The Washington’s Birthday Celebration Association (WBCA) has selected outstanding community individuals to lead two of Washington’s Birthday Celebration’s most traditional and time-honored events; the IBC Youth Parade Under the Stars and the Anheuser-Busch Washington’s Birthday Parade.
The WBCA is proud to announce that our very own Medical Personnel will serve as the 2022 Parade Marshals for the Anheuser-Busch Washington’s Birthday Parade. Receiving the honor for the IBC Youth Parade Under the Stars will be our First Responders.
“Mere words cannot express the tremendous gratitude and appreciation we hold for all of Laredo’s Medical Personnel and First Responders during these incredibly difficult and trying times. This is a well-deserved tribute for what they have done in helping our incredibly resilient City pull through these difficult times. I couldn’t be happier with the selection of our Parade Marshals,” WBCA President Natalie Hernandez said.
The IBC Youth Parade Under the Stars, takes place Thursday, Feb. 17, at 6 p.m. The Anheuser-Busch Washington’s Birthday Parade, will be held Saturday, Feb. 19, at 9 a.m., both follow a route South on San Bernardo Avenue, to the heart of Laredo’s historic downtown district.
The emphasis this year is to pay tribute to our local “Medical Personnel” and although we aim to celebrate all medical personnel across all professions who make a difference every day we could only select a few top organizations to represent the hundreds of deserving individuals in Laredo and thousands more throughout the Country. We will be featuring representatives from Doctors Hospital of Laredo, the Laredo Medical Center and Laredo Specialty Hospital to serve as this year’s honorees. As parade Marshals, the designated representatives will serve as official WBCA Ambassadors. On the day of the Parade, the Parade Marshals and their respective groups will lead more than 200 entries that participate in this grand event each year.
“Honoring our Medical Personnel and First Responders as the 2022 Anheuser-Busch Washington’s Birthday Parade Marshals for their noble work that they do for us every day and especially throughout the pandemic is just a minor token of our appreciation for the real fact that they risk their lives every day to protect ours. They are our real heroes,” Steve LaMantia Vice President of L&F Distributors said.
The Anheuser-Busch Washington’s Birthday Parade will take place on Saturday, February 17, 2022. Referred to as the “crown jewel” of the Celebration, this international parade is led by the ever-popular Anheuser-Busch Clydesdales and features dazzling floats from all over South Texas. During this parade, Princess Pocahontas is presented with a key to the City by the Mayor of Laredo; the Society of Martha Washington debutantes display their beautifully beaded, glittering gowns; and bands, marching units, clowns, and dance teams perform for the crowds making this a truly unforgettable event.
Our “First Responders” will serve as our honorees and lead the IBC Youth Parade Under the Stars, which serves as a prelude to the Anheuser-Busch Washington’s Birthday Parade. Join us as we honor and pay tribute to a multitude of heroes who continuously shine the brightest during Laredo/Webb County’s darkest hours. The parade will be featuring representatives from the Webb County Sheriff’s Office, the City of Laredo Police Department, and the City of Laredo Fire Department. On the day of the Parade Marshals and their respective units, will lead more than 150 entries that participate in this grand event each year.
“IBC Bank is proud to be celebrating 25 years as sponsor of the Youth Parade Under the Stars and what better way to commemorate this anniversary than to have our First Responders as Parade Marshals. The brave men and women who protect us on a daily basis deserve this tribute and much more. This is a great way to say ‘thank you’ and ‘we are proud of you.’ This is a special year indeed,” Senior Vice-President of IBC Gabriel Castillo said.
The IBC Youth Parade Under the Stars is scheduled to take place on Thursday, February 17, 2022. This illuminated evening parade highlights talented youth as they promenade over the streets of Downtown Laredo and entertain the crowds with their dance routines, marching units, and fully decorated floats.
Both parades will be sharing the same unifying theme this year: “To Future Generations.”
Energy pulsates through the streets of Laredo with this year’s parade theme To Future Generations. Spark your imagination and take the time to light up the Celebration with your most creative and colorful designs and pay tribute to all the incredible courage displayed by a multitude of heroes from all professions and all walks of life. Never has the famous saying “not all heroes wear capes” rang as true as it has in our darkest hour. A beacon of light shown in the most unexpected places to instill hope in each and every one of us, encouraging us to live and thrive. We want to highlight all we are grateful for and all we cherish and love about our great nation and the world around us; and, we hope you can capture some of that magic with your incredible and elaborate creations. Show the many colorful reasons we have to celebrate life, celebrate traditions, and celebrate each other as we keep moving forward and pave the way for new beginnings with a grand toast To Future Generations!
Throughout the years, the Celebration has grown to be over a month-long and consists of parades, dazzling pageants, fireworks, a carnival, an air show, a sizzling jalapeño festival, and much more. Combined, WBCA events attract nearly 500,000 residents and visitors and contribute an estimated $14 million every year to the local economy.
The 124th Washington’s Birthday Celebration takes place January 20 – February 27, 2022.
