HARLINGEN — The stage’s set for the city’s signature arts and music festival.

On Thursday, Mayor Norma Sepulveda announced Riofest is running Sept. 26 to 27 at Harlingen Field.

“Riofest isn’t just a festival,” she said during a news conference. “It’s a showcase of our city’s vibrant culture and the amazing talent that makes our community so special.”

In 1982, organizers launched Riofest, running the festival through 2008.

Then in 2022, Sepulveda helped revive the event showcasing mariachi and Tejano music, fine arts, local cuisine and folkloric dancers.

“Riofest was originally created to celebrate the vibrant heritage, music and art of the Rio Grande Valley,” Delma Chavez-Yanez, the city’s special events and media manager, told an audience at the Harlingen Municipal Auditorium.

“It h

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