Youth Parade draws thousands

Daniel Olivares looked on Thursday afternoon as fellow students from Garden Park Elementary began to dance during the 71st annual Charro Days Youth Parade.

It wasn’t too long before Olivares was in the parade too, marching down Elizabeth Street to the sounds of cumbias.

“I like it when my school comes out,” the fifth-grader said. “I’ve been in it (since) I was 7-years-old.”

Olivares looks forward to joining the band next year, when he goes to middle school.

“I want to play the drums,” he said. “I want to join the band.”

Hundreds of the attendees crowded outside the Charro Days Inc. headquarters to hear Angelica Vale, Mr. Amigo 2007, address the crowd from a platform set up outside

“How are you doing?” she asked, as many in the crowd took pictures of the star with cell phone cameras.

“I’m happy to be here,” Vale said. “You all have treated me so well, let the parade go on, let the party continue.”

More than 80 floats, including eight elementary schools, four middle schools and two high schools, walked, danced, and marched down Elizabeth Street during the parade, which Maria Valdez has attended since her children were young, she said. Even though her children haven’t been in the parade for four years, she continues to go.

“I can’t miss it,” she said. “If I missed it, I wouldn’t feel right. To me Charro Days is the whole thing, not just one parade, but all of them.”

Today’s illuminated parade starts at 6 p.m.