Texas Onion Fest

The Texas Rio Onion Fest celebrates the development of the world famous Texas 1015 Onion which was developed in Weslaco, Texas by Dr. Leonard Pike at the Texas A&M University Extension Service. The festival, which began in 1989, is a tw0-day festival for the entire family.
In addition to a great entertainment line-up, Onion Fest also has a Family Pavilion with crafts, performances and exhibits for families. Arts & Crafts Tent contains 25 booths; there are 25 food vendors; and 12-15 commercial vendors. Additional features include: onion eating contests, and a small carnival for kids. A recent addition is the Culinary Stage which local chefs demonstrate specialty dishes cooked with onions. The Culinary Stage is also the location of the Onion Recipe Contest and the Salsa Contest.
The Onion Festival Pageant is also held a month before the event. The pageant categories range in age and include the Spring Sweet Miss, Miss Onion Blossom and Miss Onion Fest.
The festival is held at Weslaco City Park, a 46-acre park that has immediate access to Expressway 83 and is equipped with adequate electrical service and lighting for events. The park is fenced and has limited access to vehicles. Neighborhood residents can ‘walk in’ and enjoy the event. Parking is well-accommodated with the large soccer fields. The admission cost is $10 for adults, $5 for children 3 - 12.