Rio Grande Valley Livestock Show kicks off

Tim swayed and grimaced as cold water from a hose soaked his back on a blustery Friday afternoon.

The big brown bull seemed aggravated by the bath R.J. Guajardo was giving him.

Despite his animal's ill humor, Guajardo said the dousing would prove worthwhile when it's show time Saturday afternoon and the prizewinners are determined.

"He's going to get something this year," the 15-year-old said.

"I know it."

The 69th annual Rio Grande Valley Livestock Show kicked off Friday, and students like R.J., who lives near Weslaco, and others from across the region prepped their cattle to be put on display this weekend.

For show manager Sam Magee, the best part of putting on the weeklong extravaganza is "being able to show these projects (children) work so hard on."

But the event, which runs through March 16, features much more than area FFA and 4-H students' barnyard creatures.

Patrons trickled into the fairgrounds Friday afternoon to take in the show's attractions, which include a smorgasbord of food offerings that range from carnival classics like funnel cakes to other Rio Grande Valley-inspired fare.

Take the "Suicide Taco" at Marivel Martinez's stand. Fajitas, sausage, chicken, tripa, beans, avocado, lettuce and tomato are all piled onto a 10-inch tortilla.

Martinez said she has offered the titanic taco at the show for the past five years. Not many people were around to sample it early Friday afternoon, but Martinez said she expects to sell more than 1,000 of them throughout the week.

"A lot of people still don't know about it," she said. "New people always try it."

Paul Paron's food stand offered even more novel fare as he debuted a creation he calls the "Roast Beef Sundae." The Ann Arbor, Mich., native pronounced himself the "roast beef king," saying he sells the treat at festivals and fairs across the country.

The sundae features mashed potatoes instead of ice cream, as well as roast beef, cheddar cheese and gravy. In place of a cherry on top is - what else? - a cherry tomato.

"It doesn't seem to go over well with art festivals," Paron said of the creation, but "it seems to go over real well with the hearty eaters."
Edinburg resident Eric Hammett and his family were among the first ones through the gates Friday. Showing up early ensured they wouldn't miss out on any of the fun, he said.

"It's kind of like the early bird gets the worm, right?"

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Jared Taylor covers Edinburg, the Delta region and general assignments for The Monitor. You can reach him at (956) 683-4439.