Go Tejano Day, the Spanish translation for “Go Texan Day,” has celebrated Houston’s rich Latino heritage at the Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo for 35 years since the first concert in 1990. More than 75,000 people attended the popular day last year, grooving to the sounds of Los Tigres Del Norte, a California-based norteño band. So, how did Go Tejano Day start, and what’s in store for this year?
How Go Tejano Day Began
On trail rides from Reynosa, Mexico to Houston, a group of Mexican-Americans who loved the Houston Rodeo, brainstormed ways to help Hispanic students benefit from the rodeo tradition. In the mid-1980s, the Go Tejano committee started with only 15 volunteers. The group set out to honor the history of Mexican vaqueros, cowboys who herded cattle on horseback, Tejano music, and also provide educational funding for students. The committee created the Go Tejano Diner, which opened in 1987. The diner serves delicious Latino dishes throughout the rodeo season, and the money raised goes to the rodeo’s scholarship funds. Tejano musicians Roberto Pulido, Emilio Navaira and Vikki Carr performed the rodeo’s first official Go Tejano Day concert in 1990 to a sold-out crowd.
Most Memorable Go Tejano Day Concerts
Over the years, Go Tejano Day has been one of the most popular days at the Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo. Seven of the top 10 most attended rodeo concerts were held on Go Tejano Day. Some popular acts from the 1990s include Joe Lopez, Jimmy Gonzalez y el Grupo Mazz, and La Mafia. On Feb. 26, 1995, the beloved queen of Tejano music, Selena crooned to a sold-out crowd in her iconic purple glitter body suit. The concert was held only about a month before her tragic murder. Music critic Rick Mitchell who reviewed her last rodeo show crowned the singer as “Tejano’s answer to Madonna, Janet Jackson, and Gloria Estefan.” After Selena’s tragic death, Tejano music began to decline, and the rodeo also started booking norteño acts. In recent years, Los Tigres de Norte has broken attendance records during their Go Tejano Day appearances.
Go Tejano Day in 2025
Over 35 years later, the Go Tejano Committee has raised more than $9.3 million dollars. The group continues to raise money for scholarships provided by the Houston Livestock Show & Rodeo to students, hosting fundraisers throughout the year, including a fashion show, scholarship gala, mariachi invitational, gold tournament and tamale fundraisers. At this year’s Go Tejano concert on March 16, Grupo Frontera, a Mexican-American band from Edinburg, Texas, will take the stage. The award-winning group is known for a mixture of Tejano, cumbia, and country music, so it’s sure to be a good time 🤠
Check out the full schedule for Go Tejano Day 👢
