Ofelia Quintanilla’s first Charro Day experience might have been around 1951.
As loud speakers amplified traditional Mexican music Saturday at the Baile del Sol in Brownsville, 70-plus years had passed since Quintanilla’s oldest memories were formed of the annual Charro Days Fiesta, now marking its 85th celebration.
Quintanilla’s daughter Bertha Garza Quintanilla, who sat with her Saturday at the Baile del Sol, had not been born yet. The 90-year-old matriarch told Bertha how times had changed as elementary-aged girls danced in the streets.
“She said it has changed tremendously because now it is very different,” Bertha said. “It was more humble then. There wasn’t the variety of things available then like there is now, like the dancing, the food, and the drinks. She remembers it being very festive — the whole street was open — but it wasn’t as elaborate as it is now.”
The Quintanilla women were just two among hundreds of residents who lined up for seating at the curbs outside the Charro Days headquarters on Elizabeth Street in downtown Brownsville. The crowds gathered for the dancing, music, food booths and community celebrations.
“This year’s theme is ‘come back home to Charro Days’,” said Henry LeVrier, speaking on behalf of the entire organizing board. “So we are inviting everyone to come back and celebrate the 85th anniversary.”
The Baile del Sol was the first public event to welcome crowds for Charro Days since the 2020 festivities, which concluded just prior to the global coronavirus pandemic’s detection in the Rio Grande Valley that March. Out of precaution, organizers opted for an online version of events in 2021.
LeVrier, now in his second year as Charro Days’ board president, said he was “the virtual president” last year.
“We did some things virtual just to keep the spirit going,” LeVrier said. “While it wasn’t the same, we wanted to do something — we had a virtual mariachi concert. We just wanted to give something to the community so they wouldn’t forget us.”
Apparently, the community did not forget.
To officially kick off the 2022 return, the Baile del Sol began at 1 p.m. with dances by elementary students on the closed street. At 3 p.m., gritos — traditional celebratory shouts — joyously welcomed the opening of festivities for the coming week.
“It feels awesome, and the public is ready for it. There’s a lot of excitement in the air, for both the public and us. So it’s very exciting because everyone is ready to celebrate the fiesta.”
To ensure a safe return, the board had to consider conditions of the ongoing pandemic, working with city, school and health officials.
“While we were planning, we always had to be very careful and always have a good outlook on what was happening,” LeVrier said.
Charro Days continues with events through Saturday, February 26. For more information, log on to www.charrodaysfiesta.com.
