Balloons may be scrapped, but accordions are coming

The latest outbreak of the coronavirus may have scrapped by the annual Labor Day Weekend Pie in the Sky festival with its majestic balloons flying all over the place, but, have no fear festival fans: a whole bunch of accordions are coming a week later to take their place.

The city’s Parks and Recreation Department is hosting something it’s calling “the 2021 Squeeze Box Market Day,” featuring J.R. Gomez Y Los Conjunto Bandits, Sunday, Sept. 12, at Gregg-Clarke Park. 

Gomez, from Plainview, was the winner of the Best New Male Artist award at the 40th annual Tejano Music Awards last year, and, along with the Los Conjunto Bandits, won Best New Group of the Year at the same ceremony.

"I actually watched my mom, my dad, my brothers and my sister play in church, and then later on I started performing with my dad in prayer meetings," Gomez told the Houston Chronicle earlier this year. "I got my chance to play with a local band when I was about 9 or 10 years old."

The free event, which opens at 8:30 a.m. and stretches to 7:30 p.m., will feature five other acts “all prominently featuring the squeezebox — also known as an accordion,” the city announced today. “This event will also feature over 30 Kyle Market Days vendors. Attendees are encouraged to bring their lawn chairs and coolers.”

Gomez and his band are scheduled to play at 6 p.m. The rest of the day’s lineup features  Rebecca Jayne at 8:30 a.m.; the Off the Grid Band at 10:15 a.m.; the Conjunto Los Pinkys at noon; Christine Valdez at 2 p.m.; and Conjunto Cats at 4 p.m.

“The City of Kyle is encouraging visitors who are not fully vaccinated against COVID-19 to continue wearing a face covering over the nose … when at city-owned outdoor public spaces and it is not feasible to maintain six feet of distance from someone outside of their household,” the city says on its Market Days website.

The band featured in this video clip, my favorite accordion band, unfortunately will not be playing at the Squeeze Box Market Day, but this may give you some idea of what's in store.