Page 10 Rio Grande Valley Visitors Guide 2023-2024 La Joya ISD Performing Arts Center La Joya ISD’s Alejandro “Alex” H. Saenz Performing Arts Center is a 1,400-seat auditorium hosting student performances throughout the academic school year. Audience members will be delighted by talented theatre, mariachi, folklórico, band, orchestra, classical guitar, choir, dance, and conjunto performing groups. Patrons can expect high quality performances by student talent, consistently earning top awards in their respective competitions. For more information about Performing Arts Center events call (956) 323-2895. Rio Grande Valley State Veterans Cemetery The Rio Grande Valley State Veteran Cemetery in Mission is a special resting place close to home, where friends, family, and fellow Texans can honor Texas Veterans. The sacrifices laid upon the altar of freedom will never be diminished or forgotten. This 75-acre cemetery is located at 2520 S. Inspiration Rd. and is open seven days a week, with visiting hours from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. Office hours are Mondays through Fridays from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. For more information, call 956-5837227 or visit vlb.texas.gov/cemeteries/. Riverside Dreamer River Cruises Come get a close-up view of the Rio Grande River and the habitat that surrounds it. Take a Riverside Dreamer River Cruise and view the sights and birds that live along the river in Mexico and the U.S. The Riverside Dreamer is a 55-foot U.S. Coast Guard-certified sightseeing pontoon boat with covered, cushioned seating for 49 people. It offers one-hour or two-hour cruises departing from the Riverside Club, located at 214 E. Chimney Rd. in Mission. Call (956) 581-4477 or (956) 581-1033 for reservations. Reservations suggested but not required. Minimum requirements for departure are one hour 15 passengers, and two hour 25 passengers. Private or group cruises for 25 or more are available upon request. For more information visit the website at www.ontheriver. net. La Lomita Chapel La Lomita Chapel (La Lomita means “little hill” in Spanish), the namesake for the present city of Mission, offers an important glimpse into the history of Mission and South Texas. Constructed from adobe, the chapel was built in 1865 by Rene Guyard, a French merchant and devout Roman Catholic, on the Lomita Ranch he purchased in 1845. It continues as a religious shrine and popular site for historians. The small chapel, located three miles south of Expressway 83 on FM 1016, is open from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. seven days a week. There is no admission fee. For more information call (956) 580-8650. Our Lady of Guadalupe Catholic Church Established in 1899 as the first mission of the historic La Lomita Church by circuit-riding Oblate priests, the church was first known as Our Lady of Mission. The church was destroyed in a fire in 1925. The statue of the Blessed Virgin was the only thing rescued from the incident. When the current Church was constructed in 1927, the name was changed to Our Lady of Guadalupe Catholic Church. In 2012-13 the 1927 Church was renovated and expanded to accommodate the growing congregation while maintaining the same sanctuary as well as interior and exterior style. The
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