boland, Shot Gun Rider and the Electric Cowboys.
Saturday concert entertainers are La Maquinaria Norteña, Grupo Siggno, The Official Emilio Navaira Tribute featuring Emilio Jr., Diego Y Grupo Rio and Javier Galvan y Grupo Fama Reunion.
Sunday concert entertainers are La Batalla, Los Perdidos de Sinalo, La Reunion Norteña, Geru y Su Legion 7, Gerardo Coronel and Maximo Norte.
The events:
The live shark encounter features tanks of sharks for the experience of a shark week right here in Odessa. Learn about the creatures during the exhibit.
Madness on wheels features a stunt show with BMX stunt riders and acrobatic juggling.
Lions and Tigers Oh, My is a show featuring Nerger’s Tigers. The Bengal/Siberian tigers will be on display.
Selena! A Look A Like contest is scheduled with a $25 entry fee and will award best Selena outfit, best hair and makeup and best Selena dance move. Download an application to enter at fiestawesttexas.com
The entertainers
Aaron Watson is part of today’s concert lineup. He’s a touring sensation and has performed more than 2,500 shows in the U.S. and Europe.
Watson’s latest album, Vaquero, according to his website, is an ambitious 16-song set of character-driven storytelling, level-headed cultural commentary, and love songs for grown-ups that promise to further solidify his status as one of today’s torch-bearers of real country music.
Watson, via his website, said he hopes the main thing Vaquero accomplishes is bringing his growing legion of fans joy. And no matter what happens next, he is anchored and ready. “It doesn’t really matter whether I’m playing a dancehall in Texas or a stadium tour around the world, I’m just me,” he says. “I won’t change. I’m just too rooted in what I believe in. When you’ve played for such a long time to nobody, now that there’s somebody, you really don’t take that for granted.”
La Maquinaria Norteña, allmusic.com reports, is one of the latter-generation norteño groups that sprung up in the wake of successful North American bands such as Texas’ Los Rieleros del Norte. Their sound — featuring saxophone, accordion, drums, electric bass, and vocals — offers a musical continuum to the Mexican Regional lineage with modern and contemporary arrangements, particularly within the northern music style of Chihuahua (usually signified by saxophone and accordion).
Their self-titled debut in 2006 showed they were crowd pleasers with traditional dances. Their later sets, beginning with 2013’s Con Mil Caballos de Fuerza, ran up the Latin and Mexican Regional charts. Their heavy touring schedule has led to a sizeable U.S. and Latin American following.
For more information, call 385-7135.
