Amigo Man To Represent City As Grand Marshal In Sun Bowl Parade
The City of El Paso was selected by the Sun Bowl Association to be the grand marshal for this year’s Sun Bowl parade, but it won’t be the mayor or a regular El Pasoan sitting in the grand marshal’s car.
Sun Bowl Executive Director Bernie Olivas told ABC-7 this week that an older version of the Amigo Man would represent the city as the grand marshal of the FirstLight Federal Credit Union Sun Bowl Parade during Thursday’s parade.
The Amigo Man was created in 1974 by Gene Strayhan and Clive Cochran as a way to promote El Paso. In 1999, the Amigo Man was replaced by a yucca and Franklin Mountains as a new way to represent and promote the city.
Although the Amigo Man was still the official logo of the city, he was basically in retirement until the El Paso Hotel/Motel Association brought him back in Sept. 2006 to promote the Sun City.
The Sun Bowl parade, with a theme of “Building a Dream,” starts at 10 a.m. Thursday at Montana and Ochoa and follows Montana to Copia.
Tickets for the reviewing stand at First Baptist Church, 805 Montana, are $5 and available at the Sun Bowl Association Office, all Circle K Stores and FirstLight Federal Credit Union branches.
About 100 units including floats, giant helium balloons, equestrian units, clowns, marching bands, drum and bugle corps units from Mexico, royalty, dignitaries, celebrity Grand Marshal, and a wide variety of specialty units from Mexican / Indian dancers to military ceremonial units are expected to be a part of the parade, according to Sun Bowl officials.
