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Mesquite festival ready to host guests
By Kenny Green, kgreen@acnpapers.com
The city of Mesquite is ready to host people from all over the Metroplex this weekend as the Real.Texas.Festival. rolls into town. City organizers say despite the threat of rain Friday night the festival will go on as planned, so break out the rain gear and come enjoy some family friendly entertainment.
“The weather is the one big concern because we have no control over it,” said John Maynor, city marketing manager.
The festival is in its fourth year and offers a variety of entertainment for all members of the family. The event opens at 3 p.m. on Friday and 10 a.m. on Saturday. The event closes when the headliner wraps up a 9:30 p.m. performance.
The admission provides festivalgoers with free parking, admission to the Cowboys & Chrome Car Show presented by Hooters, the Taste of Mesquite Barbecue Cook-off presented by the Mesquite Convention & Visitors Bureau and free admission to the Mesquite Championship Rodeo on Friday or Saturday evening.
There is a diverse music lineup of 14 acts including Southern rockers Cross Canadian Ragweed, country musicians Kevin Fowler and Mark McKinney, Texas Tejano legend and two-time Grammy nominee Ram Herrera, and regional acts ranging from Steely Dan tribute band Naked Lunch to Railhead to Zack King Band.
Fowler will headline the festival on Friday night and Cross Canadian Ragweed closes the festival out on Saturday.
The Mesquite Championship Rodeo, a 2009 nominee for “Rodeo of the Year” by the Professional Rodeo Cowboys Association, will be going on in conjunction with the festival. The rodeo activities begin at 7:30 p.m. inside the Resistol Arena.
There will also be a carnival and midway to entertain kids of all ages and the GO TEXAN Marketplace, a pavilion loaded with some of the best Texas-grown and produced products, including food and wine.
Friday’s Music Lineup
The two-day lineup features a diverse mix of music with rotating sets taking place on both the Hooters and The Wolf Real.Texas.Music. stages. Friday’s musical line-up kicks off on the Hooters Stage at 3 p.m. with Longview native Sunny Sweeney, a regular on the Austin honky-tonk circuit. Sunny brings her version of pure country, and is sure to get this year’s festival off on the right note. Next up, playing on The Wolf Real.Texas.Music. Stage at 4 p.m., is Austin’s Stefanie Fix. A former fixture on the acoustic songwriter’s circuit, she’s touring again after a two-year hiatus. Appearing next back on the Hooters Stage at 5 p.m. is one of the returning local acts, Railhead. Railhead specializes in performing a variety of popular rock-influenced songs.
At 6:30 p.m., The Wolf Real.Texas.Music. stage starts revving up as Naked Lunch, a 12-year-old Dallas-based Steely Dan tribute band and multi-year winner of the best Steely Dan tribute band in America performs its set.
Taking the Hooters Stage at 8 p.m. is Grapevine’s Zack King Band. They bring their own brand of Texas rock to this year’s event. Presented by Time Warner Cable and taking The Wolf Real.Texas.Music. stage at 9:30 p.m. is Kevin Fowler. Fowler is a Texas native and major recording artist of honky-tonk music. He has secured a solid following of country fans. This is Fowler’s third year to be part of the Real.Texas.Festival.
Saturday’s Music Lineup
Saturday’s music kicks off at 1:30 p.m. with Dallas native Granger Smith performing on The Wolf Real.Texas.Music. stage. Granger’s music is traditional country, but with a simple sophistication and honesty that appeals to large audiences.
Following Smith and kicking off the action on the Hooters Stage at 2:45 p.m. is last year’s Real. Texas.Festival. Battle of the Bands winner The Neckties. This group plays with a mastery of their instruments and a tightness that rivals acts twice their age. Since winning the event, they have gone on to play several other local events, including being one of the featured acts at the Dallas International Guitar Festival.
The festival’s Tejano artists take The Wolf Real.Texas.Music. stage at 3:45 p.m. and promise to provide festivalgoers with an exceptional afternoon of live music. Grupo Vida, also known as The Electric Cowboys, start off the Tejano music at 3:45 p.m. As recipients of multiple Tejano music awards, Vida is also known for being a country band. They toured with the Dixie Chicks on their record-breaking Fly tour and opened for some of country music’s largest names including Toby Keith, Clay Walker, Jo Dee Messina and SheDaisy.
At 5 p.m., Texas/Red Dirt artists Amanda Graves and Cari Smith, known as ShutDownTown, perform on the Hooters Stage. At 5:45 p.m., back on The Wolf Real.Texas.Music.Stage, the Tejano afternoon comes to a close with a performance by Ram Herrera. With a career that has spanned three decades and as a previous recipient of numerous awards, Herrrera was just nominated for a Latin Grammy Award.
Local artist Chaz Marie, presented by Star Community Newspapers, will perform with her band on the Hooters Stage at 7 p.m. Marie has toured with Kenny Rogers, Wynonna, Lonestar and Jo Dee Messina. Moving back to The Wolf Real.Texas.Music. stage at 7:45 p.m., Big Spring native Mark McKinney will treat fans to his unique blend of rockin’ country. McKinney is considered a major up and comer. Cross Canadian Ragweed takes The Wolf Real.Texas.Music. stage at 9:30 p.m. With great reviews and a huge following that loves their simple driving southern rock, Cross Canadian Ragweed is sure to bring this year’s event to an incredible close.
Other Festival Attractions
This year the city will be hosting its third annual Taste of Mesquite Barbecue Cook-off, presented by the Mesquite Convention and Visitors Bureau and sanctioned by the Lone Star Barbecue Society. Contestants will compete for Cook of the Year honors, a $500 prize, and the opportunity to advance to the National Barbecue Championship in October in Meridian, Texas. Last year, more than 30 professional and backyard grillers competed in this event’s sophomore competition. For information and rules, please go to the website at www.realtexasfestival.com and click on the “About the Festival” tab, scroll down to the “Attractions” section, and click on “Barbecue Cook-off.” Rules and registration forms can be downloaded directly from that page.
For those interested in developing their barbecue skills, Troy Black, Championship Barbecue Chef and founder of www.Learn2Q.com, who also represents Southern Living magazine's BBQ on Tour nationally, will be teaching a BBQ 101 course on Thursday from 7:00 - 9:30 p.m. at the Mesquite Convention Center. If you want to learn how to create over-the-top pulled pork, brisket, ribs, and chicken, this is where it begins. This class is an excellent way for both novices and long-time backyard grillers to learn from a master. He has won more than 300 top 10 awards including nine state titles, eight Reserve Grands, countless category wins, and is consistently ranked in the top 20 on the KCBS circuit out of more than 4,000 teams. The cost to attend Troy’s BBQ 101 is $60 and interested individuals must register for this class in advance through the festival website at www.realtexasfestival.com. For those who can’t attend his private class, Troy will also provide demos and sell copies of his new cookbook and DVD at the festival.
The “Cowboys & Chrome” Car Show presented by Hooters returns for another year. The show, produced by Gasoline Alley, will include multiple automobile classes, and will be held at the Mesquite Exhibit Hall. Car aficionados will find a variety of cars from various decades beautifully restored and tricked out. For details about this year’s event, please go to the website at www.realtexasfestival.com, click on the “About the Festival” tab, scroll down to the “Attractions” section and click on “Car Show.” Those interested in competing will be able to download registration forms directly from that page.
The Real.Texas.Festival. Battle of the Bands competition, presented by Resource One Credit Union, is making its second appearance at the festival. The battle features high school “garage bands” in the area competing for a $500 cash prize, an opportunity to meet and greet this year’s festival headliners and an opportunity to perform at next year’s Real.Texas.Festival. on one of the featured stages.
The Hispanic Forum of Mesquite, a community organization, will host an area set up like a Mexican plaza. They will feature both food and retail vendors, along with family-friendly activities, including games and arts and crafts.
The GO TEXAN Marketplace, presented by the Texas Department of Agriculture, returns to the festival for a second time. Located in its own pavilion, the GO TEXAN Marketplace will feature uniquely Texas food and retail products that are among the best that Texas has to offer. GO TEXAN is more than a symbol – it's good advice. Consumers look for this revered brand to ensure freshness and quality. GO TEXAN promotes the products, culture and communities that call Texas home. The Texas Department of Agriculture's GO TEXAN program works to persuade all Texans who shop, dine and travel to choose the state's bounty. Visit www.gotexan.org <http://www.gotexan.org> for information.
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