One of Steve Valdez’s primary goals in leading the Weslaco Economic Development Corporation was to make it “a data-driven organization.” Valdez took the EDC’s helm in 2021. In the years since, Weslaco has continued its steady and sure growth in reaching higher levels of growth. The data Valdez speaks of shows the recording of some new high-water marks in 2024. Weslaco generated over $1 billion in taxable sales for the…
Flying kites on the beach can bring a sense of wonderment in looking up and seeing your handmade craft sway with the gusty seaside winds. Susie and Bill Doan are Ohio natives and kite aficionados who during visits to the South Padre Island became smitten with the beach. In their late 40s, the couple moved to the Island and turned a hobby into a business. B&S Kites opened in 1998.…
Kristyna Mancias spent eight years at the McAllen Parks and Recreation Department in seeing the impact a range of events can have on a city. Her last job in McAllen was superintendent of athletics of the city’s park and recreation department. In June 2023, Mancias decided to make the move to run and manage her own department as the city of Elsa’s director of recreation and communications. It represented a…
A school district that began in 1964 as a rehabilitation facility and today has career and technical campuses across two counties is celebrating its 60th anniversary. The South Texas Independent School District is based in Mercedes – the city where it got started – and grown far beyond its original mission. In the mid-1980s, the district opened South Texas High School for Health Professions (Med High). It was the first…
A 10K race that started in the early 1980s as a way to honor a beloved school teacher and running advocate in Edinburg has gone from lean beginnings to an event that attracts over 10,000 participants. The namesake of the David Chavana 10K Run/Walk has called the event and others connected to it as being a “big time race for a small town.” Organizing the yearly event in early February…
Edinburg’s opening of its new Arts & Cultural Events Center marks a new commitment by the community to build upon its “city of festivals” designation. The 36,000-square-foot facility was opened with much fanfare in late 2024. Having such a downtown-area venue to host art exhibits, live performances and community events has long been a dream for Edinburg leaders active in local arts. The Edinburg Arts & Cultural Center is located…
Rebecca Rodriguez describes herself as being a florist – and a farmer. The latter is a distinction well-earned given Rodriguez grows many of the flowers she sells at her shop in Harlingen. Rodriguez tills the soil and grows an array of flowers at a family farm located between Harlingen and Santa Rosa. Her farm-grown flowers include marigolds, zinnias, cosmos and anemones. She refers to the farm-to-shop model as being “sustainably…
The Camille Playhouse in Brownsville has a full season ahead of and is looking to attract more Winter Texans to its community theater. Two plays are in the books and four more are on the way. The next show up is “A Christmas Carol,” which has a run of six shows from Dec. 6 to the 13th. In January, there’s “Oklahoma!” and following in February is “Tartuffe.” The season will…
The McAllen Holiday Parade with its towering balloons and lighted extravaganza of features attracts tens of thousands of spectators. The massive event headlines Christmas celebrations in the city. Yet, there is another holiday event in McAllen that quietly but surely has developed a following of its own. The South Pole Illuminated Festival, with its month-long run on the grounds of the McAllen Convention Center, now attracts 128,000 visitors annually. It…
The facts and figures of the Winter Texan industry in the Rio Grande Valley are well-researched with data and statistics released every few years to gauge where things stand. The latest figures from the UTRGV Business and Tourism Research Center show there are just under 100,000 Winter Texans in the region. They provide a nearly $2 billion economic impact and support 10,000 jobs in the Valley. What can go unnoticed…