Del Valle Day on its way to COTA this weekend

A free festival for Del Valle residents will take place at Circuit of the Americas on Saturday afternoon.

DEL VALLE (KXAN) — A free festival for Del Valle residents will take place at Circuit of the Americas on Saturday afternoon.

The Del Valle Community Coalition will host the inaugural Del Valle Day Community Festival from 1 p.m. to 5 p.m.

The festival will be full of fun family activities including rides, live music and free food. There will also be a wide variety of available community resources, a vendor market along with a Tesla job fair.

According to the Del Valle Community Coalition, the city in eastern Travis County has swiftly expanded over the past decade, with a population currently around 77,000 residents.

Despite its growth, there are still some ongoing issues that its residents face every day. This includes Del Valle’s food desert, healthcare access and environmental concerns.

On Saturday, local leaders hope to bring about a sense of community to address these issues.

DVCC board president Susanna Ledesma-Woody believes their partnership with Circuit of the Americas could change things for the better.

“COTA has definitely put a spotlight on where Del Valle is and it's brought some visibility on our infrastructure needs,” she said. “That's been a great asset.”

The small city’s population is mainly made up of those that have been displaced out of Austin because of rising rent prices and increased property taxes.

With this in mind, Ledesma-Woody says the opportunity for locals to step foot inside COTA’s campus for free is a special experience.

“This event is entirely free, so they can enjoy the rides, look at COTA from the inside and take pictures,” she said. “Most may not necessarily be able to see what COTA looks like during its other major events.”

Looking ahead, Del Valle Community Coalition hopes to make this an annual event that community members can look forward to every year.

To reserve tickets for the festival, you can click here.