Cowboy boots and empty chela cans shared a muddy ground at Circuit of the Americas on Saturday for the second annual Besame Mucho festival.

Identical to last year’s performance format, rotating stages offered back-to-back shows with little-to-no gap in between artists, keeping attendees on their toes from 11am to 11pm. In spite of rain just hours before, a windy feels-like temp of below 50 degrees, and the Los Angeles equivalent of the festival’s cancellation in December, the Texan edition persisted in overcast weather, boasting a 4-stage, 52-artist lineup.

Donning magenta tracksuits, Su Majestad Mi Banda El Mexicano De Casimiro kicked off their 12:35pm set with “Ya Llegó” on the “Beso” stage. Seamlessly blending the track into “La Bota,” the quebradita group kept the party going as Alan Zamudio Robles took off his white boot, placed it upside down on a mic stand, and raised it in the air with the beat of the song.

Amidst a male-dominated lineup, the Latin pop quintet Kabah played around 1pm as the first woman-fronted act of the day. Taking the “¿Te Gusta Bailar?” stage with their 2002 track “Casi al final,” the group transported fans to their late Nineties heyday. Synchronized dance routines and matching white outfits with black boa-feathered shoulder straps remained the visual spectacle of the performance as the Mexico City-based group ran through tracks “Mai Mai” and “Una Ilusion.”

Soon after, pop songstress MAR – daughter of Marco Antonio Solís – alternated between original pieces like “Calavera” and covers of tracks like Selena’s “Amor Prohibido.” Dressed in a turquoise, Princess Jasmine-like outfit, she wrapped with Thalía’s “A Quién Le Importa.” “Les quiero dejar con un mensaje, que es, que sean libres,” she said, meaning, “I want to leave you with a message, which is to be free.”

Suavemente singer Elvis Crespo brought tropical merengue, contagious energy, and blaring horns to the “¿Te Gusta Bailar?” stage. Opening with “Tu Sonrisa” and finishing with the title track to his 1998 debut, the Puerto Rico native, along with his backing band and dancers, rubbed his vibrancy onto everyone nearby. Walking away, I noticed even the EMTs were dancing.

Sporting a traje de charro and backed by his mariachi group of more than 25 years, Pepe Aguilar emerged onto the “Beso” stage howling “Puro México!” Gritos erupted from the crowd as the track “100% Mexicano” suffused the air. The self-described “Zacatexan” singer’s witty remarks and banter filled the space in between a wide ranging setlist replete with a Paquita La Del Barrio tribute (“Me Saludas A La Tuya”), a Los Ángeles Azules duet (“Ni Contigo, Ni Sin Ti”), and his own solo music (“Por Mujeres Como Tú”).

Headlining the festival and performing simultaneously at the end of the night, Peso Pluma and Los Tigres Del Norte filtered the crowd by age – with the corridos tumbados musician taking the younger half.

Attempting to catch a glimpse of both shows, I started at the “Norteño” stage, where Peso Pluma started nearly 10 minutes later than scheduled. Managing to witness a theatrical introduction video followed by “AMG,” “RUBICON,” and “gervonta,” I left the stage early to make my way to the “Las Clásicas” stage to see Los Tigres Del Norte.

Arriving halfway through “Quiero Volar Contigo,” I caught the legacy act joined on stage by Mariachi Michoacan and the outfit-changing Ballet Folklórico del Río Grande. After a few Vicente Fernández covers of “Hermoso Cariño” and “Por Tu Maldito Amor,” I called it quits early due to blustery winds and frigid temps. As I walked out of the festival grounds, I could hear faint gritos emanating from the crowd and accordion-laced echoes of the norteño band’s 1984 track “Pedro y Pablo.”

With an abundance of backup dancers, radiant outfits, and sizable bandas, Besame Mucho’s second annual Austin experience offered much more than a jam-packed music schedule. Its potent energy and cultural pride echoed that of its attendees, with roars of “Viva México” throughout and dancing galore. Most importantly, however, this festival stood as a sanctuary for all walks of Latin life to exist freely, immersed in and celebrating our música y cultura.