A new festival was born celebrating San Antonio's culture and food.
Like many of San Antonio’s best ideas, the Barbacoa & Big Red Festival was born on the back of a bar napkin—literally. What started as a late-night idea scribbled down after a few drinks has grown into one of the city’s most beloved annual celebrations of food, music, and puro San Antonio culture.
Founder Robert Morris came up with the concept during a night out with friends, jotting down the idea of a festival dedicated entirely to two local favorites: barbacoa and Big Red. While one friend laughed and suggested he sleep it off, assuming it was the tequila talking, Robert woke up the next morning still completely convinced it could work. He called his then business partner, pitched the idea again—this time sober—and the two decided to make it happen.
The first-ever Barbacoa & Big Red Festival took place in the parking lot of a small bar tucked inside a Northside shopping center. Expecting just a few hundred people, the organizers were stunned when more than 1,500 guests poured in that brisk October morning. Vendors sold out fast, and the overwhelming response proved something special had been created.
The next year, the festival moved to the Southside’s R&J Music Pavilion, bringing the event closer to the heart of San Antonio’s barbacoa and Big Red culture. With the addition of a third business partner, the festival continued to grow, expanding to the back of the property and drawing larger crowds every year.
After experimenting with hosting the event twice a year—once in spring and once in fall—the team decided to focus on a single annual celebration, eventually moving to Brooks, where they had more space and better access for vendors and guests. Despite challenges from the Texas heat and unpredictable weather, the event flourished, with performances from artists like Kevin Fowler and unbeatable $10 gate admission prices that kept fans coming back.
A Pause During the Pandemic
Like many live events, the festival was placed on hold during the COVID-19 pandemic. Plans for an expanded layout at The Greenline at Brooks were halted as the city went into lockdown. During this time, the festival team shifted gears, using their platform to support local small businesses and food trucks, especially those serving barbacoa, that were struggling to stay afloat.
When it was safe to return, the festival made its comeback in 2022 to their roots at R&J Music Pavilion, where it all began. The response was overwhelming—lines wrapped around the gates, confirming that San Antonio hadn’t forgotten this one-of-a-kind tradition. But it was clear the festival had officially outgrown its longtime home. It was time to take things to the next level. R&J Music Pavilion was a great place to host the festival, however our footprint didn’t allow us to grow with the demand.Â
The Next Chapter: Growing into the Freeman Coliseum grounds and Expo Hall
After months and months of researching land plots, properties, and exploring potential venue partnerships, we finally found the perfect home for the next chapter of the Barbacoa & Big Red Festival. We were looking for a space with room to grow—somewhere with a massive parking lot, a centralized location close to downtown, areas for vendors and sponsors to set up comfortably, and the flexibility for both indoor and outdoor experiences. That place is the Freeman Coliseum Grounds and Expo Hall. With this venue, we now have the capacity to host a larger-than-ever footprint, with space for countless vendors, live entertainment on multiple stages both inside and out, and even a full carnival area. Best of all, the parking capacity ensures we can welcome all our incredible guests from near and far with ease.
So why Barbacoa & Big Red?
Barbacoa and Big Red isn’t just a food combo—it’s a cultural staple in San Antonio. For generations, families across the city have gathered on Sunday mornings to share warm tortillas filled with rich, slow-cooked barbacoa, washed down with the sweet, fizzy bite of Big Red. It’s more than just a meal—it’s a tradition, a ritual, and a shared experience that brings people together. The pairing began organically in the barrios and neighborhoods of San Antonio, where barbacoa was often sold by the pound at local meat markets and panaderĂas. Big Red, with its bold, sugary flavor, became the drink of choice to complement the savory richness of the meat. Over time, the two became inseparable—a beloved symbol of puro San Antonio culture. The Barbacoa & Big Red Festival celebrates this unique tradition, turning a local Sunday favorite into a full-blown experience filled with music, community, and hometown pride. It’s not just about what’s on the plate—it’s about who you’re sharing it with and the memories made along the way.
Barbacoa has deep roots in Mexican and Tejano culture, tracing back centuries to traditional methods of slow-cooking meat (often beef cheek, or “cabeza”) underground with maguey leaves. When Mexican and Tejano families settled in and around San Antonio, they carried that culinary tradition with them. By the mid-20th century, local meat markets and panaderĂas across San Antonio’s Westside and Southside began selling freshly made barbacoa by the pound—especially on Sundays, when families would gather after church to share a meal together.
🥤 Enter Big Red: The Sweet Counterpart
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Big Red, a bright red cream soda created in Waco, Texas in 1937, became widely available across South Texas by the 1950s. Its unique bubblegum-vanilla sweetness quickly caught on in San Antonio, where locals began pairing it with salty, savory foods.
❤️ The Birth of the Pairing
The pairing of barbacoa and Big Red is believed to have emerged organically among working-class Mexican American families in San Antonio during the 1950s and 1960s. On weekend mornings, people would pick up warm tortillas and barbacoa from the neighborhood carnicerĂa—and grab a bottle of ice-cold Big Red from the soda cooler.
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The combination just worked: the rich, fatty, tender barbacoa contrasted perfectly with the fizzy, sweet, almost dessert-like Big Red. Over time, the two became inseparable—so much so that asking for “barbacoa and Big Red” became shorthand for a San Antonio Sunday tradition.
🌮 A Cultural Symbol
By the 1980s and 1990s, the combo had become a badge of local identity—something uniquely San Antonio. It showed up at family gatherings, church fundraisers, and corner molinos and taquerĂas. In 2012, that local love became official with the creation of the Barbacoa & Big Red Festival, turning the city’s favorite comfort-food ritual into a community-wide celebration.
In short:
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🏙️ Origin: San Antonio, Texas
📅 Timeframe: 1950s–1960s
🧾 Where: Local Mexican markets, panaderĂas, and taquerĂas
🧠Why it stuck: The perfect balance of salty, rich meat and sweet, bubbly soda—pure San Antonio comfort food. Especially after a fun night out.
Future of the Barbacoa & Big Red Festival
Today, the festival continues to thrive under the leadership of Joe Martinez, the current owner and operator of the Barbacoa & Big Red Festival, alongside Emily Martinez, the Operations Executive of Sponsorships and Vendor Relations. Tony Villarreal, who is in charge of Public Relations, servicing our clients and speaking to the community about the Barbacoa & Big Red Festival. Founder, Robert Morris is in charge of everything digital for the festival. From the lovely graphics to the printed banners to the website and social media pages. He created a brand that can be recognized for years to come. Together, they oversee every detail—from vendor coordination and sponsorship partnerships to on-site logistics—ensuring that the event remains true to its roots while continuing to grow each year.Â
With a strong community following and a passion for keeping San Antonio traditions alive, the Barbacoa & Big Red Festival has evolved from a scribble on a napkin to a cornerstone of the city’s cultural calendar. It’s more than just a festival—it’s a story of creativity, resilience, and puro San Antonio pride.
It’s more than a festival, it’s a celebration!