Excitement and the thrill of anticipation spread through the crowd along Elizabeth Street with the kick-off of the 70th annual Charro Days Fiesta Christmas Parade Saturday evening, bringing all the pomp and majesty of the season to downtown Brownsville.
The streets were thronged with people, bringing chairs or sitting in the beds of pickup trucks to watch the festivities as vendors sold those iconic parade treats and light-up toys and balloons for those younger parade attendees to join in on the magic-making festivities.
This year the parade experienced something of a shift in programming as, for the first time in the event’s long history, it occurs on a Saturday rather than the usual Monday. A few months before the event, at a Charro Days Fiesta Board Meeting, members voted to move the parade to Saturday this year after feedback from the community to allow families to enjoy the event without having to worry about school or work the next day.
While the parade traditionally starts on 2nd Street, this year, organizers moved it to 1st Street due to construction.
Sponsored by L & F Distributors, the parade featured over 100 entries with music played by several Brownsville Independent School District bands, floats and performances for the crowd. DHR Health, Texas Southmost College, the University of Texas Rio Grande Valley and the Port of Brownsville were some of the many floats that added to the air of holiday cheer.
Of course, it couldn’t be a proper Christmas parade without a visit from that most special of guests—Santa Clause. Escorted by the Brownsville Fire Department, Santa and Mrs. Claus made a sleigh trip down Elizabeth Street with their reindeer. As they passed by, children called out their season’s greetings or a few, overcome with awe, could only wave and point as the famous holiday couple came past.
Attendee Kelly Tapia came with her daughter Araceli, grandson Mateo and her son Manuel and staked out their spot at the corner of 1st and Elizabeth Street starting at 5:30 p.m. to get the best view. Over the years it’s been a tradition Tapia has kept for all her children, who attended schools in the Brownsville Independent School District, to watch their performances in the parade—now she’s here to watch her 5-year-old granddaughter Zayliegh.
Tapia says the parade’s move to Saturday has given her more time with her family to enjoy the festivities.
“I’m always busy during the week, and so it’s better during the weekend because it’s less ruining back and forth. We get to relax. My granddaughter is in the parade and so we get the chance to enjoy it,” she said.
