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R E S O L U T I O N
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WHEREAS, The annual Texas Citrus Fiesta is being held in |
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Mission in January 2017, and this year's celebration represents a |
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special milestone, the 80th time this popular event has taken |
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place; and |
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WHEREAS, The Texas Citrus Fiesta was created in 1932 by Paul |
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Ord and the Young Men's Business League to promote the Rio Grande |
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Valley's burgeoning citrus industry and to showcase the region's |
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abundant winter harvest of grapefruit and oranges; set against the |
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background of citrus groves, that first outdoor festival was themed |
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a "Coronation and Pageant of Citrus," and it featured a parade, a |
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concert, a football game, and the coronation of King Citrus and |
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Queen Citrianna, in addition to other events; and |
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WHEREAS, Apart from a few years during World War II and one |
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year when the crop was damaged by a hurricane, the event has been |
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held annually ever since, and it has grown to encompass a youth show |
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exhibit tent, a fun fair, a vaquero cook-off, and a formal black-tie |
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gala; special highlights include the Parade of Oranges, featuring |
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marching bands, dignitaries, horse riders, and floats covered with |
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citrus and agricultural products, and the coronation of the fiesta |
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royalty; and |
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WHEREAS, Another highly anticipated part of the festival is |
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the Product Costume Show, in which contestants from around the |
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region appear in imaginative outfits decorated with dried, |
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powdered, and crystallized fruits and vegetables grown in the Rio |
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Grande Valley; these remarkable works of art have been displayed at |
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the White House in Washington, D.C., and in the Texas State Capitol |
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in Austin, and they have been featured over the years in newsreels, |
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in Ripley's Believe It Or Not!, and in such magazines as National |
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Geographic, Southern Living, and Texas Monthly; and |
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WHEREAS, For eight decades, the Texas Citrus Fiesta has been |
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a popular celebration of agricultural abundance and vibrant |
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community spirit, and its continuing success is a testament to the |
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commitment, creativity, and pride of the people of Mission and the |
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Rio Grande Valley; now, therefore, be it |
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RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives of the 85th Texas |
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Legislature hereby commemorate the 2017 Texas Citrus Fiesta and |
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extend to its organizers, participants, and guests sincere best |
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wishes as they take part in the 80th celebration of this special |
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event; and, be it further |
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RESOLVED, That an official copy of this resolution be |
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prepared for the Texas Citrus Fiesta as an expression of high regard |
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by the Texas House of Representatives. |