With the end of summer, the Rio Grande Valley’s big party season begins. Between birthday parties and baptismal celebrations, holidays, football blowouts and bridal showers, fall weekends fill up with convivial gatherings. In fact, Halloween now reportedly ranks second behind Christmas for holiday-sales generation, with 34% attending or hosting a Halloween party (and spending on average $68 on costumes). Whenever the urge to throw a party takes hold, local party…
Hunting season seems to start in the Rio Grande Valley when brothers Justin and Chris Curl put on their annual Texas Hunters and Sportsman Expo. While whitewing dove season officially opens in September, the three-day, mid-July expo ramps up the anticipation for hunters the way that Christmas decorations get kids excited for Santa Claus’ arrival. Hunters begin to prep their gear and consider upgrading to the newest products on the…
As waves splash onto the beach behind them, the bride and groom hold hands and exchange wedding vows. The romantic backdrop of South Padre Island — promising moonlit beach walks and carefree fun – draws hundreds of wedding parties each year. Although Valley couples see the Island as a close-to-home wedding venue, most everyone else views South Padre as a dreamy tropical wedding destination that doesn’t require a passport. Businesses…
Wrapped in a fluffy de Sanchez Day Spa robe and sipping chilled cucumber water, I follow massage therapist Melly Barrientos past the inviting Jacuzzi and sauna to a subtly lit room for a relaxation massage. Barely audible classical guitar music and the faint scent of marigolds and chamomile tease my senses as the kink in my shoulder is chased away and my feet are massaged to nirvana. At day…
Texas is the first or second largest beer-consuming state in the U.S., said Carter Huber, Valley branch manager of Glazer’s Distributors. Valley residents contribute more than their fair share to that ranking. “Per capita consumption is higher here then it is in most parts of country. The phenomenon is the same in El Paso. The market is totally different. My analogy is that beer is to Mexico what wine is…
For the happiest of times and the saddest of times, flowers say what we can’t always put in to words. Weddings, new babies, birthdays and romance are celebrated with flowers. Floral arrangements convey our concern and sympathy during illnesses and funerals. On a daily basis, plants and flowers enliven workplaces for customers and employees alike. And nothing beats flowers for getting you out of the doghouse after a major faux…
Locally harvested free range eggs, grass-fed beef, gorgeous red tomatoes, eight varieties of carrots and containers of fragrant herbs signal the Valley’s latest agricultural adventure. The number of small farms is rising in the Valley as growers connect to consumers eager to buy fresh picked produce and Valley grown food. The New Ag age centers on direct marketing, cutting out the middleman. Twenty-five percent of the Valley’s income still comes…
From the sparkle of sunlight on a resaca to moonlight bathing the Gulf, waterside dining adds a special magic to a meal. Along the Arroyo Colorado, resacas, the Laguna Madre, the Rio Grande and the Gulf of Mexico, Valley restaurants find that good food served with a water view result in a happy clientele. The Riverside Club may be the granddaddy of waterside restaurants and remains the region’s only riverfront…
Although big banks regularly swoop down to the border and buy local banks, independent Valley-based banks have continued to reinvent themselves. Critical to the region’s growth, these homegrown banks have parlayed their in-depth experience with local businesses into success. Eight banks, a mix of community and regional institutions, have headquarters in the Valley. Renamed and often repurposed, the established community banks have held onto market shares because of the strength…
Some of the youngest, next-generation business owners got their start the old-fashioned way: their parents were business owners. These young hotshots decided to form their own companies, too. A few as youngsters became intrigued with the idea of running their own business, while others as young adults wanted greater control of their income. From retail to real estate, computer apps to computers systems, an energetic cohort of under-40 individuals have…