For the first time ever, Brownsville’s annual Christmas parade will be held on a Saturday, and this year’s parade is scheduled for Saturday, Dec. 3, which is just a couple of days away.
The 70th annual Charro Days Fiesta Christmas Parade sponsored by L & F Distributors has between 135 to 140 entries and will provide plenty of floats and music to get everyone in the holiday spirit.
The parade begins at 7 p.m. and will start on West 1st Street, a block away from Sams Memorial Stadium and will follow the usual parade route down Elizabeth Street.
It is expected to last about one and one-half hours.
“Everybody seem excited about it, so we are excited about it,” said Henry LeVrier, president of Charro Days Fiesta. “It sounds like a very good decision. Everybody has given us positive feedback.”
Music will be provided by several Brownsville Independent School District bands that include Rivera and Lopez Early College high schools, and Perkins, Stillman, Garcia, Lucio, Stell, and Besteiro middle schools.
Several charter schools will also be appearing including students from IDEA and Harmony schools.
Those entering floats include DHR Health, Texas Southmost College, the University of Texas Rio Grande Valley, the Port of Brownsville, and U.S. Rep. Vicente Gonzalez.
For years, Brownsville’s Christmas Parade has been held on Mondays, but at a Charro Days Fiesta Board Meeting that took place a few months ago, members voted to move the parade to Saturdays, LeVrier said.
“We gotten a lot of positive feed back from everybody. We are really hoping to make it a wonderful family night, where the parents don’t have to worry about the kids having to go home to do homework,” LeVrier said. “After the parade, they can go out and have dinner, relax and have a family night.”
“Participation is great, the weather looks great, so we are excited,” LeVrier said.
