SMOKIN' ON THE RIO INC

SMOKIN' ON THE RIO INC FEBRUARY 13-14, 2026WORLD CHAMPIONSHIPSmokin on the RioSmokin’ on the Rio, now a WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP BBQ Cook-Off, was established in 2004 by a group of local businessmen with the goal of raising money in support of youth agricultural projects in the Rio Grande Valley.Register Your TeamSchedule of EventsWilliam BeckmannMaking modern country music with a refined edge, emerging Warner Records Nashville artist William Beckmann embodies timeless, sophisticated swagger, with songs built for the mainstream, but also built to last. With his first major label album, Whiskey Lies & Alibis, the young Texas native joins a retro revival in the modern format’s core, and pushes it further down the road. A student of the classics – from classic country to classic pop, classic rock, and even classic mariachi – Beckmann grew up in the border town of Del Rio, Texas, enamored with the classic cool of Johnny Cash, Elvis Presley, Roy Orbison, and Frank Sinatra, plus the Eagles, Tom Petty, Bob Dylan, George Strait, and the traditional Mexican music of his bilingual roots. Developing a deep, dark-honey baritone with natural vibrato, he first found a foothold on the Texas tour circuit, dressed to kill and with a timeless sound to match. After catching the attention of hometown hero Radney Foster (who helped dial in his classically-charged songwriting), and Randy Rogers (who took the young artist on tour, helping craft a stately stage magnetism), two self-styled EPs and a 2023 Opry debut built Beckmann’s buzz, along with tours with Parker McCollum, Charley Crockett, and more. Co-writing eight of 12 songs with elite hit makers such as Jessie Jo Dillion, Jesse Frasure, and Rhett Akins, Beckmann’s neo-classic signature is clear on Whiskey Lies & Alibis. With an organic sound defined by dusky baritone guitars and pedal steel, plus a rumbling, resonate vocal, it captures the vast loneliness of a windblown desert landscape, and the throbbing pulse of a honky tonk with equal power. And central to each track, lies the bitter sting of lost love. After playing more than 100 shows a year in 2022 and 2023, Beckmann now returns to the road with a bold mission in mind: Not just to cosplay the classic country style, but to bring its values back, with head held high. BUY CONCERT TICKETSJoin usSmokin on the Rio SponsorsSmokin' Supporters City of Mercedes Economic Development Corp. or Mercedes Rio Grande Valley Livestock Show & Rodeo Chorizo de San Manuel Wadkins & Associates Grillin' Supporters Billie D Simpsom CoBank Depot Crop Ins Doggett - John Deere HEB K-K Polled Brahmans Lone Star Citrus Growers MVEC Ross Gin Texas First Rental Weslaco Elk's Texas Regional Bank Rio Bank Smokin On The Rio 2025 Sponsors HEB City of Mercedes Mercedes EDC 3C Ag Services Boots N' Jeans Mr. and Mrs. Chuck Sellman Dickerson Farms Glazer's Beer & Beverage Krenmueller Farms MVEC Ryner Construction Ross Gin Texas National Bank Wadkins & Associates Insurance A-W Produce Capital Farm Credit Cita's Boutique - Harlingen Cita's Boutique - Brownsville Doggett Heavy Equipment Gowan Seed Company Lackey Financial Nowell Borders LP Rio Bank Simplot Texas Regional Bank Wilbur Ellis Mr. Billie D Simpsom Chapotal Farms Depot Crop Insurance Frontera Materials KBW Supply The Medicine Shop Reid Farms Ron Hoover Texas First Rental Valent USA, LLC Mrs. Audrey Eoff Bicycle World RGV Crop Guard Insurance Foremost Paving Hovada Farms Lone Star Citrus Growers Payne Auto Group Rios of Mercedes Boot Co. Sun Valley Dusting Timothy Belcher Farms McAfee Insurance Bullrider Western Wear Davis Equity Freedom Bank Johnny's True Value Hardware Mr. and Mrs Mark Brunnemann Progreso Coop Mr. and Mrs. Robert McAllen Texas Farm Credit Troy Bradford Farms Amigo Loan Burton Companies Cooper Concessions Eberle Materials Hanka Sod LLC Listos Properties Mr. and Mrs. Paul McDaniel Rio Rico Farms Southern Star Transport Thomas Charolais Xtreme Outdoors Smokin' on the RioSmokin’ on the Rio World Championship BBQ Cook-Off was established in 2004 by a group of local businessmen with the goal of raising money in support of youth agricultural projects in the Rio Grande Valley. Smokin' on the Rio BBQ Cook-Off Send Message