Match made in San Antonio Heaven: Barbacoa and Big Red festival coming to South Texas in May

Brandon Villanueva (from left) Marisol Gomez and Megan Abie make sure there is plenty of Big Red on hand at the Barbacoa & Big Red Fall Festival 2013 at the R & J Music Pavilion, 18086 Pleasanton Rd, on Sunday, Oct. 13, 2013. MARVIN PFEIFFER/ mpfeiffer@express-news.net less Brandon Villanueva (from left) Marisol Gomez and Megan Abie make sure there is plenty of Big Red on hand at the Barbacoa & Big Red Fall Festival 2013 at the R & J Music Pavilion, 18086 Pleasanton Rd, on ... more Photo: Marvin Pfeiffer/ Express-News Photo: Marvin Pfeiffer/ Express-News Image 1 of / 50 Caption Close Match made in San Antonio Heaven: Barbacoa and Big Red festival coming to South Texas in May 1 / 50 Back to Gallery

An upcoming festival on the #PuroSanAntonio level involves two things people here love most: barbacoa and Big Red.

The Barbacoa and Big Red 2015 festival will be an all-day devouring event on May 3 at R & J Music Pavillion in Thelma, about 30 minutes south of San Antonio.

“We had to try to be innovative, and come up with a creative idea to do something different than what the average festival does, and we felt San Antonio was the perfect match for barbacoa and Big Red,” co-founder Tony Villarreal said. “It’s a San Antonio Sunday tradition; you go to church, and then you go eat some Big Red and barbacoa.”

The event is going on its fourth year of perfection, and festivals are twice a year, in the spring and fall. This is the fifth time the festival will be held at R & J, and last fall’s attendance stood at 3,000.

Villarreal said he expects the same turnout, but they are planning to get “high-caliber” Tejano and country bands, instead of local bands, although they have not made any decisions on music acts.

He added that about 15 barbacoa restaurants from across the city will sell food at the event, and bring their “corn and flour tortillas, and hot sauces, or whatever trimming they want to bring.”

“People go eat different tacos from different vendors, all this while washing it down with Big Red,” he said, adding that guests will submit surveys and vote for their favorite vendor. At the end of the festival, a winner will be announced and given a trophy that “they can put it in their restaurant for bragging rights.”

“They go all out, they bring their families, a lot make their own shirts, and they’re singing and dance… It’s a family event,” he said.

Admission is free, but Villarreal said they are asking for a $5 donation, which will be donated to charity.

Click through the slideshow to see images from the Barbacoa and Big Red Fall Festival 2013 at the R & J Music Pavilion.

rsalinas@mysa.com