THE COASTAL BEND MAGAZINE • March/April 2018 55 TheCoastalBend.com Art & Entertainment Thursday April 26th through Sunday May 12th Buccaneer Days is Corpus Christi’s annual community festival, with roots dat- ing back to 1917’s“Splash Day,”which commemorated the start of the summer season. These days, Buc Days events are attended by over a 100,000 fun lovers from the end of April through mid-May, starting on April 26th with Rodeo Corpus Christi, a Professional Rodeo Cowboys Association event and one of the top 25 rodeos in the United States. Over 500 contestants will compete, including 97 ranked in the world top 20 in their respective events, and over a dozen current or former world champions. On Thursday May 3rd the Buc Days festival officially opens with the Dunking of the Mayor ceremony at 6:00 p.m. at the Corpus Christi Marina and the carnival opens at S. Shoreline Blvd. and Kinney St., in the heart of the Bayfront district. In addition to the carnival’s games and over 50 rides, the festival will feature a petting zoo, pony rides, movies nights, pirate shows and awesome food! Buc Days live music line up includes local and regional acts in R&B, Rock, Country and Tejano music. Buc Days parades are enjoyed by thousands of Corpus Chris- tians who line the streets of downtown to support participating friends and family, and to bond with neighbors and old friends. The big event, the Illumi- nated Night Parade, kicks off at Buc Stadium at 8:00 p.m. on Saturday May 5th. TheBuc Days Junior Parade starts at 11:00 a.m. on Saturday, May 12th. For the 65th year, the elaborate Buc Days Las Donas de la Corte Coronation Pageant will be celebrated in glorious style and stunning beauty on Thursday, May 3rd at the American Bank Center Selena Auditorium. BucDays.com Annual Festival Buccaneer Days and Rodeo Corpus Christi, the Coastal Bend’s biggest annual festival