The University of Texas Longhorn Band — known as the Show Band of the Southwest — marched into Fiesta Flambeau with its biggest roster ever: 425 members, all of them hitting the streets of San Antonio.
A tradition like no other
The band has built a global reputation over the years, with appearances at the Sugar Bowl, the Houston Rodeo and presidential inaugurations. But for Director Dr. Cliff Croomes, Fiesta Flambeau holds a special place.
“You’ve heard the saying, everything’s bigger in Texas, right? So, we’re just a representation of that. And when we come down the street, we want everybody to know, like the University of Texas is in full effect,” Croomes said.
Croomes has led the band for five years, but his ties to Flambeau run much deeper. A UT alumnus and member of the Class of 2001, he marched these same streets as a student — and later lined them as a high school band director at Douglas MacArthur High School in San Antonio.
“When I was at Mac and it was one of my favorite things, you know, I’d line the students up on the parade route and then I’d sneak off and get a barbacoa and a big red,” he said.
Even then, the magic of the night parade never left him.
“Like the lights and all of the energy, like that night parade, there’s nothing like it. I loved every minute of it,” Croomes said.
Now, he gets to give that same experience to a new generation of Longhorns.
“And to get to give them the experience that I had when I was in school is just a huge honor. And when I see them put on the uniform, you know I feel like I’m helping carry on the tradition,” he said.
Rock stars on the parade route
For many students, marching Flambeau is a first-of-its-kind moment — even if they don’t realize it yet.
“Especially the freshmen, because they don’t know what’s coming, you know, like all the confetti that happens or the cascarones on your head. They don’t know that’s coming and all that stuff just adds to like a really cool experience,” Croomes said.
That reaction from the crowd makes it even more memorable.
“You know, I don’t know if there’s another place in my country where you can have all of these band kids come together. Like before we line up to go on the parade route, we pass through all these high school bands and they just cheer, they’re all like, ‘Oh look, it’s UT, oh my gosh, it’s the Longhorn Band.’ And our students feel like rock stars, and I love watching freshmen see that for the first time because some of them used to be those high school kids,” he said.
A full-circle moment
Drum Major Hailey Hickerson is one of those students. She once marched these same streets with Johnson High School. Now, as a senior, she’s leading the entire parade.
“I just remember thinking like this is the coolest thing ever because I’d never done anything like that and then kind of when I came to UT and realized that we still got to do that I was so excited,” Hickerson said.
She remembers watching the Longhorn Band as a high schooler and dreaming of something more.
“One of the years when we were performing in the parade, I think we were a bit behind the band, but I saw them and I remember thinking, oh my gosh, because the University of Texas was always my dream school and I thought it was just so cool to see them when I was in high school and be like, I want to do that someday and so the fact that I’m here now is just like mind blowing,” she said.
For Hickerson and her fellow seniors, the emotions run high — because Flambeau is always the last major performance of the year.
“It’s kind of our last full band event of the entire year every year. And so all of the seniors who are graduating get super excited for it because it’s their last time being with the band and putting the uniform on and performing. And so it gets kind of like emotional, but everyone’s just there to make memories and have such a good time,” she said.
Croomes knows that feeling well. He tells his students to hold onto every moment in that uniform — because the number of times they’ll wear it is finite.
“And I say, you know, there’s only so many times you’re gonna wear the fringe. You know, so enjoy it every time you put it on,” he said.
“So, when that last time comes, you know, I’ll come and see how they’re doing and they’re most of them are like, ‘Don’t look at me, don’t look at me, I’m trying to hold it together.’ But you know it’s a special moment because they know it is the culmination of their whole Longhorn band career,” Croomes said.