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McALLEN — The 96th annual McAllen Independence Day Celebration Main Street Parade flooded the streets here with red, white and blue showing patriotism and also the diversity behind it.
The parade featured floats and trailers from several businesses in the Rio Grande Valley, the Boy Scouts of America, all three McAllen ISD high school bands, flag-waving convoys of different cars and trucks and even a convoy of horse riders.
With the horse groups being the last part of the parade, the horse riders all waited patiently while listening to classics like La Chona by Los Tucanes De Tijuana, which made several horses gallop and dance to the music.
Leading a large group of horse riders along with a trailer was Alberto Martinez, the president of Cabalgantes Los Amigo, with his horse, el Gobernador, proudly holding an American flag.
Also known as Jano, he said the group was established in 2019 and have been coming to the parade every year since then.
The group logo is a horse with the U.S and Mexican flag. Martinez said it is to represent how the group has ties to Mexico but were born in the U.S.
“It’s a good adrenaline and it feels good holding the American flag,” Jano said. “We support all the soldiers and all they did for us. We were born here and I know we’re Hispanic but we’re proud of being born here.”
Another horse rider at the parade was Carlos Matamoros, from Los Cabalgantes Centenarios 956 from Edinburg who came out to celebrate the Fourth of July.
Matamoros said he is proud to live in the U.S and fortunate to be part of the McAllen parade, which he said is well-organized and important to the city.
Martinez also thanked the city of McAllen for allowing his group and other horse riding groups to participate in the parade since the horses do leave a bit of mess following them.
Another tradition with the McAllen Independence Day parade is the Lipan Apache Tribe of Texas dancing and showing their culture and patriotism.
This year marks the 53rd year that the group participates in the McAllen parade.
Violet Soto, one of the Lipan Apache Tribe dancers, said she is 24 and has been dancing in the parade since she was 5 years old.
“We’re just wanting to show our culture to the people here in the Valley and celebrate Independence Day together,” Soto said. “I’m proud to keep the tradition alive. I think, especially with Native Americans, there’s not too many of us left out there. So keeping the tradition alive, keeping our culture you know here, reminding people that we are still here, that’s really important to me.”
Looking forward to it every year she said it is hard and hot but gets excited to dance alongside her family.
Setting up right at the start of where the parade began was Michelle Navarro, a McAllen resident with her son.
Seeing the list of events by the city of McAllen for Independence Day, Navarro decided to come out to start her day by viewing the parade.
“I’m really proud of the USA, I’m a big patriot so Fourth of July and parades, put both of those things together and I’m there,” she said.
Her favorite parts of the parade were the cars, motorcycles and especially the horses.
Navarro added the parade exposed them to the different programs that the city offers that she did not know about. She said she will be looking into putting her son into one of the city’s sport programs.
