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Published: Wednesday, 18 December 2019 08:00
The Mission Historical Museum is now accepting entries for its Fourteenth Annual Quilt Show. Entries will be accepted in three categories: Hand-quilted bed quilts; Machine-quilted bed quilts; and Wall hangings. The show is open to all quilters, both Winter Texans and year-round residents.
Quilts will be exhibited in the Museum’s Shary building. Quilts and wall hangings exhibit must be ready to hang with a sleeve for display purposes. Every effort will be made to show the quilts full-length. Any that exceed gallery ceiling height will be shown half-length.
Entries are accepted on a first-in/first accepted basis. Because of limited space, the museum reserves the right to close entries before the deadline. This will allow for the best possible presentation for all entries. To allow for the broadest representation, participants may submit only one item per person.
Any quilt entered in this show within the past five years is not eligible for entry this year. The quilts will be judged by a panel of independent judges, with ribbons awarded for first, second and third places in each category. Best-of-show and Viewers’ Choice ribbons will also be awarded.
Quilts may be entered by submitting an entry form, which is available at the Museum.
Entry forms and quilts will be accepted at the museum through Thursday, January 2, 2020, during the hours of 10 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Tuesday through Friday, and 10 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. on Saturdays. The museum will be closed December 24, 25, and 31; and on January 1.
Quilts may be pre-registered, and the quilts themselves may be delivered on any date during this time, through the deadline. If you would like to enter your quilt, you are urged to register early, because space is limited.
The show opens on Saturday, January 11, 2020, and runs through Saturday, February 8, 2020. An Awards Reception and Turning of the Quilts program will take place at 2 p.m. on Friday, January 17, 2020.
The Mission Historical Museum is located at 900 Doherty in downtown Mission. Admission is free. For information, call the museum at (956) 580-8646.
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Published: Wednesday, 18 December 2019 08:00
The deadline to enter your quilt into the Mission Historical Museum’s Fourteenth Annual Quilt Show is fast approaching. The museum is accepting entries until Jan. 2. Entries will be accepted in three categories: Hand-quilted bed quilts; Machine-quilted bed quilts; and Wall hangings. The show is open to all quilters, both Winter Texans and year-round residents.
Quilts will be exhibited in the Museum’s Shary building. Quilts and wall hanging exhibits must be ready to hang with a sleeve for display purposes. Every effort will be made to show quilts full-length. Any that exceed gallery ceiling height will be shown half-length. Entries are accepted on a first-in/first accepted basis. Because of limited space, the museum reserves the right to close entries before the deadline. This will allow for the best possible presentation for all entries.
To allow for the broadest representation, participants may submit only one item per person. Any quilt entered in this show within the past five years is not eligible for entry this year. The quilts will be judged by a panel of independent judges, with ribbons awarded for first, second, and third places in each category. Best-of-show and Viewers’ Choice ribbons will also be awarded.
Quilts may be entered by submitting an entry form, which is available at the Museum.
The museum is open 10 a.m. – 4:30 p.m. Tuesday through Friday, and 10 a.m. – 1:30 p.m. on Saturdays. The Museum will be closed Dec. 24, 25, and 31; and on Jan 1.
Quilts may be pre-registered, and the quilts themselves may be delivered on any date during this time, through the Jan. 2 deadline.
The show opens on Saturday, Jan. 11, 2020, and runs through Saturday, Feb. 8, 2020. An Awards Reception and Turning of the Quilts program will take place at 2 p.m. on Friday, Jan. 17, 2020.
The Mission Historical Museum is located at 900 Doherty in downtown Mission. Admission is free. For information, call the Museum at (956) 580-8646.
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Published: Wednesday, 18 December 2019 07:00
Gravity Park, near Louie’s Backyard, on South Padre Island is playing host to Christmas themed sandcastles through January 13, 2020. The event is free.
The village will feature holiday sand sculptures built by incredibly talented sand artists. From a sand snowman to Sand-ta, and much more, this exhibit will include a lighted musical performance.
Some of the artists that build these sandcastles are the same ones that participate in the Sandcastle Days competitions held in October. The artists travel the world learning new techniques and competing with other sandcastle artists.
You can also take a try building your own sandcastle on SandCamp Saturdays. SandCamp Saturdays are held every Saturday, from 5 to 6 p.m. at City Beach Access #16 on South Padre Island, weather permitting.
SandCamp is an educational project of Sand Castle Island Inc. Participants learn the fundamentals of sand castle construction using kid’s toys and ordinary objects that anyone might have on a trip to the beach, as well as the concept of Unlittering, awareness of sea life, and the life of the coast and shoreline.
SandCamp is free for everyone.
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Published: Wednesday, 18 December 2019 06:00
As the more than 100 entries into the Weslaco Christmas Parade began to line up in preparation for the 100th year celebration of the city, Bill and Cathy Ackermann found the perfect spot to watch the event
Seated on a corner spot, the Missouri couple, in the Valley for just their second winter, spilled the secret of finding the excellent spot.
“We got here an hour early,” Bill said. “We are looking forward to this.”
Searching out great spots and getting to destinations promptly probably was instilled in Bill (and therefore Cathy) sometime during his 21 years in the Navy, where he operated nuclear reactors on submarines.
“We love the Valley and we love our park,” Cathy said. “There are so many activities to do every day if you want to.”
Bill said he enjoys the RC races even though he hasn’t gotten fully invested with his own car. He said he might do that next year.
“Maybe next year,” echoed Cathy. “Maybe.”
They were just two of the hundreds who lined the parade route last week as part of the Weslaco Centennial celebration, a multi-day celebration that honored everything Weslaco, from the Tinaco Tower to the 1015 onion and the pioneer founding families of the Mid-Valley town that has seen explosive growth over the past decade.
Floats that were community built and decorated passed one by one, carrying politicians, athletes and other well-known Weslaco natives. Among those included Brandon Figueroa, who has held the WBA super bantamweight boxing championship belt since October and previously held the WBA interim title since April 2019.
High school, middle school and elementary school athletes, cheerleaders and bands were also a big hit, all promoting their school colors and mascots (purple Panthers for Weslaco High and black Wildcats for Weslaco East leading the prowl).
And what parade would be complete without a crew from Star Wars as people eagerly anticipate the final installment of that movie series, out this week.
Bruce Duff and his wife are from Buffalo, Missouri and were stationed right at the front of the parade route. They stay at the 1015 park and after the parade were probably going to go do something else they love while in the Valley.
“We love to go out to eat,” Bruce said. “There are so many places.”
Weslaco has a lot to offer and their parade and 100 year celebration showed that Weslaco loves their community.
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Published: Wednesday, 18 December 2019 06:00
By Anastasia Brunson
Whether you take a train ride, pose for a picture with Santa, enjoy a fresh made treat from the market, or just enjoy the many light displays, there is plenty to do and then some at the Hidalgo Festival of Lights.
Read more: Festival of Lights offers more than lights
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Published: Wednesday, 18 December 2019 05:00
By Herb Moering
The pre-McAllen parade entertainment at Veterans Stadium on Saturday, Dec. 7, provided a taste of “Valley” musical traditions topped by the appearance of internationally known actor and singer Mane de la Parra.
He was accompanied by a couple hundred fourth and fifth grade students from all the McAllen elementary schools. The music students performed three numbers, two of them with de la Parra. Fourth graders Melanie Navarrete and Alyssa Vazquez, from Fields Elementary School, were excited to have a part in the early evening’s entertainment before several thousand spectators. Navarrete and Vazquez sported Santa hats provided to the students by Reliant Energy as part of the performance.
Opening the program on the field was a McAllen High School Fine Arts ensemble doing a song “Circle of Light,” which featured Alexa Ramirez. The song is from the Lion King Jr. production, which will be presented in mid-January by the students.
They were followed by a quintet from the Valley Symphony Orchestra, playing familiar Christmas songs. The full orchestra has already presented a couple concerts with future dates Feb. 28 and March 27.
A small group of UTRGV music students provided a taste of the popular TubaChristmas, one of the nation’s largest concert performances that was scheduled the next day at the McAllen Convention Center.
And then it was parade time for the largest illuminated and helium balloon spectacle in all of Texas. It included 15 animated floats, 14 marching bands and 39-character balloons.
And among those most interested was Viva Selena Lopez, of McAllen, along with her mother, Mary Jane Lopez. The 24-year-old Viva Selena, who has been quite active in the community, was decked out in a Dallas Cowboys outfit of Number 4 Dak Prescott, the same of type shirt her mother was wearing. They are big Cowboys fans and Viva Selena has attracted the attention of some of the football players. A get-together two years ago went viral on the internet. Her mother said her daughter also is big on the Rio Grande Vipers basketball team, which has taken some interest in the special needs young woman.
Mayor Jim Darling addressed the crowd aboard a butterfly float accompanied by Dallas Cowboys linebacker Jaylon Smith. Other Cowboys riding floats included wide receiver Michael Gallup, defensive tackle Meliek Collins, safety Kavon Frazier, cornerback Byron Jones and retired stars Charles Haley and Ed “Too Tall” Jones. That was in addition to the Dallas Cowboys cheerleaders and team mascot “Rowdy.”
UTRGV President Guy Bailey was given the honor of being the grand marshal for the one and half-mile long parade. Fighter Brandon Figueroa was another celebrity in the parade, plus television and radio personalities, government officials and the Budweiser Clydesdales along with the company’s spotted Dalmatian riding the wagon. One of the festival floats came from the City of San Antonio and there was also a South Korean marching contingent.
And of course, winding up the parade was the jolly old fellow himself, Santa Claus, with Mrs. Claus, riding in the sleigh pulled by the Rudolph-led reindeer.
In keeping with the city’s weekend of celebrating Christmas that Gov. Greg Abbott officially designated McAllen the “South Pole of Texas,” periodic blasts of simulated snow rose into the air as the parade moved around the stadium. But this “snow” fell under ideal climate conditions of pleasant temperatures and a light breeze, perfect for the balloon characters.
The parade and entertainment is part of McAllen’s 40 Days of Christmas celebration. Many of the families coming for the parade also went to nearby Christmas in the Park event, which ran for two days featuring two stages of live entertainment, interactive games, carnival rides, festival food and Santa on hand for pictures. The city’s events also include the Winter Wonderland at the McAllen Convention Center, which continues on various dates through December.
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Published: Friday, 13 December 2019 08:00
Have you ever visited a little town named Chapin, Texas? If you have ever visited the Museum of South Texas History in Edinburg, then you have stepped into the former townsite of Chapin.
Joseph Fox, the associate education officer for MOSTHistory, will present “The Trial of Dennis Chapin: How a Murder Gave Edinburg Its Name,” a Sunday Speaker Series presentation, Dec. 15, at 2 p.m.
The city of Edinburg, founded in 1908, was originally called Chapin after the city’s founder, Dennis Bangs Chapin. He was also a former Hidalgo County Judge and a land developer within the townsite of Chapin. However, the town changed forever after Chapin shot a man named Oscar J. Rountree in a gunfight in a San Antonio saloon. Immediately following the gunfight, he was arrested and accused of murder—news that reached the citizens of Chapin. Hear more about the incident and the trial that followed during the Sunday Speaker Series presentation.
Fox earned a master’s degree in history from Texas State University in San Marcos where he completed a thesis on Lone Star beer and the 1970s Austin music scene. He has written articles for the Handbook of Tejano History, book reviews for Texas Books in Review, a historical marker for the Texas Historical Commission, and is currently conducting further research on Lone Star beer to expand his master’s thesis into a book.
Sunday Speaker Series is included in the fee for regular museum admission. FRIENDS of MOSTHistory are admitted free as a benefit of FRIENDship and must present their FRIENDship card at the Admissions Desk.
This program is made possible with generous support from the Carmen C. Guerra Endowment. Mrs. Guerra was deeply committed to supporting educational opportunities in the Rio Grande Valley. This named endowment was created at the museum by her family to honor her memory and to continue her commitment to providing opportunities for education to the community.
The Museum is located downtown Edinburg at 200 North Closner Boulevard on the Hidalgo County Courthouse square. Hours of operation are Sunday 1 p.m.-5 p.m. and Tuesday-Saturday 10 a.m.–5 p.m. For more information about MOSTHistory, including becoming a FRIEND, visit MOSTHistory.org, like us on Facebook and Instagram, follow on Twitter, find on YouTube or call +1-956-383-6911.
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Published: Thursday, 12 December 2019 12:00
The Rio Grande Valley Livestock Showgrounds will host a free event this weekend, December 13 and 14. They will be hosting the Citrus and Vegetable Show that will be showcasing fruits and vegetables from growers throughout the Rio Grande Valley.
Children involved in 4-H and Future Farmers of America (FFA) have worked with local growers in the Valley and are given an opportunity to learn about the agricultural product, grow and harvest their own product. Here, they will be showcasing some of those vegetables and citrus.
The children will clean, prepare and display their picks from the fields for judging. Categories range from best grapefruit to largest head of cabbage.
Kids will also participate in a poster contest where contestants will create their own tri-fold posters promoting local agriculture. There is also a basket contest where the fruits and vegetables harvested are displayed and judged for overall presentation.
Probably the most intense competition, is the Agriculture Product Identification. The event will test the kids on their knowledge of different varieties of fruit and vegetables.
Last, but not least, is the food challenge. The best way to describe this is “Chopped” for kids. The reams, or individuals, are given an ingredient – fruit or vegetable – and the item must be transformed into an entrée or dessert. This is by far the most fun part of the event to watch.
On Saturday, the event will feature a speaker from the USDA talking about healthy living and featuring the RGVLS General Manager, Mando Correa, as the guest chef.
The public events will be on Saturday, December 14, starting at 8 a.m. A schedule of events can be found online at www.rgvls.com. The RGVLS is located at 100 N. Texas Ave., in Mercedes.
Legendary musician, Tish Hinojosa will be performing live in McAllen, Texas on Thursday, December 12th from 6 to 7 p.m. at Quinta Mazatlán for a Holiday Concert in the Park. Tish dazzles with her one-of-a-kind blend of Folk, Country, Latino, Pop; and will be accompanied by her longtime musicians Marvin Dykhuis on guitar and mandolin and by Chip Dolan on piano and accordion.
First United Methodist Church of La Feria will host its Live Nativity on Saturday, December 21 and Sunday, December 22 from 6 to 7:30 p.m. At the Live Nativity, the church parking lot transforms into the town of Bethlehem. Visitors can either drive or walk through the village and see the original Christmas story of the birth of Jesus Christ.
