Charro Days is officially underway and has brought downtown Brownsville to life with large crowds expected throughout the weekend.

The celebration honors the binational heritage of the sister cities of Brownsville and Matamoros.

Organizers expect about 72,000 people to attend Sombrero Fest events Thursday, Friday and Saturday.

Large crowds are also expected for the Grand International Parade, which is expected to draw a crowd of 20,000 people for Saturday alone.

Local businesses are hoping to see a boost from the weekend festivities.

Officials said the weekend festivities will provide an economic impact of at least $1.5 million.

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