Rosemary Wells, the creator of the ever-popular Max & Ruby children’s show and books, will present at the McAllen Public Library on Jan. 10 to more than 600 school children from throughout the Rio Grande Valley. Classes were selected based on teacher video submissions telling why their students should meet the author and illustrator. Public event Jan. 11 The public may also attend a special event, “Read to Your Bunny,”…
On Dec. 7, the Ryan and Brian Real Estate Team hosted its annual Christmas drive “Operation Christmas.” This year, the team decided to team with 5×5 Brewing Co. to host the event. During the celebration, the team accepted brand new unwrapped toy and/or a $10 donation. The event this year was in honor of Heroes on the Water. The veteran’s charity serves veterans, active-duty, first responders and their families through…
On Dec. 7, the City of McAllen held its annual McAllen Holiday Parade, the largest illuminated holiday parade in Texas. Presented by H-E-B, the parade featured 39 giant balloons and 55 illuminated floats all set to celebrate McAllen as the official South Pole of Texas. The parade began at the McAllen Veterans Memorial Stadium with a route following Bicentennial towards Business 83. Parade viewing was free along the route, with…
Who says it doesn’t snow in McAllen? Actually, thanks to Peerless Production Group and the City of McAllen, expect to hear, “Let it snow, let it snow, let it snow” now through Jan. 6. In fact, due to this sudden change in Valley precipitation, city leaders have dubbed McAllen “The Official South Pole of Texas.” It will be so cold in McAllen, they will be using the Spanish word, “FRIO!” …
The initial vision of the McAllen Holiday Parade sounded rather modest to McAllen Mayor Jim Darling. Growing up in Rochester, NY, Darling dreamed of going to the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade. He never made it to the big parade in New York City, saying his parents couldn’t afford to make the trip. The City of McAllen decided six years ago that it would launch a Christmas parade. The mayor then…
Colorful objects flying above the sandy beaches often greet South Padre Island visitors and residents. Some look rather weird like a giant pink octopus with undulated tentacles. Others are of fish species, medusas, turtles, purple frogs and even patriotic themes. The potpourri of these flying objects are actually kites people enjoy and fly as a hobby practically all year around. Remember the boxed- or diamond-shaped kites of yesterday flown with…
Imagine being in a winter wonderland with snow surrounding you. You can also see Christmas characters, homes and businesses with various holiday decorations. Even Santa Claus is waving at passerbys. Better yet – imagine seeing all that without going to the coldest places of the United States or to the North Pole during this time of year. Well, imagine no more. Brownsville’s Dean Porter Park currently has all of that in…
The Weslaco Area Chamber of Commerce Ambassadors held its first-quarter meeting at Don Pedro’s Restaurant in Weslaco on Nov. 6. Here, Daryl Smith of Smith Security Group was elected to continue as Ambassador chairman. With the election, Maria Belmares of Designer Zoo Closet Exchange and Laura Lopez of LaserLux are now Ambassador chair-elect and Ambassador captain, respectively. The Weslaco Area Chamber Ambassadors are a highly visible group of volunteers who…
Kicking off the Weslaco 100 celebration on Dec. 6 is the Century Leader Luncheon from 11:30 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the Knapp Medical Center Conference Center. Ray Perryman will serve as the keynote speaker. Perryman, the unofficial Texas economist with a sense of humor, is the president and CEO of The Perryman Group, an economic research and analysis firm based in Waco. His firm’s more than 2,000 clients since inception…
The halls of the International Museum of Art & Science are heavy with anticipation for the annual exhibition of community-decorated Christmas trees. The IMAS Christmas Tree Forest is a five-decade tradition originating shortly after the opening of the 53-year-old museum. This annual holiday event is the brainchild of the IMAS Guild. It began the tradition of organizing community entries featuring a unique tree resplendent with hand-made ornaments and decorations showcasing…