Salsa Festival to feature loads of entertainers  

            The sixth annual Salsa Festival in Three Rivers will be on Friday and Saturday, April 1-2.

            The festivities will begin with a program of gospel music on Friday, beginning at 7 p.m. at the Three Rivers Independent School District Student Activity Center. Performing will be super Christian singer Clifton Jansky of San Antonio; The Rockport Gospel Force; The Gospel Harmonizers of Mathis; six-year-old Jimmiley Dixon of Alice; the Grumbles Sisters, Melissa Bryne, Michel Richey and Patsy Carver; The Wilson and Gaither families of Three Rivers; The Gospel Crossroads of Beeville; Linda Wientjes of George West; and comedienne Charlotte “Buelah Mae” Maples of Agua Dulce.

            On Saturday, the festival will move to the city square in downtown Three Rivers. The country-western stage entertainment will begin at 11 a.m. with accordion player Chris Rybak of Austin. At 12:30 p.m., the Brush Country Music Jamboree Band will take the stage. Guest performers include Billy Mata; the Praise Team from the Glosbrenner State Prison; the Lister Family, South Texas legend “Big Bill Lister,” his son, Weldon, and Weldon´s son, Bill; 11-year-old Amber Lynn Womack of Rockport; Allison Crowson of Brenham; state yodeling champion Ken Brothers of West point; Curtis Richard of San Antonio; David and Barbara Brown of Corpus Christi; Brennen and Seth Leigh of Austin; John Wayne Schulz; and super fiddler, Bobby Flores.

            The Tejano stage entertainment will begin with opening festivities at 10 a.m. with Linda Couk performing; followed by Remission; Mariachi Bandelero; Latin Talk; Jake Cortez; Conjunto Oro Band; Lluvia de Estrella; and Ruben Salazar and the Lasso Band.  

            Other activities include the salsa tasting; children´s activities such as face painting, wagon rides, etc.; “Hotter than Salsa” bike race; and vendor and food booths.

            Festivities will end around 6 p.m.

            For more information, call the Three Rivers Chamber of Commerce at 786-4330.

Photo: Pictured is Chris Rybak, he is slated as one of the many performers for the sixth annual Salsa Festival.