By Louis Zylka
The 830 Times
A float representing one of Del Rio’s most recognizable landmarks represented the city of Del Rio Saturday in San Antonio’s 76th Annual Fiesta Flambeau Parade.
Brown Plaza Association members and volunteers built the float, recreating the Brown Plaza’s iconic pagoda and streetlight. The float carried a bevy of queens, Brown Plaza royalty, and organizers said 2024 marked the first year a float from Del Rio participated in the Fiesta Flambeau Parade.
Brown Plaza Association President Priscilla Martinez said it was a lot of hard work to be a part of the parade.
The theme of the Fiesta Flambeau Parade this year was “Lotsa Loteria,” and Martinez said her crew of volunteers used ideas from previous parades to put the float together. She said they wanted to represent Del Rio through their float, thus the representations of loteria cards they displayed on the float showed other historic Del Rio landmarks.
The celebration carried over to Del Rio on Sunday, when the Brown Plaza Association announced on social media that the float would travel back into town.
Del Rioans awaited its arrival, and the float moved along U.S. Highway 90, then went up Bedell Avenue, circled around town and made its way into south Del Rio to Brown Plaza.
Brown Plaza Association Treasurer Dolores Martinez said thanked the organization’s vendors and sponsors, including the city of Del Rio, for helping them get to San Antonio. She said they hope to go back next year and were told by parade organizers that they want Del Rio to return in 2025.
“We met many individuals from Florida, New York, from all over the United States, and San Antonio opened up those doors for us,” Delores Martinez said. “We came through with it, and (people) were yelling and screaming when we were passing by.”
According to the Fiesta Flambeau Parade website, the parade is considered the premier event of the 11 days of the annual Fiesta San Antonio, a huge celebration of the city’s rich and diverse heritage. The parade travels through downtown San Antonio and is broadcast and live-streamed for millions to watch.
Members of the Brown Plaza Association went to San Antonio to be part of the parade along with some of the 2023 winners of several pageants sponsored by the association over the year, including Miss Cinco de Mayo Natalia Sandoval, Miss Cinco de Mayo Teen Karyme Valencia, Honorary Miss Señora Cinco de Mayo Esme Meza, Miss 16 De Septiembre Christi Colunga and Miss Fiesta Rae Valencia. Little Miss Cinco De Mayo Izabella Fuentes was also able to be on the float when it arrived in Del Rio.
Transporting the float to and from San Antonio and driving the float in the parade was Jose Maria Martinez.
