Victor Ortega BROWNSVILLE – The 88th Charro Days Fiesta is coming later this month with events ranging from parades, musical performances and carnival rides.
Henry LeVrier, Charro Days president, said this year’s fiesta will feature a lot of activities.
“We have many events starting with Baile del Sol on [Feb.] 22 which is a Saturday,” LeVrier said. “This event is very important because it’s the official beginning of Charro Days.”
Baile del Sol at the Charro Days headquarters kicks off the binational festival with food, dancing and performances of baile folklorico.
Parades start Feb. 27 with children from Brownsville Independent School District marching downtown for all visitors to see.
Along with the dancing and marches, kids and adults alike can enjoy the rides at the Charro Days carnival.
“At the same time in conjunction with these events we have a carnival for rides from Feb. 27, which is Thursday, through Sunday, March 9. We have a carnival over there at the Amigoland mall, at the TSC ITEC center,” LeVrier said
LeVrier commented that high attendance numbers are expected at the festival despite an increase in immigration officer’s activity throughout the country.
Erika Rendon-Ramos, UTRGV Mexican American Studies assistant professor, said the current political climate may turn away people in the long run.
“With the uptick of [Immigration and Customs Enforcement] being willing to go to schools and churches; we haven’t seen too much of it here yet, but the risk of it potentially happening is still there, and so that might deter people from going.” Rendon-Ramos said. “I think a year from now we might see that even more.”
Despite their different opinions on attendance, both LeVrier and Professor Rendon-Ramos agree that Charro Days stands as an example of celebrating cultural diversity and international relationships for the whole country.
“I think it’s a good example to the rest of the country of what can be done, what is possible,” LeVrier said.
“It is the most beautiful, loud and vibrant culture, and Charro Days is just the most beautiful representation of that, where we can really showcase it,” Rendon-Ramos said.
Musical guests for this year’s charro days include Mariachi 7 Leguas, David Lee Garza y Los Musicales, Noé Garza & The Band and Marcos Orozco.
The 2025 Mr. Amigo is Jose Cantoral, a Mexican musician and songwriter who worked on the soundtrack of the award-winning animated film Coco.
Jose Cantoral’s father, Roberto Cantoral, composer behind songs like El Triste and El Reloj, was 1981’s Mr. Amigo.
“There’s a lot of folkloric dancing, there’s a lot of food, a lot of refreshments, and of course a lot of music for everybody,” LeVrier mentioned.
More information on dates and times for Charro Days activities is available on the official website.
