Happy 254th birthday, Don Ignacio de Allende y Unzaga, Lieutenant Colonel of the Insurgent Army and hero of the revolution.

San Miguel de Allende, named in part after its favorite son, has been celebrating all week with music, cultural dances, and more — and today, the annual parade which is a most interesting merger of military might and marching school children. The parade also celebrates first responders, marching bands, the conservation corps, civic leaders, beauty queens, and equestrians.

The parade began around 10:30 a.m. in Centro and wound around the Parroquia and Jardin plaza before dropping down Canal and Zacataros before trudging up the Ancha for a grand finish.

In all, it took about two hours to pass, an impressive display of patriotism and civic pride.

After a concert tonight in the main plaza there will be a massive fireworks display. No celebration would be complete without it.

Enjoy some photos from today’s parade! Click on individual pictures to see a larger version.

What’s a parade without princesses?

Students in school uniforms mixed with marching bands in more fanciful outfits. They marched by the hundreds.

Like every good parade, the horses take up the rear, followed by those unsung heroes — the cleanup crew.

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