The Reading Reindeer Walk is now up along the City of McAllen’s hike and bike trail next to Bicentennial Blvd. this holiday season. Walkers can scan a series of signs (spaced out over the course of one mile) each of which contains a stanza from the classic poem ’Twas the Night Before Christmas.
The oval-shaped route begins at Harvey Avenue and goes north half of a mile toward Nolana Avenue before circling back southward to Harvey. The Reading Reindeer Walk signs will be up until Dec. 26.
Each of the posters has a QR code directing participants to a website. Here, they can listen to a reading of the poem and also find definitions of some keywords. They can then watch a video to help them participate in a short exercise that corresponds with the stanza.
“Our hope is to promote literacy and provide people with an opportunity to enjoy time with their families in a fun and safe way,” said Richard Roberts, McAllen ISD’s coordinator for Secondary English Language Arts.
All participants are also encouraged to post their experiences on social media by tagging @McAllenISD.