Rio Grande City's Viva Mexico Celebration was named on of the state's Best Promotional Events at an awards ceremony held in Corpus Christi, Texas, on November 7th. The event had been selected as one of the five finalist for the Best Promotional Event Achievement Award by the Texas Downtown Association's 2018 President's Award Program.
"This is the first time Rio Grande City has ever won this award," said RGC Tourism Director Sara Hernandez. "This event is made possible by all the hard work of city staff, sponsorships by businesses, a partnership with our sister city Camargo, Tamp. and all the public who attends and supports this event. Thank you to our local Rio Grande City Main Street for nominating Viva Mexico and to the City Council for their unconditional support of the Tourism and Promotion Department." The nomination for the award came after an application was submitted to the Texas Downtown Association (TDA) by Rio Grande City Main Street program coordinator Nancy Perez. The Viva Mexico event was created in 2015 by the RGC Tourism Department to serve as a celebration of the region's cultural heritage. According to the TDA website, 111 entries were submitted to the awards program in twelve different categories from communities across the state. Judges reviewed entries online and then met in person to make their final selection of award finalists and winners.
