Parade brings out Mexican dancers, charros on horseback and infantry band (+video)

For nearly two hours on Sunday, people packed both the east and west sides of Broadway from Central to 21st Street, waiting for the parade.

Fifteen minutes before the first steps were taken, Wichita police blocked off the streets intersecting with Broadway.

In the traffic-free street, a boy kicked a soccer ball into the heart of Broadway waiting for the parade. Families lined the streets. Vendors sold corn on the cob. In the distance, drums could be heard.

“We try to organize our parade immediately after the parade (for the next year); the thing is, a lot of times it is all done within the last two minutes right before the parade,” said Maribel Rodriguez, parish secretary for Our Lady of Perpetual Help Church. “A lot of times we are running around being like we need to do this, this and this.”

The parade, part of the Our Lady of Guadalupe festival, on Sunday drew several thousand spectators along the route from Central and Topeka north on Broadway to 21st Street and then to Market in front of Our Lady of Perpetual Help at 23rd and Market.

It is considered one of the largest parades held each year in Wichita and has been an annual tradition for the past 15 years.

The parade featured 14 dance groups, 12 floats and the 1st Infantry Division Band and color guard from Fort Riley. There were also more than 60 Mexican charros on horseback.

“It went as perfectly as could be,” Rodriguez said. “I was there when it started and at the end.”

The parade started at 1:30 p.m. at Central and Main and finished at 4:15 p.m. at Our Lady of Perpetual Help. Mass continued Sunday in a large tent as the sun began to set.

The festival honoring Our Lady of Guadelupe is observed Dec. 3 through Dec. 12. Novenas will be said each day, and there will be food sales, dances, a concert and a talent show, Rodriguez said.

“Our Lady of Guadelupe is important to many Mexicans,” Rodriguez said. “She is the patron saint of Mexico. But there are many different nationalities of Central America that also participate in our parade; a lot of youth participate.”

Several of the local dance groups were from Our Lady of Perpetual Help, St. Patrick’s and St. Margaret Mary Catholic churches.

According to Catholic teachings, on Dec. 9, 1531, the Virgin Mary appeared to convert Juan Diego as he was headed to Tlatelolco to attend a class and hear Mass. She appeared five times before him, the last time on Dec. 12.

“There is a big devotion to Our Lady of Guadalupe, because she appeared there right by Mexico City and so there is a large population of Mexicans here that come together and celebrate the 10 days leading up to the 12th,” said Jesse Bergkamp, a parishioner at Our Lady of Perpetual Help. “This is a way of showing devotion and reverence but also of building community and coming together to share talent.”

Each year’s celebration is different, Bergkamp said.

“I want to say everyone turns out,” he said. “It’s people who are not just Catholic but others. It brings cultures together, and there’s a lot of people who watch along the way. It’s like Riverfest in that people want to see what’s going on. It’s something different and entertainment all around.”

This story was originally published December 6, 2015 at 6:24 PM with the headline "Parade brings out Mexican dancers, charros on horseback and infantry band (+video)."