Lighting the night and the economy 

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Lighting the night and the economy 

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To boost its economy 30 years ago,  the city of Hidalgo began passing out shopping flyers to drivers and pedestrians crossing the Hidalgo-McAllen International Bridge. Tourism spurs economic development and creates jobs, a fact that city leaders decided could transform their pass-through community into a destination with a vibrant reputation.

Millions of lights and hundreds of displays draw about 500,000 to Hidalgo’s Festival of Lights each December, boosting the city’s economy. (Courtesy)
Millions of lights and hundreds of displays draw about 500,000 to Hidalgo’s Festival of Lights each December, boosting the city’s economy. (Courtesy)

The surge in tourists and the growth of city businesses did not happen overnight.  But today Hidalgo hosts the Festival of Lights, which brings in approximately 500,000 visitors in December, Border Fest, which attracts 90,000 in March, the Old Hidalgo Pumphouse/World Birding Center, and State Farm Arena with its myriad music and sports events drawing 400,000 annually.

The initial efforts aimed to divert passers-by to Hidalgo convenience stores. Now the city runs shuttles every 30 minutes between the international bridge and the new Wal-Mart.  While some towns might consider being in the midst of three international bridges a negative because of the intense truck traffic, the bridge is a major factor in Hidalgo’s economy and its rising tourism numbers.

“As a small city, we know what our limitations are,” said Kay Wolf, Hidalgo’s assistant city manager who has decades of tourism experience. “What we have really done is find something unique about Hidalgo.”  To stand out from larger, nearby cities and to provide a one-of-a-kind experience for families, the Festival of Lights was launched 24 years ago. The economic impact in 2013 was $1.1 million and supported 34 jobs.

“We know what we are doing is working.  We know what we are getting back (from our investment). It’s the best thing that happened to our community,” she added.

The Festival of Lights, which is the largest Christmas light spectacle in Texas, includes 500 large displays and over three million lights. It has won the top festival award in several categories both in Texas and internationally and has been featured in Texas Highways magazine.  The festival now offers trolley tours of the lights for a fee, along with free musical entertainment many evenings.

Border Fest alone brought in $141,000 in sales tax with overall impact from the event pegged at $2.62 million in 2014 as well as 81 jobs.  The first year of the event attracted only 500 people.

To read more of this story by Eileen Mattei, read the December 2014 edition of VBR under the “Current & Past Issues” tab on this website, or pick up a copy on news stands.

 

 

Freelance writer Eileen Mattei was the editor of Valley Business Report for over 6 years. Her articles have appeared in Texas Highways, Texas Wildlife Association, Texas Parks & Wildlife and Texas Coop Power magazines as well as On Point: The Journal of Army History. The Harlingen resident is the author of five books: Valley Places, Valley Faces; At the Crossroads: Harlingen’s First 100 Years; and Leading the Way: McAllen’s First 100 Years, For the Good of My Patients: The History of Medicine in the Rio Grande Valley, and Quinta Mazatlán: A Visual Journey.

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