CORPUS CHRISTI, Texas — The Buc Days NavyArmy Night Parade came back to life on Saturday as it returned to its pre-pandemic setup.
Although the parade name is different, the fun and excitement were still the same throughout the streets of Corpus Christi.
Vendor Ed Trudell with Hibbert Enterprises Inc. says he prepared to sell souvenirs for the parade all week.
Trudell travels all over the United States selling various items, and says he just wrapped up Fiesta in San Antonio last month.
"I do it for the kids," he said. "I mean, you never know what a kid is going through at home or school, so if I can bring some happiness, I'm all for it."
Raymond Hernandez and his family gathered at the intersection of Blucher Street and N. Staples Street around 3 p.m. on Saturday afternoon.
"I lost count of when we got here because I'm not wearing a watch," Hernandez said. "I'm just here to enjoy my time with my family."
Equipped with lawn chairs, a pop-up canopy for shade, cold drinks, and snacks, the Hernandez family was prepared for one of the city's biggest events of the year.
Dawn Cunningham, an Austin native who recently moved to Corpus Christi, says this will be her first Buc Days parade experience.
"I'm looking forward to seeing Brayden," she said. "He's a friend of ours, and he'll be playing the trombone in the Flour Bluff (Junior High) band."
This year's parade included marching bands, cheerleaders, dance teams, and sports teams from surrounding school districts, as well as various sparkling floats prepared by local businesses and organizations, car clubs, Budweiser Clydesdale horses, and so many others were featured.
The children blowing bubbles and playing football in the street to the food trucks' aroma blowing in the wind reminds you of the essence that only the city of Corpus Christi can deliver.
The 84th Buccaneer Days Carnival and Rodeo are currently underway and will continue until May 15. For more information on next Saturday's children's parade, visit the Buc Days website.
