By Karen Gleason
The 830 Times
Hundreds of Del Rioans made the most of a gorgeous spring afternoon Saturday to watch the 20th annual Chinese New Year parade on South Main Street.
Diana Stern, businesswoman, philanthropist and cultural ambassadress, walked at the head of the parade, just as she has for
the past two decades. Stern, along with her husband, attorney Jack Stern, organized and sponsored the parades as a way of sharing the ancient and colorful culture of Diana’s homeland with her neighbors and friends in Del Rio.
Sadly, Stern told the 830 Times Saturday this is the last year she will plan and direct the parade and related festivities.
“I started this because I wanted to bring a different culture to Del Rio, and I wanted to share with people my love for my culture, and when you can share something with people, that makes you happy. How can you make 1,000 people happy in one day? This is it,” Stern said a few minutes after taking her last walk at the head of the parade.
She said she is also happy because the parade gave her a chance to work with friends and family members from across Texas, who made the annual trip to Del Rio to assist with the festivities.
Chief among Stern’s helpers was her sister, Nancy Lin of Dallas. Lin owns and operates an international shipping company. Once a dance instructor, Lin each year has helped choreograph and train groups of young Del Rioans in performing a series of traditional Chinese dances staged following the annual parade.
Other, more local, friends also have each year helped Stern by lending time, talents and muscle to stage the Chinese New Year parade and an attendant dance exhibition.
This year, Del Rioan Lea White was one of Stern’s “right hands.”
White once worked as a costumer and stylist for television commercials in New York City, and this year she assisted Stern by fitting and altering more than 50 elaborate Chinese costumes worn in the parade by an array of local politicians, business owners, community leaders and friends.
“I wanted to help because Diana has given so much to the community,” White said.
Stern told the 830 Times she believes Del Rio’s Chinese New Year
tradition will go on, though she was adamant in saying she would likely pass on the event’s organizational torch to a new set of hosts and sponsors next year.
A concrete example that her efforts to share her culture were appreciated also came after Saturday’s parade had ended when Del Rioan Tera Avila and her daughter August sought Stern out and asked to speak with her and thank her in person for organizing the event.
“I’m from Del Rio, then I moved to Austin almost 30 years ago, and I’ve been back here for about six years. When we heard about this we were so excited because we were used to attending the festivals and the Chinese New Year festivities in Austin, so that was one thing we thought we’d miss when we came back here.
“When I heard about (Del Rio’s) Chinese New Year festival, I was like, ‘Oh, my gosh, they do something here,’ and I’ve wanted to come meet Diana for the past six years, just to say thank you, because it’s amazing to have this kind of cultural fusion,” Avila said, noting they have attended every year, except during the COVID pandemic.
The writer can be reached at delriomagnoliafan@gmail.com .
