The City of Mercedes put on its first Livestock Show in 1913 in a building at Second St. and the Mercedes Canal. The purpose of the exhibition was to provide farmers with information about livestock and agriculture. The show was formally reinitiated in 1939 and chartered in 1949 as “the Rio Grande Valley Livestock Show, Inc., ”a non-profit educational corporation with a board of directors. In 1949, 44 acres were purchased for the site of the show at the north end of Texas Ave. Today, it ranks in the top five largest livestock shows in Texas and is a vital stimulator for the local and regional economy. Its primary focus is educating youth and promoting agriculture.