Austin's Sister City in Mexico
Austin's oldest sister city...
Saltillo and Austin share a unique history as the two capitals of Texas. Saltillo was the capital when Texas belonged to the Mexican state Coahuila, before Austin became the capital of the Republic of Texas. Austin and Saltillo have been Sister Cities since 1968.
The Austin-Saltillo Sister City Committee consists of 22 Members and is headed by Nicholas Barreiro.
Partnership Outcomes:
A Saltillo landing pad office for Austin businesses interested in Mexican markets.
Exchanges between Austin Community College and University Tecnológia de Coahuila.
The dedication of Plaza Saltillo.
Austin Day in Saltillo
Since the declaration of Saltillo Day in Austin and Austin Day in Saltillo in 2017, our two cities are celebrating friendship with a special day dedicated to international understanding.
Austin Day in Saltillo took place in July, 2018. Please find the agenda here.
A delegation led by Saltillo Mayor Manolo Jiménez Salinas visited Austin for the occasion of Saltillo Day, from Thursday April 5 to Sunday April 8, 2018. Please find the complete delegation schedule here.
Una delegación encabezada por el alcalde de Saltillo, Manolo Jiménez Salinas, estaba en Austin, Texas, para celebrar el "Día de Saltillo", del jueves 5 de abril al domingo 8 de abril. Encuentre aquí el calendario completo de la delegación.
about the importance of sister cities by Saltillo's FORMER mayor Isidro Lopez
Saltillo Day 2018
Photos by Kiona
Op-ed by Kiona, Mexico in my Pocket, May 29, 2018:
Austin And Saltillo -Building Bridges Not Walls
Between Trump, walls, and cartels, it seems like the only narrative being discussed about Mexico and The United States is the large gap between them despite their physical proximity. The media is full of negative discourse which makes it seem like these two countries couldn’t be more at odds with each other The irony is that, in real life, things look completely different.
A Short History
Texas was a sovereign nation in 1835 and joined the United States in 1845. But before that, Texas was a part of Mexico. Indigenous people and Mexicans lived throughout this land until the colonizers invaded. When Texas withdrew from Mexico, the state capital of Texas moved from Saltillo, Mexico to Austin, Texas.
Today, Austin and Saltillo share a unique history as the two capitals of Texas. Austin Sister Cities is an entire organization dedicated to this connection. As Austin’s oldest sister city, the City of Austin has dedicated a day to commemorate Saltillo, Mexico in a celebration called Saltillo Day.
Saltillo Day
Saltillo Day is held every year in Saltillo Plaza located in downtown Austin. This event attracts politicians, city council members, families, and vendors and artists from Mexico that have come by bus to enjoy a day of arts and crafts. Attendees get free glasses of Saltillo wine while enjoying the authentic Mexican live music and cuisine in a fantastic fusion of culture. This year was special because it was Austin and Saltillo’s 50th anniversary of being Sister Cities.
50th Anniversary of Austin Saltillo Sister Cities
To honor this long-lasting relationship, the mayor of Saltillo, Manolo Jiménez Salinas, flew from Mexico to celebrate this commemorative day with the mayor of Austin, Steve Adler. As they were casually shaking hands and exchanging some private words, crowds of people began to swarm them. They walked up to the podium together, smiling and chatting. Then after a few speeches, in a heartfelt moment, Mayor Manolo Jiménez Salinas received the keys to the city from the hands of Mayor Steve Adler. The crowd erupted into applause.
Mayor Manolo Jiménez Salinas brought what seemed like a never-ending carousel of gifts. The gifts he presented to the Mayor of Austin included an encased dinosaur bone (Saltillo is known for its famous dinosaur museum), wine bottles (Saltillo is also known for being a wine region), cultural photos of traditional Saltillo landmarks, and a bronze handmade plaque by a sculptor from Saltillo commemorating the 50th Anniversary of The Sisterhood between Saltillo and Austin.
Saltillo Day 2017
Photos by Ruben Morales Photography
About Saltillo
Founded in 1577, Saltillo takes pride in its Spanish Colonial architecture, famous tile and serape blankets.This city of over 700,000 people also boasts a growing heavy industrial base. The Wall Street Journal has called the area a "mini-Detroit."