Downtown Bryan comes alive for Hispanic Heritage Month & annual Fiestas Patrias Parade & Festival

BRYAN, Texas (KBTX) -Hundreds of people gathered along William J. Bryan Parkway near Downtown Bryan Sunday for the annual Fiestas Patrias Parade & Festival. This long-standing tradition, dating back to the 1990s, serves to unite the community, pay homage to the rich culture, and commemorate Mexico’s independence.

In 1968, Congress authorized the President to proclaim National Hispanic Heritage Week, later extending it to a month-long celebration from September 15 to October 15.

The Fiestas Patrias Parade featured the Fightin’ Texas Aggie Band, Texas A&M’s mascot Reveille, bands, cheerleaders, students, and staff from Bryan and College Station ISD, creating a vibrant and spirited procession through the streets.

The Fightin’ Texas Aggie Band (Donnie Tuggle/Bryan-College Station)

Following the parade, the festivities continued well into the night, featuring live music, food, lively dancing, and a variety of vendors.

Parade King and Queen Jacob Felipe from College Station High School and Abigail Ramirez from Rudder High School. (Donnie Tuggle/Bryan-College Station)

City leaders, organizations and businesses actively participated in the event, which also awarded scholarships to high school students, adults, and educators pursuing higher education. This year’s scholarship recipients, Jacob Felipe from College Station High School and Abigail Ramirez from Rudder High School were crowned parade king and queen, expressing their pride in representing their culture, families, and schools.

“I love that we get to celebrate our traditions together as a community, so this means a lot to us as we’re all celebrating together,” said Ramirez.

“Independence Day is a day that we can celebrate our cultures, showcase everything that we’ve done as a country, and overall just have a fun day,” Felipe added.

Bryan ISD Teacher Daniel De La Rosa and students from Jane Long Intermediate. (Donnie Tuggle/Bryan-College Station)

Event attendees highlighted the importance of recognizing and reflecting upon the substantial contributions of Latinos and Hispanics to American society.

“Gosh. It’s super fun. We’ve done this for a couple of years already. The kids sometimes pass out candy. It gets our faculty together. We build these amazing floats that get better every year. It’s been great,” said Bryan ISD Teacher Daniel De La Rosa.

The event not only celebrates culture and tradition, but also serves as a platform for acknowledgment and representation.

“We all come from somewhere. It’s just really great to see the parents come out and just show the kids what, the beautifulness of the culture,” De La Rosa added.

“It means a lot to me to represent every young girl who aspires to be chosen as queen someday. I think it’s incredible that I can be a leader and stand here for the people in my community as a Hispanic woman,” said Ramirez.