Fiestas Patrias 2013 (Photos)
Celebrating its forty-fifth year, the Fiestas Patrias organization brought its annual Fiestas Patrias International Parade to the streets of Downtown Houston on Saturday, September 14th. With its goal of celebrating the “rich culture, great heritage and many contributions” Hispanics make to the United States, the Fiestas Patrias parade counts with the participation of local schools, non-profit organizations and businesses -big and small- to make it a festive occasion.
Commemorating the independence of several Latin American countries, this year was particularly special as the parade united the Consul Generals of Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Mexico and Nicaragua as this year’s Grand Marshall Unit.
As every year, the parade counted with regular entries of JROTCs, cheer squads, elected officials, candidates running for election, local non-profits and businesses. One of this year’s standout was Tinkus Bolivia Houston who added its own folkloric flavor and vibrant outfits to the parade. Another entry who made their home country proud was El Salvador. The Consulate General of El Salvador and BARRA 503 truly made a party out of the parade with a marching band, a bus with a beauty queen riding in front, interesting characters in costume and beautiful ladies in blue and white folkloric dresses. This was a welcome addition to the regular red, white and green.
If you haven’t attended before, this parade is a must-see spectacular! Latinos can stand proud and cheer on the beauty our native countries have to offer. This is also a great opportunity for youth to see the grandeur of their roots and heritage. Please take note, when you come next year, make sure to bring cold water, dress coolly and don’t forget an umbrella or cap for shade.
One note I would like to make is that it would be nice to see the support and presence of our city’s professional sports teams, higher institutions (HCC was present) and more businesses at the parade.
Sybil is the Community Affairs Coordinator for Univision 45 Houston. On her spare time, she is an aspiring Houston Latina blogger. You can read more from her at sybilblog.wordpress.com and follow her on Twitter @sybil_sanchez