Family On Both Sides
Laredo welcomes Mexican friends for 20th International Sister Cities Festival

More than 200 vendors are joining this mercado.
Laredo is one of the most unique cities in our country, considering its dual cultural dominance. But it can be hard to find the right time to make the four-hour drive. One reliable motivator is the International Sister Cities Festival from July 12-14. In 2024, the free festival is celebrating its 20th event.
Taking place at the Sames Auto Arena, this festival welcomes friends from Mexico and other Texas cities to appreciate live music and handmade cultural staples like food, fashion, and home goods from more than 200 vendors from across Mexico — up from 48 in the festival's inaugural year, 2003. Many visitors will dress accordingly, in beautiful and celebratory traditional wear.
Although the vendors are from Mexico, they also represent other Latin American countries with goods like linen gowns, leathers, jewelry, and furniture. Food options will include carne seca, tortillas, and candies
This year's guests of honor are delegations from the Mexican states of Nuevo Leon and Tamaulipas, each presenting their own creative and traditional performances. Other Mexican places represented include Aguascalientes, Jalisco, Michoacán, and many more.
The festival expects to see its usual 25,000 participants and visitors this year. If you run out of things to explore at the indoor mercado (doubtful) or just want to enjoy some time elsewhere in the city, there's plenty to do.
To stay beat the heat, consider visiting the Laredo Center for the Arts (500 San Agustin Ave.), which is currently showing a photo series about memories from South Texas, Juan Juarez's Looking for Ghosts. To get outside — with lots of sunscreen and skin cover — take a hike through the Lake Casa Blanca International State Park.
More information about the International Sister Cities Festival is available at visitlaredo.com.