SAN ANTONIO -- Market Square in downtown San Antonio was set to host the 40th Annual Tejano Music Awards Fan Fair this weekend, where Tejano lovers from all over the country get to dance and sing along with their favorite artists.

  • Brings in hundreds of people from across the state
  • Travelers said they were going to enjoy the city either way

After day one, the iconic event couldn’t avoid being affected by coronavirus (COVID-19).

Dallas resident Nicholas Juarez has been part of the fan fair for 20 years.

“We were disappointed to say the least, and again, at first we thought maybe it was rumor--we wanted to make sure it was true,” Juarez says.

The rumors were true after one case of COVID-19 in San Antonio was confirmed, and the Tejano event was canceled.

READ MORE | San Antonio Confirms Two Travel-Related Cases of Coronavirus; Public Health Emergency Declared

Small business like Houston’s Life Line Productions were directly affected financially.

The company owner, Jose Hernandez, and his buddy Joe were packing the sound equipment into U-Haul’s.

“They are overdoing it, they are making it seem, one person gets sick and then all of a sudden they want to shut the whole city down,” Hernandez said.

Two other events in San Antonio were affected by COVID-19, including the UIL State Basketball Tournament as well as Fiesta, which is postponed until November.

“As long as you use cleaning stuff to clean your hands, you're fine. . . wash your hands and you'll be good. That's what I always say,” Hernandez said holding Clorox wipes.

 

The event drew in people from all over the country, including Arizona.

“I love the music [Tejano], I’m a DJ as well and that’s all I play,” Arizona resident Robert Ramirez said. “I got into when I was a kid.”

That is the common cultural impact Tejano music has globally.

“We’ve been listening to Tejano music forever, as a matter of fact, being from Dallas, we got a big senior group out here, we got 30 or 40 people that come from Dallas,” Juarez said. “We call ourselves D-Town Tejano Nights.”

Despite the inconvenience, everybody involved is still going to make the most of this situation.

“They call me, I come out here, and I help them out. . .I’m still going to keep on going,” Hernandez said. “Nothing is going to stop us.”

READ MORE | What's Canceled, Closed or Postponed in the San Antonio Area

Ramirez is going to enjoy some Tex-Mex food and everything the city has to offer.

“Just hang out — just hang out with some good friends,” Ramirez said.

Juarez and his friends plan to stop by their favorite gems in town.

“We are going to have a good time while we are out here for a couple of days and then head on back to Dallas and plan for Fiesta in November,” Juarez said.