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    Parade Interrupted

    Houston Holiday Parade floats already dumped in a fire sale: This tradition's quietly been in longtime jeopardy

    Joel Luks
    Aug 8, 2013 | 6:32 pm

    Frosty The Snowman doesn't exist and the annual Holiday Parade that sashays through downtown Houston during Thanksgiving is at risk of fading away into thin air.

    The latter is the type of news that awakens residents from a make-believe slumber in which big presentations such as this 63-year-old tradition magically happen on their own — but they don't. The Houston Festival Foundation, the nonprofit that hosts the Houston International Festival known as iFest, bore the responsibility for the parade's execution for the last 15 years.

    As a consequence of financial difficulties brought on by the lack of sponsorships dollars for the parade for the last three years, Kim Stoilis, president and CEO of the foundation, publicly revealed that her organization will terminate the production of the free, family friendly procession that last year was enjoyed by an estimated 400,000 Houstonians and was broadcast in Dallas, San Antonio and Austin to a viewership of close to two million.

    The notification may have come as a surprise to many, although Stoilis says she informed her presenting partners, stakeholders and city officials in January in hopes of finding another home for the display whose budget, on the high side, totaled upwards of $500,000.

    All of the parade's assets, floats included — valued at $90,000 — have already been bought for $30,000 by the City of Hidalgo, Texas, which holds a similar event. The sale put an end to warehouse storage costs for the Houston Festival Foundation. Stoilis says earlier attempts to place the floats with local groups like the Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo and Uptown Houston District were unsuccessful.

    "When I was hired two years ago, the Houston Festival Foundation was operating in a deficit," Stoilis tells CultureMap. "There was an interim year between my predecessor and myself in the executive director position. The organization depended substantially on lines of credit that remain outstanding from years past."

    "The parade didn't fit our mission — and I don't know how many people associated the parade with us."

    The decision to proceed with iFest rather than the Thanksgiving Day parade is critical for the Houston International Foundation to achieve financial solvency while, at the same time, aligning faithfully to the foundation's mission, Stoilis maintains.

    "Nonprofits get in trouble when they stray from their missions," she says. "Concentrating on the festival (iFest), which generates revenue, and (iFest's) educational programs was part of a larger strategic plan to be on a earnest path back to financial recovery.

    "The parade didn't fit our mission — and I don't know how many people associated the parade with us."

    Major benefactors of the parade have included Wells Fargo, IKEA and KHOU Ch. 11. Foley's was the inaugural title sponsor for the 1949 introductory parade. It was known as the Foley's Thanksgiving Day Parade for 44 years.

    When Foley's was purchased by Macy's, the parade lost its major, longtime backer. Corporate entities such as H-E-B, Bank United and Washington Mutual have served as title underwriters in the past.

    "Houston is home to many events and many nonprofit groups," Stoilis says. "Over time applicants for grants have grown exponentially. As businesses scale down, so do their donations — and that trickles down to events like the parade, which hasn't received enough private funding."

    The parade was handed down to the Houston Festival Foundation from the Houston Downtown Management District 15 years ago, Stoilis says. Since then, the Houston Festival Foundation has invested more than $300,000 in the parade, mainly in new signature floats designed by international artists. In order to cut the budget, pageant wagons were "recycled" and "upcycled" in place of commissioning freshly decorated platforms.

    When the foundation resolved to no longer mount the parade, in essence downsizing from two principal yearly events to one, Stoilis further eliminated administrative positions in a round of layoffs that saw special events manager Paul Pettie and development coordinator Sean Boyd lose their jobs.

    "I am certain today's news has many asking what happens now. I personally want to see it continue."

    Stoilis says that conversations with the City of Houston and the Houston Downtown Management District to locate a substitute presenter for the parade started in January, although no agreements have been reached so far. A meeting in Mayor Annise Parker's office on Monday included discussions with H-E-B and the Houston Downtown Management District, centering on the idea that they might consider taking over the parade.

    "The parade is a tradition that has been enjoyed by thousands who come downtown to experience it in person and by a large television audience that reaches far beyond Houston," Parker said in a statement. "I am certain today's news has many asking what happens now. I personally want to see it continue."

    "We didn't always produce the parade, and I don't think we are going to be the last," Stoilis says.

    Will someone/something come to the rescue? Holiday pixie dust won't do it — unless it morphs into hard cash.

    Kim Stoilis, executive director of the Houston Festival Foundation.

    News_Kim Stoilis_Bayou City Arts Festival
      
    Photo by Anthony Rathbun
    Kim Stoilis, executive director of the Houston Festival Foundation.
    unspecified
    news/city-life

    flag-waving news

    Texas drops on new list of most patriotic states in U.S.

    Amber Heckler
    Jun 19, 2025 | 3:30 pm
    American flag, Texas flag, patriotism
    Photo by Ray Shrewsberry on Unsplash
    Texas ranked a dismal No. 45 this year after previously ranking as the 36th most patriotic state in 2024.

    This may come as a surprise for many Texans, but the Lone Star State is far from being the most patriotic place in America, according to a new report.

    WalletHub's latest study ranking the "Most Patriotic States in America" for 2025 placed Texas near the bottom of the list as No. 45, marking a significant nine-place drop from its rank as the 36th most patriotic state in 2024.

    According to the findings, the three most patriotic states in America are Virginia (No. 1), Montana (No. 2), and Vermont (No. 3). Colorado (No. 4) and Oregon (No. 5) round out the top five most passionate, flag-waving states in 2025.

    Texas flopped toward the bottom mainly due to its civic engagement rank (No. 47), but it did perform fairly well in the military engagement category (No. 13).

    Texas has the third-highest average number of military enlistees, the report found, but it had the second-lowest percentage of adults who voted in the 2024 presidential election.

    WalletHub analyst Chip Lupo said patriotism can't be defined by geographic region or by which states fly the most American flags. Rather, true patriotism can be found in states with high voter turnouts, high volunteer rates, and more.

    “The most patriotic states have a lot of residents who serve or have served in the armed forces, high voter turnouts during elections, and a high share of the population volunteering with national or local organizations," Lupo said.

    States like Virginia and Montana ranked at the top of the list due to their high voter turnout rates during the 2024 presidential election, plus high volunteer rates in local or national organizations. Virginia is also home to the third-highest population of active-duty military personnel per 100,000 civilians, and there are 27 military bases in the state.

    The report further acknowledges that many Americans may not be feeling very patriotic this year because of "societal issues" that span from "relentless high inflation" to tragedies like mass shootings.

    "Many people may find it hard to celebrate a country where countless people are struggling and frequent violence persists," the report's author wrote. "However, an expression of love for fellow citizens is patriotic in itself."

    Joining Texas among the least patriotic American states are Florida (No. 46), Alabama (No. 47), Louisiana (No. 48), New York (No. 49), and Arkansas (No. 50).

    The top 10 most patriotic states in America are:

    • No. 1 – Virginia
    • No. 2 – Montana
    • No. 3 – Vermont
    • No. 4 – Colorado
    • No. 5 – Oregon
    • No. 6 – Washington
    • No. 7 – North Dakota
    • No. 8 – Maryland
    • No. 9 – Minnesota
    • No. 10 – New Hampshire
    The report analyzed all 50 states across 13 "indicators of patriotism" based on military and civic engagement, including factors such as the rate of veterans living in each state for every 1,000 civilians; the share of adults who voted in the 2024 presidential election and the 2020 primary elections; the number of AmeriCorps volunteers per capita, and more.
    texaswallethubreportspatriotism
    news/city-life
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