Festival chair optimistic

Just under 400 people attended the headlining acts of the third annual New Mexico Music Showcase inside the Tucumcari Convention Center, which was down about 80 from the previous year.

But the festival's chairman saw enough opportunity for improvement that he's optimistic the Hispanic music fiesta will be bigger and better next year.

Jerry Lopez, chairman of the showcase, said 392 tickets were sold for the Saturday night acts of Str8 Shot and Cuarenta y Cinco. The festival printed an allotment of 500 tickets, and Lopez said he hoped for sales of about 400 because the convention center contains only enough seating for 450.

A total of 473 tickets were sold during the 2018 event. More than 600 attended the inaugural New Mexico Music Showcase.

Lopez said he anticipated a financial loss for this year's fiesta once he heard about total ticket sales, but those fears quickly were allayed.

"I was talking to our financial guy, and he said we'd be fine," Lopez said Sunday afternoon. "We broke even."

Lopez said the showcase's first-ever parade Saturday morning will return for the fiesta's 2020 edition. And he said attendance Friday evening was markedly higher than the previous year's. The festival featured a total of six free music acts Friday night and Saturday in the convention center's parking lot.

"We're trying to build up the daytime activities," Lopez said. "A lot of people say there's nothing to do in Tucumcari. We're trying to prove them wrong."

Two food vendors that worked the 2018 showcase said sales were slower this year.

Christina Medrano, owner of the Flaming Steve's Italian Ice booth, attributed the slower sales to a carnival that brought more people a year ago.

Crystal Shiplet, a manager of the Loretta's Burrito Hut booth, noted the carnival's absence, as well, and said the Tucumcari History Museum's 50th-anniversary event and Little League baseball road games also may have depressed crowd sizes.

Lopez said the previous year's carnival included a lot of kiddie rides, but little for teenagers and adults. Organizers tried to book another carnival vendor, but it had a schedule conflict. He said showcase committee might try to bring back a carnival for 2020.

Lopez said because fees for food vendors are low, they won't need much incentive to return to Tucumcari a year from now. He quoted one food vendor who said: "It was slower, but I didn't lose, either."

Jonathan Brito, who helped organize the parade, said the total number of entrants was 30.

"We're very pleased with that," he said. "We'll add to that number next year with the big prizes. And we hope to have bands perform during the parade."

Lopez added he wants to have a mariachi band performing on horseback in next year's parade, along with flamenco dancers from Santa Fe.

A float for the Knights of Columbus Ladies Auxiliary took the parade's $300 grand prize. Finishing second for $200 was an entrant by the Children, Youth and Families Department. Nicolai Cisneros' entry finished third for $100.

Str8 Shot and Cuarenta y Cinco kept the convention center's dance floor active for much of the night. The merchandizing tables also stayed busy; Lopez said both bands sold so many of their CDs and other items, they had to go to their vehicles to get more.

Lopez said Tucumcari hosted people from Arizona, California, Texas and Kansas who traveled expressly for the New Mexico Music Showcase. He also met visitors from Ireland and Switzerland.

"We put heads in the beds, that's what we can say," Lopez said. "We had a great year. And we plan on making this bigger and better."

The 2020 edition of the New Mexico Music Showcase is scheduled for June 5-6 at the convention center.