Washington's Birthday Celebration
Here in Laredo, George Washington’s birthday is more than a day off work. We take the birthday of our first President very seriously-so seriously that we spend the entire month celebrating. We get approximately 400,000 attendees every year, and the festivities go on from mid-January to the end of February.
According to Laredo history, the festival was started by a local Native American society, the Improved Order of the Red Man, over a hundred years ago. The group was looking for a holiday that would encompass the best of all cultures that made up Laredo’s heritage-including Mexican, American and Native American. The first celebration was such a success that in 1923 the Washington’s Birthday Celebration Association (WBCA) was formed to make sure the celebration came back stronger every year. After more than a century, it’s grown into one of the largest festivals of its kind in the country.
Here are a few of the regular highlights you won’t want to miss:
Local music on multiple stages. Throughout the celebration you’ll have the chance to see many local bands playing contemporary and classic rock, Tejano, Spanish pop, Norteno, country, and more. Jam to the tunes and pick up a few CD’s of new favorite bands.
The Society of Martha Washington Colonial Pageant and Ball. A formal pageant showcasing stunning period ball gowns, some worth as much as $30,000. Watch the pageant, then stay for the black-tie ball-a fairy-tale event you won’t want to miss.
The Jalapeno Festival. Throw a bunch of party animals together with some wild and crazy competitive eaters, and the temperature rockets into space. The Jalapeno Festival is a yearly two-day event held during Washington’s Birthday including cook-offs, tasting events, a blind jalapeno-toss, and of course the La Costena Jalapeno Eating Contest.
The Princess Pocahontas Pageant and Ball. The legend behind George Washington’s birthday in Laredo holds that the key to the city was presented to the beautiful Princess Pocahontas after a long battle between settlers and Native Americans in the streets of Laredo. Today, the Princess Pocahontas Pageant showcases beautiful costumes based on Native American traditional dress.
The WBCA Carnival. Complete with Ferris wheel, rides and games, and all the funnel cake you can eat, the Carnival is a popular attraction that’s fun for the whole family.
The Stars and Stripes Air Show. Every year precision pilot teams and paratroopers put on a death-defying air show to the amazement of onlookers. You’ll get an up-close look at antique and cutting-edge aircraft, plus a chance to watch mid-air stunts that will keep you on the edge of your seat.
And that’s not all. Every year, you’ll find a wide variety of barbeques, luncheons, parties, festivals, food and music events, cocktail events, parades, dance shows, and more during George Washington’s birthday. With all the events going on, it’s too much to write about here-you’ll just have to come down and see for yourself.