Text Size

McAllen lands in top affordable cities to visit in Texas

Downtown McAllen webMcAllen has once again landed in the top five of another state list. The ranking, compiled by TheTravel website, looked at 10 cities and compared travel costs, including flights, hotel, and affordable entertainment options. McAllen earned the number four spot, while other border cities, Laredo and El Paso were named three and two respectively. Other cities on the list included south central communities and Dallas’ neighbors, Arlington and Fort Worth.

While the cities listed are more affordable than Dallas, they are still bustling cities in their own right. In fact, according to the author of the article, many of them are hidden gems in Texas that offer wide open spaces, cultural richness, and cost-conscious opportunities.

Read more: McAllen lands in top affordable cities to visit in Texas

16th Annual Can-Am Senior Softball game set for March 8

20150304 Canada vs USA Softball KO 7812 webThe 29th season for the Ed Martens Senior Texan Softball League is quickly coming to an end for more than 100 local and Winter Texan senior men and women all over 55 years old. The season began with practice in early November through December. Players were then divided into ten teams between two divisions and competed in a 15-game regular season.

The final event of our season is the 16th annual Can-Am Games comprised of senior men and women teams who will represent Canada and the USA in this fun and friendly competition. The prize? Bragging rights of course but also to have their country proudly engraved as the 2024 winner on the beautiful Can-Am trophy donated by the City of McAllen Parks and Recreation Department.

Read more: 16th Annual Can-Am Senior Softball game set for March 8

Winter Texans create quilt to celebrate Alamo’s centennial

20240220 Alamo Centennial Quilt webBy Herb Moering

A centennial quilt, created by two Winter Texans, was officially presented to the City of Alamo at the February 20 city commission meeting. The quilt, created by Audry Stewart and Carrol Moering, is part of Alamo’s year-long celebration marking 100 years since its incorporation from a town to a city on April 26, 1924.

Several museum “Friends” along with the Centennial Queen, 102-year-old Wanda Boush, long time Alamo resident, were at the presentation where the Mayor J.R. Garza and commissioners indicated they were pleased with the gift to the city. The quilt will be on display first at the Alamo City Hall until the end of the year and then can be seen at the local museum starting in 2025.

Read more: Winter Texans create quilt to celebrate Alamo’s centennial

MOSTH to host FESTIBA presentations

Francisco Guajardo webThe Museum of South Texas History is scheduled to present during FESTIBA at 10 a.m. and 2 p.m. Friday, March 1.

The first presentation titled “Family Stories of the Underground Railroad” starts at 10 a.m. in the museum’s River Highway galleries. Museum CEO Francisco Guajardo and archivist Melissa Peña will describe the story of the Underground Railroad as it moved through South Texas and into northeastern Mexico, as told by family stories along the border.

Read more: MOSTH to host FESTIBA presentations

Quinta Mazatlan hosts documentary screening

Quinta Mazatlán is honored to host a screening of “Abundance: The Farmlink Story” Thursday, February 29, followed by a Q&A with Farmlink team member Hailey Wesling. The short documentary tells the story of college students banding together to create The Farmlink Project and deliver 100 million pounds of food during the largest food crisis in a century. The goal of the film is to share the power of youth-driven innovation and illuminate how individuals can significantly reduce food waste and hunger.

Read more: Quinta Mazatlan hosts documentary screening

Fundraiser for RMHC planned

Ship Shape is hosting their annual Fundraiser for the Ronald McDonald House Charities on Tuesday, February 20, at Louie’s Backyard in South Padre Island. Tickets are $40 and can be purchased in advance at Ship Shape located 5212 Padre Blvd., South Padre Island.

The event will have live music, food, giveaway prizes, and exclusive shopping discounts at Ship Shape. They will also be hosting a pop tabs and Ronald McDonald House wish-list drive. All proceeds will benefit the Ronald McDonald House Charities of South Texas.

For more information, please visit Ship Shape on Facebook or call them at (956) 761-2111.

Grief counseling class offered

Grieving a loss? Join First Presbyterian Church in Mission starting February 13. The class is held every Tuesday, for 13 weeks. After the first three classes, the class is closed until a new session starts.

Classes are held from 4 to 6 p.m. Topics of discussion include is this normal, your grief journey, loneliness and sadness, self-care, fearful and overwhelmed, anger, regrets, grief and your household, grief and your friendships, questions for God, stuck in grief, hope and resilience, and what do I live for now.

Frist Presbyterian Church is located at 1102 Ash Drive, in Mission. Call (956) 585-4829 or (956) 603-6511 for more information and to register for the class.

Unplug and renew for 2024

unplug and renew webIf you haven’t made any New Year’s resolutions yet, or you need some ideas, Colleen Hook from Quinta Mazatlan offers some advice on how to unplug and renew in 2024.

She offers five ideas for making nature-minded resolutions that help your well-being.

Read more: Unplug and renew for 2024

Liven up your indoor space and spirit with greenery

20211013 TAMU POTHOS SUCCULENTS Gardens Class Tour LM 0475 webWritten by Katherine Cook, TAMU
While you may not associate lush greenery with the winter months, incorporating plants into your home can beautify your space and help combat the winter blues. A variety of indoor plants thrive during the winter months and can provide color in your home during an otherwise dreary time of year.

Charlie Hall, Ph.D., professor and Ellison Chair in International Floriculture in the Texas A&M Department of Horticultural Sciences, has conducted research on the health benefits of plants and nature. Hall said plants can improve your quality of life and should be perceived as a necessity due to the range of positive physical and mental impacts plants have on humans.

Read more: Liven up your indoor space and spirit with greenery

Cattle Car Exhibit coming to McAllen

CattleCar 1300x650 webThe Holocaust Memorial Museum of San Antonio, a department of the Jewish Federation of San Antonio, is honored to bring a traveling Holocaust education exhibit, Hate Ends Now: The Cattle Car Exhibit, to McAllen’s International Museum of Art & Science (IMAS), 1900 W. Nolana Ave., on February 16, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Entrance to this powerful exhibit is free, but registration by time slot is strictly required as space is limited.

“It is a privilege to be invited by Temple Emmanuel and the City of McAllen to host this traveling exhibition for our community," said IMAS Executive Director Ann Fortescue. “We are delighted to work with our museum colleagues from the Holocaust Memorial Museum to provide a safe space for immersive museum learning. Museums are at their best when they enable us to reflect and apply what we learn to our everyday actions.”

Read more: Cattle Car Exhibit coming to McAllen

Tickets still available for She Came to the Valley

She came to the Valley Screening 24 webThe Mission Historical Museum gladly presents a special screening of the 1979 western film: She Came to the Valley. The film is based on the novel written by local author, Cleo Dawson.

Who is Cleo Dawson? Cleo Dawson was born in 1902. Her family was one of the first pioneer families who helped transform the frontier town of Mission into an incorporated city. They were the owners of one of the first convenience stores, Caballo Blanco. Her novel is inspired by the Lower Rio Grande Valley, Mission, Texas during its pioneer days. It is said to be based on Dawson’s mother’s experiences. The film was shot in South Texas's Rio Grande Valley and Oklahoma. In its first run it broke weekend attendance records at Rio Grande theatres.

Read more: Tickets still available for She Came to the Valley

Hidalgo Watercolor Society exhibit opens

UVAL Hidalgo WatercolorSociety 2022 Best of Show Sew What by Dennis Grover webHidalgo Watercolor Society presents "Water Works" with an opening reception Saturday, February 3, from 7 p.m. to 9 p.m. at the Upper Valley Art League Gallery, 921 E. 12th St, Mission.

The annual HWS watercolor exhibit runs February 3 to February 24. Come vote for the People’s Choice award.

UVAL Gallery hours are Wednesday, Thursday and Friday from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. and Saturdays from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. The UVAL Gallery is free and open to the public. (956) 591-0282.

Login