Winter Texan Times

STC present second annual South Texas Latinx New Play Festival

Festival Flyer South Texas College (STC) Theatre & Dance will host their 2nd annual South Texas Latinx New Play Festival. The festival will be held Thursday, June 22 through June 24 at STC’s Cooper Center for the Performing Arts at 3200 W. Pecan Blvd. in McAllen.

The event showcases new plays written by Latinx playwrights throughout the US. Three plays out of thirty submissions were selected by a committee consisting of playwrights, theatre artists, and STC faculty & staff as festival finalists with five others selected as semifinalists. The intent of the event is to cultivate new plays which speaks to the Latinx perspective and experience.

95th Annual McAllen Independence Day Celebration invites community to participate

McAllen 95th Annual Independence Day The City of McAllen is getting ready for this year’s McAllen Independence Day Celebration, presented by H-E-B, and is inviting the community to take part in all of the patriotic festivities. The 95th Annual Independence Day Celebration will take place on Tuesday, July 4, 2023 with an early morning 4K race, a patriotic program, immediately followed by the Main Street Parade and then the Freedom Festival, a family-friendly festival held at Archer Park. Music, food, and games will be highlights of the events. The event will conclude with the H-E-B Concert in the Sky Fireworks Extravaganza.

Tejano/Conjunto painter Roel Florez at Pharr Memorial Library, May 27

Pic 2 Cotton Fields by RF The Pharr Memorial Library is proud to present an exhibit and short talk with Roel Florez on his portraits and paintings that focus on Conjunto and Tejano music and Migrant work. Florez will also have copies for sale of his self-published book, based on his memoirs, entitled “La Ultima Pesada”/The Last Weigh-In, by Robert Longoria. (66 pages)

Artist shares vault of comic strips published in Russia

Jose Alaniz 2023 The Museum of South Texas History will host the online Sunday Speaker Series presentation, “The Compleat Moscow Calling,” featuring author José Alaníz at 2 p.m. on May 28 on Facebook Live.

Alaníz’s “Moscow Calling” is the first ongoing American comic strip in Russia, appearing in the English-language newspaper The Moscow Tribune. The comic strip is a 1990s epic of expat life in Russia. Innocent abroad Pepe Pérez finds himself in a vibrant post-Soviet Moscow of colorful personalities, extreme contrasts and a “mafiya” boss after his head. Worst of all, there’s no Mexican food. “The Compleat Moscow Calling” gathers and concludes the strip along with additional material, including the unfinished sequel “Cassie’s Turn” and the novella “Moscow ‘93.” Copies of the comic books can be purchased at the Museum Store.

The Rio Grande Valley Humane Society over capacity, seeks community's help

The Rio Grande Valley Humane Society (RGVHS) dog kennels are over capacity at both Mission and Harlingen locations. RGVHS is asking the community to help find foster or forever homes for our canine friends. Dogs will be at risk of euthanasia if we cannot make space through adoption or foster.

Thanks to the support of our community, for over three years, RGVHS has not had to euthanize a single animal for space. With the severe weather on Friday evening, we have seen a massive influx of lost animals roaming the streets and anticipate heavy intake in the coming days. Lives are at risk and we need your help today.

All adoption fees for dogs are completely waived. All adopted pets will go home up to date on vaccinations, dewormer, on preventatives for fleas/ticks/heartworms, microchipped and either already spayed/neutered, or with an appointment for spay/neuter at no cost to the adoptive family. Anybody interested in adopting a dog should head to the shelter as soon as possible.

Fostering a pet is always free and incredibly rewarding. RGVHS will provide foster parents with everything they will need to care for the pet, including food, toys, and other care items. Foster families can customize the length of foster to meet their availability, with foster periods lasting a few hours to a few months.

Kick-Off for Food Bank RGV’s Empty Bowls Season June 3

The Radisson Hotel McAllen Airport will host the Food Bank RGV’s Empty Bowls Paint Party Kick-off from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m., Saturday, June 3, at 2721 S. 10th St, McAllen.

Food Bank RGV invites the public to participate in this family-friendly event and help paint bowls for the Food Bank RGV. The Radisson Hotel McAllen Airport will provide a hotdog and hamburger BBQ, D.J., door prizes, and more to celebrate the Empty Bowls season kick-off. To take part in this event, there is a $10 donation per person to cover the costs of paints and supplies for the Food Bank RGV.

Bird Banding with Dr. Timothy Brush at Quinta Mazatlan

Tim Brush w Green Jay Quinta Mazatlan welcomes Presenter Dr. Timothy Brush on Thursday, June 1st from 6-7 p.m. Green jays and clay-colored thrushes are tropical birds that many visiting birders love to see. While they are often seen at nature centers and refuges, they are also readily seen in towns and cities as well.

Dr. Timothy Brush has been conducting a bird-banding study of these birds since March 2018 to better understand their lives in our area. Bird banding is a federally regulated process which requires extensive training to ensure the safety of the birds.