Poteet is gearing up for its annual Strawberry Festival, happening April 11-13 this year. The event will feature food, entertainment, carnival rides and, for the first time, the Berry Bash Musical Thursday to kick off the festivities.
David Lee Garza y Los Musicales will headline Berry Bash on April 10 with a celebration of Tejano music and culture. The Thursday event runs from 6 p.m. to 10:30 p.m. and will offer guests the chance to dance the night away.
The Poteet Strawberry Festival began in 1948 to showcase the prized crop of the “Strawberry Capital of Texas.” For over two decades, the festival has also awarded scholarships to local students to pursue higher education.
This year, the festival has partnered with Jack Daniels to introduce its new flavor, “Strawberry Punch,” to festivalgoers starting Thursday and throughout the weekend.
David Lee Garza y Los Musicales have been playing at the festival for as long as Garza can remember.
While in the recording studio last week, Garza spoke to the San Antonio Report about what to expect at this year’s festival.
This year, he’s excited to kick it off with some fan-favorite Tejano songs, as well as a few new songs. Garza said he hopes to get people dancing and having fun.
“We’re looking forward to that, for [guests] to get out on that dance floor and dance the night away,” Garza said. “When I see people dancing, I feel we are doing the best we can.”
Born and raised in Poteet, the three-time Grammy winner said staying true to his roots “means the world.”
Garza reminisced about attending the Strawberry Festival back in the day. “Food, booze and the strawberry shortcake booth. That’s something I’ll alway remember,” he said.
After graduating from Dr. Ralph H. Poteet High School in 1975, Garza stayed behind while his friends left town. “I tell them, it must have been the water or something,” when they ask why he still resides in the small town of about 3,000 people.
After all these years, Garza said it is a mix of the people, the culture, the music and the small-town atmosphere that has made him stay. “I stay true to my little town, Poteet.”
The Berry Bash Thursday event takes place on April 10 at the Poteet Strawberry Festival Association Festival Grounds at 9199 N. State Hwy 16 in Poteet. Admission is free with registration.
The Poteet Strawberry Festival follows April 11-13, with tickets for Friday starting at $10 online and $15 at the gate, and tickets for Saturday and Sunday starting at $20 online and $25 at the gate. Tickets are available on the festival website.
