A ponerse el sombrero

Charro Days Fiesta and UTRGV Student Activities will celebrate the 88th anniversary of Charro Days. The festivities will take place through Saturday in Brownsville.

Henry LeVrier, president of Charro Days Fiesta, talked about the events happening in the city for the annual commemoration that kicked off with Baile Del Sol on Sunday at the Charro Days Fiesta headquarters. The event was the official grito to start the Charro Days festivities. 

On Thursday, the BISD Children’s Parade will take place at 2:30 p.m. in downtown Brownsville, followed by a Noche Mexicana Dance featuring Noe Pro and The Band, and Mariachi 7 Leguas at the Texas Southmost College Jacob Brown Auditorium. 

On Friday, the Illuminated Night Parade will take place at 7 p.m. Friday on Elizabeth Street in downtown. 

On Saturday, the Color Guard Parade will take place at 12:30 p.m. in Elizabeth Street in downtown, followed by the Grand International Parade at 1 p.m. In the evening, the Costume Ball Dance will take place at 8 p.m. in the TSC Jacob Brown Auditorium, with the performance of Jay Perez and The Band, David Lee Garza y los Musicales, and Mariachi 7 Leguas.

“The community can expect a lot of excitement, a lot of planning,” LeVrier said. “We’re planning for the parades; we’re working on all our floats. There will be a lot of bands participating. So, the community should be ready to see a lot of very nice floats in parades.”

He said the Charro Days tradition started in 1938 because the community needed to do something that lifted the spirits of the people by starting a binational and bicultural celebration between Matamoros and Brownsville. 

“Matamoros brings several floats from Matamoros,” LeVrier said. “They bring their dignitaries, so they come and participate in our parades, also a lot of the tradition, a lot of the culture that we celebrate.”

He said it is important to keep that culture and tradition going and encouraged the community to come and celebrate.

“It’s entertainment for everyone, for the whole family, so we invite them to come out and join us and help us celebrate the spirit of Charro Days,” LeVrier said.

Raul Leal, UTRGV program coordinator for Student Activities, said the major university event for the celebration is the Charreada: the signature event that UTRGV hosts in honor of Charro Days, bringing culture to campus.

The Charreada event will take place from 2 to 5 p.m. Wednesday on the Student Union lawn on the Brownsville campus.

“We will be having a lot of cool attractions, games and rides and the major thing is that we will have a guest appearance by Mr. Amigo at the event, as well as the [Charro] Days president,” Leal said.

He said it is a great opportunity for students to meet organizers from Charro Days Fiesta and to engage with the big cultural celebration. The event is open to UTRGV students with their ID for the check in processes.

“Students who do attend and check in with us are also eligible to receive a free T-shirt, a Charreada T-shirt, and also a Charreada stadium cup, provided by our sponsors, Pepsi,” Leal said.

He added that students can expect a lot of fun with performances from folklórico clubs, rides and activities for the university community to engage with.

“We will be partnering with our Center for Student Involvement to have student organizations, fundraising,” Leal said. “So, there will be a lot of food options that students can buy. [They] have confirmed stuff like hot dogs, burgers, Tostilocos … a lot of good food for students to have during the event.

“We’ll have the best dressed contest. We will also be looking at some food eating contests.”

The program director said, this year, they have added more attractions, compared with previous Charreada events, by adding rides, petting zoos and increasing the number of student organizations that will fundraise.

Leal said he believes it is important for students to get involved in any way forward.

“I think that these are the events that make your college experience … so I encourage students to get involved,” he said. “It’s how you build friends, build community and build an affinity to our institution.”

Lilia Ramirez, a criminal justice senior, said she will attend the events and believes it is important to keep the traditions of Charro Days because people can participate in the community.

“Sometimes, we forget to be in tune with our community and to participate in it,” Ramirez said.