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Veterans Peer Center receives support from WT park

Details: Published: Tuesday, 16 December 2025 12:15

Winter Ranch Meals 1000010767 web On Thursday, November 20, volunteers from Winter Ranch RV Resort prepared food to provide the Veterans on Friday, November 21. The food was delivered to the Weslaco Veterans Peer Center and then served to the Veterans and their families.

Approximately 50 Veterans, spouses, and children were served a ham dinner with all of the fixings. They were all very appreciative. The remaining leftovers were placed in the refrigerator for additional meals to be eaten later by visitors to the peer center.

Valley park featured as ornament

Details: Published: Tuesday, 16 December 2025 11:52

State Park ornament Courtesy photo web Each year the Texas Parks and Wildlife have a Texas State Park Ornament. This year, that ornament features the Valley’s own Bentsen-Rio Grande Valley State Park.

Etched from solid brass and finished in 24kt gold, the 2025 ornament features colorful artwork with three-dimensional elements. The 24th Annual Texas State Parks ornament showcases Bentsen-Rio Grande Valley State Park which serves as the headquarters for the World Birding Center in South Texas. The ornament fittingly features a green jay, plain chachalaca and Gulf fritillary butterfly on a Mexican olive branch in front of the park’s two-story Hawk Observation Tower. Ornaments arrive in a keepsake box and measure roughly 2.5 by 3 inches.

December 17, 2025 - Events Calendar

Details: Published: Tuesday, 16 December 2025 11:39

December 17 – Bentsen-Rio Grande Valley State Park will host their Winter Speaker Series: Winter Skies at 6 p.m. This event requires a reservation. Please call ahead to confirm program schedule and details by calling (956) 584-9156. Bentsen-RGV State Park is located at 2800 S. Bentsen Palm Drive in Mission.

December 18 – Bentsen-Rio Grande Valley State Park will host a Winter Wind-down Hike at 9 a.m. This event requires a reservation. Please call ahead to confirm program schedule and details by calling (956) 584-9156. Bentsen-RGV State Park is located at 2800 S. Bentsen Palm Drive in Mission.

December 18 - The Dustin Michael Sekula Memorial Library—teaming up with The Friends of the Edinburg Public Library—invites families, teens, and community members of every age to join the 2025 Holly Jolly Winter Celebration. This free and festive family event will take place from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. at the library, located at 1906 S. Closner Blvd. The event will feature an evening filled with holiday crafts, themed games, photo opportunities, and delightful surprises, all designed to bring joy to attendees of all ages.

December 18 – The Brownsville Society for Performing Arts presents their Christmas Concert featuring Handel’s Messiah & More presented by over 100 musicians on stage. The concert will feature Alium Spiritum. The event will be held at 7 p.m. at the TSC Performing Arts Center, 90 Taylor Ave., in Brownsville. Admission is free, donations gratefully accepted. For more information, visit brosperformingarts.org.

December 19 – The McAllen Wind Ensemble will present Christmas Across America at 7:30 p.m. at the McAllen Performing Arts Center. Tickets are free, but they are required for entry. Tickets and more information can be found online at www.mcallenwindensemble.org.

December 20 – The McAllen Farmers Market will be held at the McAllen Public Library from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. The event is held every Saturday. The library is located at 4001 N. 23rd St. For more information visit mcallenfarmersmarket.com. 

December 20 – Firemen’s Park in McAllen will host the Growing Growers Farmers Market at 9 a.m. The park is located at 201 N. 1st St. The event is held every Saturday. 

December 20 – The Brownsville Farmers Market will be held at 9 a.m. at Linear Park, E. 6th St. and E. Ringgold St. The event is held every Saturday. 

December 20 – Bentsen-Rio Grande Valley State Park will host Our Daytime Skies at 2 p.m. This event requires a reservation. Please call ahead to confirm program schedule and details by calling (956) 584-9156. Bentsen-RGV State Park is located at 2800 S. Bentsen Palm Drive in Mission.

December 21 – The South Padre Island Farmers Market is held at The Shores, 8605 Padre Blvd., every Sunday from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. Shop for fresh produce, meats, cheese, juices and more. To see this event and others, visit https://www.sopadre.com/listing/south-padre-island-farmers-market/1099/. 

December 21 – Bentsen-Rio Grande Valley State Park will host a Nature Scavenger Hunt at 11 a.m. This event requires a reservation. Please call ahead to confirm program schedule and details by calling (956) 584-9156. Bentsen-RGV State Park is located at 2800 S. Bentsen Palm Drive in Mission.

December 22 – Bentsen-Rio Grande Valley State Park will host a Winter Wind-down Hike at 9 a.m. This event requires a reservation. Please call ahead to confirm program schedule and details by calling (956) 584-9156. Bentsen-RGV State Park is located at 2800 S. Bentsen Palm Drive in Mission.

December 26 – Harlingen Art Night will take place from 7 to 10 p.m. in Downtown Harlingen and A Street. It is held the last Friday of each month. Check out their Facebook for links to their call for artists signups.

December 27 – Take a peaceful guided walk through the gardens at the National Butterfly Center and discover the butterflies and wildlife active after the holidays. Refresh your spirit as you explore seasonal changes and quiet beauty on the trails. The NBC is located at 3333 Butterfly Park Dr. in Mission.

South Texas Performing Arts present The Nutcracker

Details: Published: Wednesday, 03 December 2025 14:43

Nutcracker250984 web The South Texas Performing Arts presents their 15th annual production of The Nutcracker on Saturday, December 6. The doors open at 5:30 p.m. with the performance slated to begin at 6 p.m. The performance features dancers from the Palomas Limas and Company dance studio. The event will take place at the Valley View ISD Performing Arts Center at 600 Jackson Rd. in Hidalgo. For more information, call (956) 270-3856. There will be a Winter Texan discount of $7.

IMAS Christmas Tree Forest opens December 3

Details: Published: Wednesday, 03 December 2025 11:39

Christmas Tree Forest web The International Museum of Art & Science (IMAS) is inviting the community to be part of one of the Valley’s favorite holiday traditions, the annual IMAS Guild Christmas Tree Forest.

This year’s theme, “Christmas in a Science Lab,” puts a creative spin on the season, inspiring participants to combine the magic of the holidays with the wonder of science. From hand-made ornaments to imaginative tree designs, the Christmas Tree Forest is a showcase of local creativity, teamwork, and holiday spirit.

January 1, 2025 - Rina's Ramblings

Details: Published: Wednesday, 01 January 2025 15:02

We had a low-key Christmas, and it was really nice to just relax and take our time with things. We have all been a little sick around here, so as soon as my two visiting children got here, I put one of them to work helping the youngest prepare dinner. They did a great job working together and we had a great Christmas dinner. We forgot to include the pie and the citrus salad – but that means it was available for snacking later and more for breakfast the next day.

One tradition that we try to keep each year, for Thanksgiving and Christmas, is a citrus salad. Something that makes me very thankful for the variety of citrus we have in the Valley. I remember my grandfather peeling citrus and separating the meat from the membranes for the salad. He would spend many hours preparing that salad.

We have sped up the process by sectioning the fruit – cutting off the top, the bottom, and the cutting off the rest of the rind before using a small knife to section the meat of the fruit out – and then throwing it in a bowl. We try to use a few types of grapefruit, Maars and Cara Cara Oranges, and we usually throw in some navel oranges and mandarins and tangerines, depending on what is available.

When the citrus industry is at its best, we can do five different types of grapefruit and three or four different types of oranges. Unfortunately, the citrus industry in the Valley is still recovering from the freeze a few years ago – so I just do more ruby red grapefruit. I think we managed to get three types of grapefruit this year.

We top this off with a 12–16-ounce jar of cherries – including the juice. It’s a beautiful bowl full of color, sweetness with some tang. And we can’t forget the 50/50 juice from Earthborn (it’s where we get our citrus varieties as well).

What are your traditions you have to have each year for the holidays – Christmas and New Year’s? We don’t have anything specific for New Year’s – we sometimes do the Black-eyed peas and grapes, but it isn’t something that has to be there.

Let us know what your traditions are for the holidays. Share photos with us. Is there something you can’t NOT have this time of year? You can send your stories of traditions and photos to news@wintertexantimes.com.