Fiesta Bowl parade steps out for 50th year to honor homegrown legends
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For Marlene Martinez, Saturday's Fiesta Bowl Parade had it all.
There was culture, politics, history and bands. And, of course, her daughter dancing with the Ballet Folklorico de Santa Maria as the Vrbo Fiesta Bowl Parade presented by Lerner & Rowe stairstepped through central Phoenix.
"I loved the diversity I saw in the parade," Martinez said, still bundled up against the early morning cold in flannel pants and heavy jacket. "It was awesome."
From Native American dancers to a float honoring former Gov. Rose Mofford to the Catalina High School band ("jaw-dropping"), Martinez declared the 50th annual parade an all-around success.
Like hundreds of others, she and her family and friends were up and out early. Their strategy to counteract the chilly weather (temperatures were in the mid-30 degree range) was simple: layers of clothes and sitting in the sun.
"But that kind of backfired because we sat in the shade," she said with a laugh. By midmorning, the sun had warmed the throngs of people lining the parade route; they waved at the parade participants and scrambled for goodies tossed out by Santa Claus, the closing entry in the parade.
The parade theme of "Legends Made Here" featured Phoenix Suns broadcaster Al McCoy as grand marshal. McCoy is the longtime voice of the Phoenix Suns basketball team and a member of the committee that created the Fiesta Bowl football matchup.
Also honored in the parade were former Phoenix Suns forward Dan Majerle, who was part of the 1993 team that went to the NBA finals; businesswoman Barbara Barrett, who served as secretary of the U.S. Air Force from 2019-2021; and skateboarder and Mesa native Jagger Eaton. Eaton won a bronze medal in the 2020 Olympics in the first-ever skateboard competition.
Reach the reporter at maryjo.pitzl@arizonarepublic.com and follow her on Twitter @maryjpitzl.
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This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: Fiesta Bowl Parade marks 50th year with theme of 'Legends Made Here'
