Treasured Christmas Tradition Lives On in Texas Music Legend's Legacy

A Tradition of Joy and Generosity

Norteño music legend Ramón Ayala is set to host one of the most anticipated Christmas events of the year, drawing excitement from South Texans. Each year, the small city of Hidalgo, located on the border in the Rio Grande Valley, hosts the largest drive-thru Christmas lights display in Texas. Throughout December, visitors can enjoy a variety of family-friendly activities, such as playing in a winter wonderland of snow or taking a guided train tour aboard the Santa Express. However, the highlight of the month-long event is the posada hosted by Hidalgo's most beloved resident, the "King of the Accordion," Ramón Ayala. This year's posada promises to be just as special as ever.

Ayala has been hosting the posada for over two decades, with this year marking its 24th year. While traditional Christmas posadas are rooted in the Latino Catholic tradition where the devout reenact the journey Joseph and Mary made to Bethlehem, Ayala's posada is more of a celebration of the local Valley community, its musicians, and the spirit of love that defines Christmas.

Each year, Ayala's posada features live music from some of his best musical friends, with Ayala himself headlining the performances. But perhaps his favorite part is the massive toy giveaway that brings parents and their kids lining up outside of Hidalgo City Hall for hours before the posada begins at 6 p.m.

"I was a kid, too. And I never had a single toy, you understand?" Ayala said, in Spanish, during a news conference the city of Hidalgo hosted on Wednesday, December 10, to announce the event's lineup.

"And that's why we do this now, so that all the kids who come …" the Grammy Award-winner continued, before being overcome by emotion.

Just two days before the news conference, Ayala celebrated his 80th birthday. He was born in Monterrey, Nuevo Leon, Mexico, to parents who were farmworkers. The family didn't have much, but Ayala's father, Ramón Covarrubias, was a musician who taught his son to play the accordion at the age of 5, according to a Texas Monthly profile on Ayala.

In the decades since, Ayala has built an incomparable music legacy on both sides of the border and beyond. He's recorded 140 albums, he said last Wednesday. Still actively touring — he's currently on the farewell tour of his 60-year career — Ayala said he's well satisfied with that discography.

"They'll all be huge, beautiful memories when I finally say, ‘You know what? To here and no more.' But right now, we're still working. We still have a lot of places to go," Ayala said.

It was those formative years living and traveling across the border in Mexico that ultimately inspired Ayala's posada. The generosity and celebratory atmosphere of the Christmas season left an indelible mark on the mind of a child whose parents couldn't afford to buy toys.

"They'd give us buñuelos with punch, with hot chocolate," Ayala recalled of those long-ago posadas in Mexico.

The musician remembered how much he and the other children enjoyed the festivities. On this side of the border, Ayala's musical prowess afforded him the kinds of luxuries he never had as a child. But those memories of Mexican posadas shone bright in his mind, prompting him and a friend to plan their very first one more than two decades ago.

"Not a lot of people went… but that's when the Ramón Ayala posada was born," he said.

Ultimately, community partners joined with Ayala to donate thousands of toys for the kids. The city of Hidalgo rolled out the red carpet to host the event, which takes place on the steps of city hall. Now it is one of the biggest Christmas events in South Texas, and Ayala has no plans on slowing down.

"Even still, we're planning to continue," Ayala told reporters last Wednesday.

"Why? Because here in the Valley, the Valley recognizes that this day, this Christmas posada that we do here, is done by us from the Valley. How beautiful it is to be able to celebrate this day here, in our own community where we live," Ayala added.

In addition to the city of Hidalgo, this year, Ayala has partnered with Hermes Music to sponsor the posada. Along with the scores of toys that will be handed out Wednesday, Ayala and Hermes will also be giving away at least 400 guitars.

Hermes Music founder and philanthropist Alberto Kreimerman spoke of the power of music to change a child's life.

"If we put a musical instrument in the hands of a child, that child is not going to want to play with violence, with war," Kreimerman said. "The idea is that music is love, and we want to gift love," he added a moment later.

The 24th Annual Ramon Ayala and Hermes Music Christmas Posada begins at 6 p.m. on Wednesday, December 17, at 710 Ramon Ayala Dr., Hidalgo, Texas 78557. It is free and open to the public.