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Weslaco businesses hoping Stars and Stripes Freedom Festival will bring in more foot traffic

Weslaco businesses hoping Stars and Stripes Freedom Festival will bring in more foot traffic
1 week 3 days 18 hours ago Friday, July 04 2025 Jul 4, 2025 July 04, 2025 6:46 PM July 04, 2025 in News - Local
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The city of Weslaco held their Stars and Stripes Freedom Festival on Friday.

Thousands are expected to attend and with all the extra foot traffic, local businesses along Texas Boulevard are hoping their sales will go up.

"Last year, we had quite a bit of people, probably about 15,000 people, that came to celebrate the 4th of July here in Weslaco, so we hope we have the same response this year," Weslaco Mayor Adrian Gonzalez said.

Businesses along Texas Boulevard are hoping the festivities will bring in more foot traffic.

Fourth of July festivities are happening across the Rio Grande Valley. In Weslaco, the night sky is set to light up with a $50,000 drone show, instead of fireworks. 

"The fireworks are sensitive to our animals and also our veterans. A lot of veterans suffer from PTSD, so we want to be considerate to them," Gonzalez said.

The drone show was paid for by sponsors' donations. Gonzalez says the night's festivities are expected to bring about 15,000 people to the city. 

Indoor Market Owner Leticia Garcia is counting on the city's celebration to bring in more customers, which is why she is staying open later.

"We are hoping the people will come in and see all the vendors, everything that they have and the good prices," Garcia said.

With all the extra people in their city, the Weslaco Police Department is stepping up security.

"W want it to be seen, we want it to be known that we are out here," Weslaco Police Department Spokesperson Heriberto Caraveo said.

Nineteen officers will be stationed at intersections and patrolling the streets of the event.

Channel 5 News got a behind the scenes look at the command unit, where officers are monitoring things on the ground.

"We have approximately 20 cameras throughout the area," Caraveo said. "Just given all the threats that are happening across the country, we are prepared right now. We see it in bigger cities, but we don't take anything lightly."

The drone show is scheduled to start at 9:15 p.m.

Attendees are asked to give themselves enough time to park. Some good parking spots are along city hall and near the First Baptist Church.

Watch the video above for the full story.

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