The Washington's Birthday Celebration (WBCA) is an almost month long held event in Laredo

Laredo, Texas

Laredo is the county seat of Webb County, Texas, United States, located on the north bank of the Rio Grande in South Texas, across from Nuevo Laredo, Tamaulipas, Mexico. According to the 2010 census, the city population was 236,091 making it the 3rd largest on the United States-Mexican border,...

, the seat of Webb County

Webb County, Texas

Webb County is a county located in the U.S. state of Texas. The official 2010 population for the county is 250,304. In 2000, its population was 193,117, and in 2006 its population had been estimated to have reached to 231,470. Its county seat is Laredo...

 in south Texas

Texas

Texas is the second largest U.S. state by both area and population, and the largest state by area in the contiguous United States.The name, based on the Caddo word "Tejas" meaning "friends" or "allies", was applied by the Spanish to the Caddo themselves and to the region of their settlement in...

, that celebrates George Washington's

George Washington

George Washington was the dominant military and political leader of the new United States of America from 1775 to 1799. He led the American victory over Great Britain in the American Revolutionary War as commander-in-chief of the Continental Army from 1775 to 1783, and presided over the writing of...

 Birthday. It is the largest celebration of its kind in the United States

United States

The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...

 with approximately 400,000 attendees annually. The celebration consists of various festivals; a Society of Martha Washington

Martha Washington

Martha Dandridge Custis Washington was the wife of George Washington, the first president of the United States. Although the title was not coined until after her death, Martha Washington is considered to be the first First Lady of the United States...

 Colonial pageant

Procession

A procession is an organized body of people advancing in a formal or ceremonial manner.-Procession elements:...

 & Ball

Ball (dance)

A ball is a formal dance. The word 'ball' is derived from the Latin word "ballare", meaning 'to dance'; the term also derived into "bailar", which is the Spanish and Portuguese word for dance . In Catalan it is the same word, 'ball', for the dance event.Attendees wear evening attire, which is...

, Princess Pocahontas

Pocahontas

Pocahontas was a Virginia Indian notable for her association with the colonial settlement at Jamestown, Virginia. She was the daughter of Chief Powhatan, the head of a network of tributary tribal nations in Tidewater Virginia...

 Pageant and Ball, parade

Parade

A parade is a procession of people, usually organized along a street, often in costume, and often accompanied by marching bands, floats or sometimes large balloons. Parades are held for a wide range of reasons, but are usually celebrations of some kind...

s, a carnival

Carnival

Carnaval is a festive season which occurs immediately before Lent; the main events are usually during February. Carnaval typically involves a public celebration or parade combining some elements of a circus, mask and public street party...

, an air show

Air show

An air show is an event at which aviators display their flying skills and the capabilities of their aircraft to spectators in aerobatics. Air shows without aerobatic displays, having only aircraft displayed parked on the ground, are called "static air shows"....

, fireworks

Fireworks

Fireworks are a class of explosive pyrotechnic devices used for aesthetic and entertainment purposes. The most common use of a firework is as part of a fireworks display. A fireworks event is a display of the effects produced by firework devices...

, live concerts

Concert

A concert is a live performance before an audience. The performance may be by a single musician, sometimes then called a recital, or by a musical ensemble, such as an orchestra, a choir, or a musical band...

 and a city-wide prom

Prom

In the United States and Canada, a prom, short for promenade, is a formal dance, or gathering of high school students. It is typically held near the end of the senior year. It figures greatly in popular culture and is a major event among high school students...

 during which many of the Laredo elite

Elite

Elite refers to an exceptional or privileged group that wields considerable power within its sphere of influence...

 dress in Colonial attire. One of its main events, the Jalapeño

Jalapeño

The jalapeño is a medium-sized chili pepper that has a warm, burning sensation when eaten. A mature jalapeño fruit is 2–3½ inches long and is commonly picked and consumed while still green, but occasionally it is allowed to fully ripen and turn crimson red...

 Festival, has recently been named one of the United States' top 10 eating festivals.

History

It was founded in 1898 by the Improved Order of Red Men

Improved Order of Red Men

The Improved Order of Red Men traces its origin to certain secret patriotic societies founded before the American Revolution. They were established to promote Liberty and to defy the tyranny of the English Crown. Among the early groups were: The Sons of Liberty, the Sons of St...

, local chapter Yaqui Tribe #59. The first celebration was a phenomenal success and its success and popularity grew rapidly and in 1923 it received its state charter

Charter

A charter is the grant of authority or rights, stating that the granter formally recognizes the prerogative of the recipient to exercise the rights specified...

. In 1924, the Celebration featured its first Colonial Pageant, which featured thirteen young girls from Laredo, representing the thirteen original colonies. The WBCA has become a Laredo institution, with its history closely tied to the history of the community.

A highlight of the festival is the naming of "Mr. South Texas" an honor for a man or a woman. Among those who have received the designation are governors, U.S. representatives, and state legislator. Two generations of the Killam oil family have also been honored, Oliver Winfield Killam

Oliver Winfield Killam

Oliver Winfield Killam, also known as O.W. Killam , was a Texas oilman, a member of both houses of the Oklahoma State Legislature, a prominent civic figure, and a presidential elector in 1956 for the reelection of Dwight D. Eisenhower.-Early years:Killam was one of eight children born to David T....

 in 1956, Radcliffe Killam

Radcliffe Killam

Radcliffe Killam , was a wealthy oilman, rancher, businessman, and philanthropist in Laredo, the seat of Webb County in south Texas. He was a particular benefactor of various educational and medical institutions. In 1997, Worth cited the Killam family as one of the largest landowners in the United...

 in 1978.

Jamboozie

Jamboozie is held in late January in downtown Laredo as part of the Washington Birthday Celebrations. As somewhat of New Orlean's Mardi Gras

Mardi Gras

The terms "Mardi Gras" , "Mardi Gras season", and "Carnival season", in English, refer to events of the Carnival celebrations, beginning on or after Epiphany and culminating on the day before Ash Wednesday...

style, the Jamboozie is known to be a colorful event, with many people dressed in beads and masks and sometimes flamboyant outfits. Besides many concession stands and up to four stages that feature local and regional bands (mostly alternative rock, classic rock and Spanish music), there are also several bars along the proximity that are open.