SAN ANTONIO — UPDATE: The Tejano Music Awards canceled the remainder of Fan Fair 2020 Friday, after San Antonio Mayor Ron Nirenberg issued a Public Health Emergency. The order limits gatherings of 500 or more people.
"On behalf of the Tejano Music Awards,we must sadly inform you that the remainder of the Tejano Music Awards Fan Fair 2020 has been cancelled due to one confirmed case of COVID-19 in San Antonio," a Facebook post from the Tejano Music Awards reads. "Any further information will be posted here."
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Original story: As mass gatherings continue to be canceled across the country, Tejano Music Awards Fan Fair kicked off Thursday in San Antonio's historic Market Square.
The four-day open-air festival draws thousands of Tejano fanatics from across the world. The event features live music as well as food and art vendors.
“For the most part we’re trying to think positive of everything that’s going on in our world right now. (With) all the negativity, we’re trying to stay positive,” said one vendor, Leonor Rios.
Despite guidance from the CDC to practice social distance amid efforts to mitigate the spread of the novel coronavirus, Rios said she and her colleague would continue to serve up skewers, wraps, tacos and more for hungry tourists.
Event organizers said they are requiring all food vendors to wear gloves and set up more hand-washing and hand-sanitizing stations throughout Market Square in the wake of the coronavirus becoming a pandemic.
“We have our sanitizer up in the front, we’re washing our hands thoroughly, using gloves,” Rios said.
Some tourists said they were pleasantly surprised to find the Tejano festival in full swing and wouldn't let the global pandemic get in the way of their vacation.
“There’s always a chance of getting sick. You’ve got to get out and live your life,” one tourist said.
The event kicked off one day after the NBA announced it would suspend its season and the Houston Stock Show and Rodeo was canceled.
On Thursday, more sports leagues announced they would take additional steps to prevent the spread of the coronavirus, including prohibiting fans from upcoming events.
San Antonio's most iconic event, Fiesta, is still on the calendar, though city officials and event organizers plan to discuss the 2020 schedule at a Friday morning press conference.
Rios said cancelling Fiesta, which lasts about two weeks, would be a major loss.
“A lot of tourists come to San Antonio to join us for Fiesta," Rios said. "They come from all over the world. They love fiesta, we ourselves love Fiesta. We love selling our foods, our products, our drinks, our aguas frescas and we really look forward to it.
“But if it is (canceled), there’s always next year."