Charro Days
Encyclopedia
Charro Days, also known as Charro Days Fiesta or Charro Days Festival, is two-nation fiesta
and an annual four-day pre-Lenten celebration held in Brownsville, Texas
, United States
in cooperation with Matamoros, Tamaulipas
, Mexico
. The grito
—a joyous Mexican shout—opens the festivities every year. This festival is a shared heritage celebration between the two border cities of Brownsville, Texas
and Matamoros, Tamaulipas
. Th Charro Days festivals usually have about 50,000 attendants each year. This festival is similar to the Sombrero Festival
, the Matamoros version of the Charro Days.
The festival was first organized and celebrated 1937 by the Brownsville Chamber of Commerce to recognize Mexican culture and honor the charros, or the "dashing Mexican gentlemen cowboys." In addition, it is mentioned in the official webpage that the Charro Days festival was also created to bring people together during the effects of the Great Depression
. Although not proven, it is rumored that the first “unofficial” Charro Days was realized in the early to mid-1800s
, when people from the city of Brownsville, Texas
and Matamoros, Tamaulipas
, just across the Rio Grande River in Mexico
, came together to celebrate a cooperative cultural festival to honor the two nations.
The four-day festival has daily parades, food stands and music, people dancing in the street, boat races, fireworks, bull fights, and a rodeo in Brownsville and in its sister city of Matamoros. Men, for the most part, wear traditional Mexican costumes—whether its the charro
costume or a cowboy
one—while women wear the colorful Huipil
costume.
Mr. Amigo Association, an organization that works for the friendly relationship with Matamoros, Tamaulipas, Mexico
and Brownsville, Texas, United States
and to preserve the Charro Days and Sombrero Festival
celebrations, became a part of Charro Days in 1967. Sombrero Fest
, a three-day Washington Park street party with popular rock, country and Tejano performers, was added in 1986. Moreover, it is worth mentioning that the first president of the Mr. Amigo Association was the former president
of Mexico
, Miguel Alemán Valdés
.
During the creation of NAFTA agreement in 1988-1989, Congressman Solomon Ortiz
presented the Mr. Amigo Association with the Mr. Amigo Review Award for the distinction of being one of the first organizations to extend friendship and mutual understanding between the United States
and Mexico
. The Mr. Amigo Review Award remains on exhibit at the Library of Congress
in Washington, D.C.
as a model of bi-national friendliness between these two countries.
Fiesta
Fiesta, a Spanish word that means "party", "feast" or "festival", may refer to:-Film:*Fiesta , a 1941 American film directed by LeRoy Prinz*Fiesta , a 1947 MGM film starring Esther Williams and Ricardo Montalbán-Music:...
and an annual four-day pre-Lenten celebration held in Brownsville, Texas
Brownsville, Texas
Brownsville is a city in the southernmost tip of the state of Texas, in the United States. It is located on the northern bank of the Rio Grande, directly north and across the border from Matamoros, Tamaulipas, Mexico. Brownsville is the 16th largest city in the state of Texas with a population of...
, United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
in cooperation with Matamoros, Tamaulipas
Matamoros, Tamaulipas
Matamoros, officially known as Heroica Matamoros, is a city in the northeastern part of Tamaulipas, in the country of Mexico. It is located on the southern bank of the Rio Grande, directly across the border from Brownsville, Texas, in the United States. Matamoros is the second largest and second...
, Mexico
Mexico
The United Mexican States , commonly known as Mexico , is a federal constitutional republic in North America. It is bordered on the north by the United States; on the south and west by the Pacific Ocean; on the southeast by Guatemala, Belize, and the Caribbean Sea; and on the east by the Gulf of...
. The grito
Grito Mexicano
Grito Mexicano , or simply grito, is a part of Mexican culture. It is similar to the yahoo or yeehaw of the American cowboy during a hoedown, except with added trills and an onomatopoeia closer to "aaah" or "aaayyyeee". The first sound is typically held as long as possible, leaving enough breath...
—a joyous Mexican shout—opens the festivities every year. This festival is a shared heritage celebration between the two border cities of Brownsville, Texas
Brownsville, Texas
Brownsville is a city in the southernmost tip of the state of Texas, in the United States. It is located on the northern bank of the Rio Grande, directly north and across the border from Matamoros, Tamaulipas, Mexico. Brownsville is the 16th largest city in the state of Texas with a population of...
and Matamoros, Tamaulipas
Matamoros, Tamaulipas
Matamoros, officially known as Heroica Matamoros, is a city in the northeastern part of Tamaulipas, in the country of Mexico. It is located on the southern bank of the Rio Grande, directly across the border from Brownsville, Texas, in the United States. Matamoros is the second largest and second...
. Th Charro Days festivals usually have about 50,000 attendants each year. This festival is similar to the Sombrero Festival
Sombrero Festival
Sombrero Festival, also known as Sombrero Fest, is a two-nation fiesta and an annual four-day pre-Lenten celebration held in Matamoros, Tamaulipas, Mexico, in cooperation with Brownsville, Texas, United States. The grito—a joyous Mexican shout—opens the festivities every year...
, the Matamoros version of the Charro Days.
The festival was first organized and celebrated 1937 by the Brownsville Chamber of Commerce to recognize Mexican culture and honor the charros, or the "dashing Mexican gentlemen cowboys." In addition, it is mentioned in the official webpage that the Charro Days festival was also created to bring people together during the effects of the Great Depression
Great Depression
The Great Depression was a severe worldwide economic depression in the decade preceding World War II. The timing of the Great Depression varied across nations, but in most countries it started in about 1929 and lasted until the late 1930s or early 1940s...
. Although not proven, it is rumored that the first “unofficial” Charro Days was realized in the early to mid-1800s
19th century
The 19th century was a period in history marked by the collapse of the Spanish, Portuguese, Chinese, Holy Roman and Mughal empires...
, when people from the city of Brownsville, Texas
Brownsville, Texas
Brownsville is a city in the southernmost tip of the state of Texas, in the United States. It is located on the northern bank of the Rio Grande, directly north and across the border from Matamoros, Tamaulipas, Mexico. Brownsville is the 16th largest city in the state of Texas with a population of...
and Matamoros, Tamaulipas
Matamoros, Tamaulipas
Matamoros, officially known as Heroica Matamoros, is a city in the northeastern part of Tamaulipas, in the country of Mexico. It is located on the southern bank of the Rio Grande, directly across the border from Brownsville, Texas, in the United States. Matamoros is the second largest and second...
, just across the Rio Grande River in Mexico
Mexico
The United Mexican States , commonly known as Mexico , is a federal constitutional republic in North America. It is bordered on the north by the United States; on the south and west by the Pacific Ocean; on the southeast by Guatemala, Belize, and the Caribbean Sea; and on the east by the Gulf of...
, came together to celebrate a cooperative cultural festival to honor the two nations.
The four-day festival has daily parades, food stands and music, people dancing in the street, boat races, fireworks, bull fights, and a rodeo in Brownsville and in its sister city of Matamoros. Men, for the most part, wear traditional Mexican costumes—whether its the charro
Charro
Charro is a term referring to a traditional horseman from Mexico, originating in the central-western regions primarily in the state of Jalisco including: Zacatecas, Durango, Guanajuato, Morelos, Puebla...
costume or a cowboy
Cowboy
A cowboy is an animal herder who tends cattle on ranches in North America, traditionally on horseback, and often performs a multitude of other ranch-related tasks. The historic American cowboy of the late 19th century arose from the vaquero traditions of northern Mexico and became a figure of...
one—while women wear the colorful Huipil
Huipíl
A huipil is a form of Maya textile and tunic or blouse worn by indigenous Mayan, Zapotec, and other women in central to southern Mexico, Guatemala, Belize, El Salvador, and western Honduras, in the northern part of Central America. Some are also worn by men, particularly in Guatemala...
costume.
Mr. Amigo Association, an organization that works for the friendly relationship with Matamoros, Tamaulipas, Mexico
Matamoros, Tamaulipas
Matamoros, officially known as Heroica Matamoros, is a city in the northeastern part of Tamaulipas, in the country of Mexico. It is located on the southern bank of the Rio Grande, directly across the border from Brownsville, Texas, in the United States. Matamoros is the second largest and second...
and Brownsville, Texas, United States
Brownsville, Texas
Brownsville is a city in the southernmost tip of the state of Texas, in the United States. It is located on the northern bank of the Rio Grande, directly north and across the border from Matamoros, Tamaulipas, Mexico. Brownsville is the 16th largest city in the state of Texas with a population of...
and to preserve the Charro Days and Sombrero Festival
Sombrero Festival
Sombrero Festival, also known as Sombrero Fest, is a two-nation fiesta and an annual four-day pre-Lenten celebration held in Matamoros, Tamaulipas, Mexico, in cooperation with Brownsville, Texas, United States. The grito—a joyous Mexican shout—opens the festivities every year...
celebrations, became a part of Charro Days in 1967. Sombrero Fest
Sombrero Festival
Sombrero Festival, also known as Sombrero Fest, is a two-nation fiesta and an annual four-day pre-Lenten celebration held in Matamoros, Tamaulipas, Mexico, in cooperation with Brownsville, Texas, United States. The grito—a joyous Mexican shout—opens the festivities every year...
, a three-day Washington Park street party with popular rock, country and Tejano performers, was added in 1986. Moreover, it is worth mentioning that the first president of the Mr. Amigo Association was the former president
President of Mexico
The President of the United Mexican States is the head of state and government of Mexico. Under the Constitution, the president is also the Supreme Commander of the Mexican armed forces...
of Mexico
Mexico
The United Mexican States , commonly known as Mexico , is a federal constitutional republic in North America. It is bordered on the north by the United States; on the south and west by the Pacific Ocean; on the southeast by Guatemala, Belize, and the Caribbean Sea; and on the east by the Gulf of...
, Miguel Alemán Valdés
Miguel Alemán Valdés
Miguel Alemán Valdés served as the President of Mexico from 1946 to 1952.-Life:Alemán was born in Sayula in the state of Veracruz as the son of General Miguel Alemán González and Tomasa Valdés Ledezma...
.
During the creation of NAFTA agreement in 1988-1989, Congressman Solomon Ortiz
Solomon P. Ortiz
Solomon Porfirio Ortiz is the former U.S. Representative for , serving from 1983 until 2011. He is a member of the Democratic Party. The district is based in Corpus Christi...
presented the Mr. Amigo Association with the Mr. Amigo Review Award for the distinction of being one of the first organizations to extend friendship and mutual understanding between the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
and Mexico
Mexico
The United Mexican States , commonly known as Mexico , is a federal constitutional republic in North America. It is bordered on the north by the United States; on the south and west by the Pacific Ocean; on the southeast by Guatemala, Belize, and the Caribbean Sea; and on the east by the Gulf of...
. The Mr. Amigo Review Award remains on exhibit at the Library of Congress
Library of Congress
The Library of Congress is the research library of the United States Congress, de facto national library of the United States, and the oldest federal cultural institution in the United States. Located in three buildings in Washington, D.C., it is the largest library in the world by shelf space and...
in Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C., formally the District of Columbia and commonly referred to as Washington, "the District", or simply D.C., is the capital of the United States. On July 16, 1790, the United States Congress approved the creation of a permanent national capital as permitted by the U.S. Constitution....
as a model of bi-national friendliness between these two countries.