Festival en el Barrio benefits KXCI radio

The event migrated from the Barrio Viejo neighborhood to the El Presidio neighborhood near the Tucson Museum of Art.

"Now we are outdoors and we are taking over a whole neighborhood," said Randy Peterson, general manger of KXCI.

The third annual concert will include Grammy Award-winning Grupo Fantasma joining Megafaun, Sergio Mendoza y la Orkesta, Los Pork Torta, Hollywood Knights, Shaun Harris, Silverbell, Dry River Yacht Club and Mariachi Aztlan.

All proceeds from Saturday's event will go to the commercial-free community radio station.

"Tucson has always supported us," said Peterson, who said he hopes the event raises $10,000.

Over the past decade, Calexico has put its helping hand forward and performed in benefit concerts for the volunteer-driven station.

"Where ever we've had them, we have always filled the place," Peterson said.

The station, which has 80 radio programs, broadcasts an extraordinary range of musical styles, much of it outside the mainstream, from rock to reggae, folk to funk from little-known to legendary artists. Much of what you hear on KXCI is rarely if ever played on commercial radio.

Patterson said that there used to be many community radio stations nationally, but that number has slowly tumbled down to about 25.

"We are lucky to be in Tucson, and Tucson is lucky we are here," he said.

If you go

• What: Third Annual Festival en el Barrio with Calexico and Friends.

• When: 2-8 p.m. Saturday.

• Where: In El Presidio neighborhood near the Tucson Museum of Art at 166 W. Alameda St.

• Tickets: $23 in advance; $26 the day of the show; $40 for VIP through Bookmans, KXCI and rialtotheatre.com; 740-1000. Children under 10 years old free with a paid adult. Your festival ticket gets you into the TMA for free on Saturday.

Alyssa Reilly is a University of Arizona student who is an apprentice at the Star. Contact her at starapprentice@azstarnet.com or at 573-4117.