How did the festival come about?
During our first interview trip to the Rio Grande Valley in the fall of 2011, we became very close with two of the subjects on that trip: Chano Cadena and Rene Joslin. We were thinking of how to bring them to Austin to play a show. It had been a very long time since either one had been to town and we wanted to see them play live.
Right around this time, Frank was having serious health issues and spent a couple nights in the hospital. During this stay, in early December 2011, Frank called Piper from the hospital and said "we're having a Conjunto festival the first weekend of February at the Moose Lodge." Why a festival? Because one of the artists we wanted to see play would only come if we built a lineup around him because he believed no one remembered who he was.
The rest is history. From 2012 to 2018, over the course of five festivals, we've presented over 60 different groups from all over the state, with a handful of special Tejano guest performers. Our first four festivals were at the Moose Lodge until we outgrew the capacity. We took two years off in 2015 and 2016, struggling to find the perfect venue until we moved to the iconic Stubb's Waller Creek Amphitheater in 2017. In 2024, we will move to the historic Doris Miller Auditorium in East Austin.
Unfortunately, due to the public health crisis surrounding the COVID-19 coronavirus pandemic, we decided to cancel the 2020 and 2021 Rancho Alegre Conjunto Music Festival. We returned in 2022.
Special thanks to Julian Fernandez of Los Texas Wranglers, Jesse Colunga of the Moose Lodge, and Compadresmusic for believing in us and being with us every step of the way, and to the media support from Nancy Flores of the Austin American-Statesman and Austin broadcasting legend Isidoro Lopez on Fiesta Musical.
Here's a quick look back at the lineups.
Skip to: 2012 | 2013 | 2014 | 2015-2016 (no festival) | 2017 | 2018 | 2019 | 2022 | 2023
Feb. 3-5, 2012 - Austin Moose Lodge
Day 1
Susan Torres y Conjunto Clemencia (Austin) & Tina White (San Antonio) - in-store performance at Waterloo Records
Conjunto Los Pinkys (Austin)
Smiley y La Fuerza Musical (Refugio)
Bene Medina y Su Conjunto (San Antonio) with special guest Oskar Hernandez (McAllen)
Los Aguilares (San Antonio)
Day 2
Chano Cadena (Robstown) - in-store performance at Antone's Record Shop
El Gambler Joe Gonzales (San Antonio)
Chano Cadena y Su Conjunto
Rene Joslin y Los Favoritos (Alice)
The final show of Jesse y Beto Duran y Los Aguilillas (Austin) - Beto Duran passed away a year later
Day 3
Los Texas Wranglers (Austin)
Thoze Guyz (Sweetwater)
Conjunto Calidad (Seguin)
Linda Escobar (Corpus Christi) with special Tejano guest Juan P. Moreno (Beeville)
Feb. 1-3, 2013 - Austin Moose Lodge
Day 1
Conjunto Volcan (San Antonio)
Conjunto Romo (Kyle)
Ricky Ruiz y Los Escorpiones (Laredo)
Susan Torres y Conjunto Clemencia (Austin)
Conjunto Baraja de Oro (D/FW)
Day 2
Los Morales Boyz (Dallas)
Conjunto Calidad (Seguin)
Conjunto Kidz (Victoria)
Tina y Grupo Tormenta (San Antonio)
Randy Garcia y Conjunto Estrella (Victoria)
Crystal N Crew (Pasadena)
Rene Ramirez y Poder de Tejas ft. Pico Ramirez (San Diego)
Mando y La Venganza (Corpus Christi)
Los Enmascarados (Kingsville)
Smiley y La Fuerza Musical (Refugio)
Los D Boyz (Kingsville)
Day 3
Conjunto Cats (Seguin)
Los Pinkys (Austin)
Conjunto X (Houston)
Bernardo y Sus Compadres (Baytown)
Los Texas Wranglers (Austin) with special guest Roberto Pulido (Edinburg)
Feb. 6-9, 2014 - Austin Moose Lodge
Day 1
Kortecia (Lockhart)
Los Texas Wranglers with Tejano Idol contestants Vickie Roque and B Santa Ana (Austin)
Ruben y Su Klika Tejana (Dallas)
Day 2
Kinto Rey (San Antonio)
Conjunto Fuego de Rudy Garcia (Houston)
Tina y Grupo Tormenta (San Antonio)
Grupo Pression (Dallas)
Conjunto Romo (Kyle)
Day 3
Conjunto Calidad (Seguin)
Miggy Carrillo y Su Conjunto (Seguin)
Ricky Ruiz y Los Escorpiones (Laredo)
Conjunto Los Pinkys (Austin)
Susan Torres y Conjunto Clemencia (Austin)
Smiley y La Fuerza Musical (Refugio)
Crystal N Crew (Pasadena)
Conjunto Baraja de Oro (D/FW)
Los Arcos Hermanos Peña (Dimmitt) with special guest Devin Banda (Kyle)
Day 4
Ramiro Acuña III y Conjunto Tres (Seguin)
Conjunto Mi Rey (Del Rio)
Los Astronautas (San Antonio)
Los R-V Boyz (San Antonio, unscheduled, first time in Austin)
KEDA Conjunto Jam (San Antonio)
Conjunto Cats (Seguin)
Conjunto Baraja de Oro with special Tejano guest Ruben Ramos (Austin)
Johnny Degollado (Austin)
2015 & 2016 - hiatus
May 5 & 7, 2017 - Stubb's Waller Creek Amphitheater
Day 1 - Outdoor Stage
Conjunto Puro Corazon (San Antonio)
Los Texas Wranglers with special guest B Santa Ana (Austin)
Roger Arocha y Su Conjunto (San Antonio)
La Tradizion (New Braunfels)
Chencho Flores y Su Conjunto (Austin)
Chano Cadena y Su Conjunto featuring Pico Ramirez (Alice)
Los Enmascarados (Kingsville) with special guest Augustin Ramirez (Lockhart)
La Soledad (Angleton)
Day 1 - Indoor Stage (Hacienda Records)
Grupo Lumbre (Houston)
Grupo B&B (Bryan)
Day 2 - Outdoor Stage
Conjunto Cats (Seguin)
Conjunto Halcon - Los Fresnos HS (Los Fresnos)
Gilberto "Chore" Perez Jr y Su Conjunto (Mercedes)
Mark Weber y Los Cuernos (San Antonio)
Nick Villarreal (San Antonio)
Joe Ramirez y Su Conjunto (San Diego)
Los Thunderbirds with Santiago Jimenez Jr (San Antonio)
Michelle (Corpus Christi)
Day 2 - Indoor Stage
Grupo B&B (Bryan)
Los Marceles (West Texas)
Conjunto Calidad (Seguin)
Grupo Iluso (Kingsville)
May 4, 2018 - Bar-B-Q at Graceland (rained out)
May 5, 2018 - Stubb's Waller Creek Amphitheater
Outdoor Stage
Fruty Villarreal y Los Mavericks (Santa Maria)
Joe Zimmerle y Su Conjunto (San Antonio) special guest: Keiichi Tanaka (Spock)
Crystal n Crew (Houston)
Los De La Cruz (Dallas)
Conjunto Mi Rey (Del Rio)
Bene Medina (San Antonio)
Ramon Lucio y Conjunto Dominante (Brownsville)
Los Texas Wranglers (Austin)
Los Enmascarados (Kingsville)
Gilberto Perez Sr., Pepe Maldonado, Gilberto Perez Jr. Y Su Conjunto, Santa Rosa ISD Conjunto Students
Chano Cadena (Alice)
Los Arcos Hermanos Peña (Dimmitt) with Special Tejano guest Leonard Davila
Flaco Jimenez (San Antonio) special guest: Brenda Martinez
Guinness World Record Attempt - 4 accordionists played Viva Seguin at the same time: Brenda Martinez, Mitchell White, Christopher Ayala, Ricardo Cabrera
Unscheduled bonus jam by Julian Olivarez
Indoor Stage
Tejano Idol showcase: Jessica Arreola
Conjunto Calidad (Seguin)
La Tradizion (New Braunfels)
Mark Weber y Los Cuernos (San Antonio)
Ricky Ruiz y Los Escorpiones (Laredo)
Austin Tejano Music Coalition Tejano Idol showcase: Carlos Garcia
Chencho Flores y Su Conjunto (Austin)
Austin Tejano Music Coalition Tejano Idol showcase: Mario Macias
Roger Arocha y Su Conjunto (San Antonio)
May 6, 2018 - One-2-One Bar
Wrap up and Live DVD Recording Party
Los Arcos Hermanos Peña (Dimmitt)
May 3, 2019 - The BARn
Juaquin Chavez y Los Conjunto Boys (Riviera)
Ruben De La Cruz y Su Conjunto (Edcouch-Elsa)
Conjunto Impulso de Ernesto Cadena (San Diego, TX)
May 4, 2019 - The BARn
Los Nuevos Campeones de Ramiro Gonzalez (Corpus Christi)
Mark Weber y Los Cuernos (San Antonio)
Grupo Imagen (Corpus Christi)
Los Texas Wranglers (Austin)
Chano Cadena y Su Conjunto (Alice)
May 5, 2019 - Stubb's Waller Creek Amphitheater
Joe Zimmerle y Su Conjunto (San Antonio)
Mike G y Los Realez (Lubbock)
Bernardo y Sus Compadres (Houston)
Ramon Lucio y Conjunto Dominante (Brownsville)
Los Enmascarados (Kingsville)
Linda Escobar y Su Conjunto (Corpus Christi)
Johnny Degollado y Su Conjunto (Austin)
Pepe Maldonado y Su Conjunto (Edinburg)
Gilberto Perez Jr y Su Conjunto featuring Gilberto Perez Sr (Harlingen)
J.R. Gomez y Los Conjunto Bandits (Austin) with special Tejano guest Marcus Daniels (Waco)
April 29, 2022 - Central Machine Works
Conjunto Los Pinkys (Austin)
Mark Weber y Los Cuernos (San Antonio)
Eva Ybarra y Conjunto Siempre (San Antonio)
April 30, 2022 - Far Out Lounge
Joe Mercado y Los Cuatro Texas Exitos (Lockhart)
Joe Zimmerle y Su Conjunto (San Antonio)
Brenda Martinez (San Antonio)
Los Texas Wranglers (Austin)
David Martinez y Conjunto X (Santa Rosa)
Conjunto Puro Corazon (San Antonio)
May 1, 2022 - Stubbs Waller Creek Amphitheater
Conjunto Baraja de Oro (Waxahachie)
Rene Joslin y Los Favoritos (Alice)
Ernesto Cadena y Conjunto Impulso (San Diego)
Chano Cadena y Su Conjunto (Alice)
Johnny Degollado y JJ Barrera (Austin)
Cecilia and the Broken Hearts (Austin)
Roger Arocha y Su Conjunto (San Antonio)
Gilberto Perez Jr y Su Conjunto (Harlingen)
Los Cucuys de Rodney Rodriguez (Rio Grande City) with special Tejano guest Johnny Hernandez (Modesto, CA)
Friday April 28, 2023 - Central Machine Works
CruzSante (Austin)
Los Texas Wranglers (Austin)
Saturday April 29, 2023 - GiddyUps
Los Cucuys de Rodney Rodriguez (Rio Grande City) - Record release party for upcoming LP “Tanto Tanto”
Chano Cadena y Su Conjunto (Alice)
Mark Weber y Los Cuernos (San Antonio) - Weber's regular residency night at GiddyUps!
Sunday April 30, 2023 - “Johnny Degollado Day” - Stubbs Waller Creek Amphitheater
Indoor stage:
Flavio Longoria y Los Conjunto Kingz (San Antonio)
Los Hermanos De Leon (San Antonio)
Conjunto Baraja de Oro (Waxahachie)
Outdoor stage:
Conjunto Puro Corazon (San Antonio)
Conjunto Los Pinkys featuring Susan Torres (Austin)
Los Hermanos De Leon (San Antonio)
Mando y La Venganza (Corpus Christi) featuring special Tejano guest Art Tigerina (Austin)
Los Arcos Hermanos Peña (Dimmitt)