McAllen to Host First Public Event Post-COVID

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McAllen to Host First Public Event Post-COVID

Scenes from Fiesta de Palmas in 2019. (City of McAllen photo)
Scenes from Fiesta de Palmas in 2019. (City of McAllen photo)

The City of McAllen is planning to host its first major public event since the beginnings of COVID-19 when it stages the annual Fiesta de Palmas early next month.

Fiesta de Palmas celebrates the cultural heritage of border communities and highlights McAllen as an international city with strong ties to Mexico. This year’s event will be modified to fit the current era with an emphasis on social distancing. Drive-through, curbside and virtual activities highlight the weekend. 

Scenes from Fiesta de Palmas in 2019. (City of McAllen photo)
Scenes from Fiesta de Palmas in 2019. (City of McAllen photo)

The celebration will take place on the weekend of Nov. 7-8, at the Oval Park at the McAllen Convention Center. Festivities will start each day at noon with a drive-through food truck festival, with attendees staying in their vehicles.

There will be ride-and-dines where boats will float on the Oval Pond and enjoy Mexican cuisine. There will also be Fiesta Live, with festival entertainment provided to attendees in pods fitting up to eight people. On Nov. 8, festivities will include virtual concerts, local bands and dance performers, and educational activities. 

“Since the start of the pandemic, we had to put a pause on all our great community events, festivals, celebrations, shows and performances,” said McAllen Mayor Jim Darling. “With this new plan for getting together at a distance, we can safely celebrate the great cultures of McAllen in the newly reimagined Fiesta de Palmas.

The event lead sponsor is Reliant. Other sponsors include T-Mobile, Budweiser and PepsiCo. 

“We want to thank the city of McAllen and everyone who helped reimagine the festival to offer a safe option to celebrate local Mexican and Tejano culture,” said Elizabeth Killinger, president of Reliant. 

For tickets to the festival, visit the McAllen Convention Center/McAllen Performing Arts Center Box on Tuesdays and Thursdays from 1-5 p.m., or at ticketmaser.com.

Scenes from Fiesta de Palmas in 2019. (City of McAllen photo)
Scenes from Fiesta de Palmas in 2019. (City of McAllen photo)

Ricardo D. Cavazos is a Rio Grande Valley native and journalist who has worked as a reporter, editor and publisher at Texas newspapers. Cavazos formerly worked as a reporter and editorial writer at The Brownsville Herald, Dallas Times Herald, Corpus Christi Caller-Times and San Antonio Light. He served as editor of The Monitor in McAllen from 1991-1998 and from there served for 15 years as publisher at The Herald in Brownsville. Cavazos has been providing content for the Valley Business Report since 2018.

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