Square dancers gather for annual Jamboree
Known as the “Square Dance Capital of the World,” McAllen will be welcoming thousands of square dancers from all over North America at the 24th Annual Texas Square Dance Jamboree to be held Feb. 5-6.
Tropic Star RV Resort, 1401 S Cage Blvd., Pharr, will be hosting this annual event. The festival features five of the nation's top callers: Randy Dougherty, Wiley Hutchinson, Darryl Lipscomb, Joe Saltel, and Jerry Story. Round dancing will be cued by the Nelsons, Klatkas, and Baldwins. Dancers will be able to enjoy both Plus and Advanced levels dancing in two halls. A special Mainstream level dance will be held on Saturday afternoon from 2-4 pm, Feb. 6. At the same time, a Round Dance Party Phases II-IV will be held in the second hall.
In addition to the fun and dancing, the callers will put on an old-fashioned after-party with comedy skits and singing. Dan and Joann Ackerman of Ohio, who have been coming to the Jamboree for 12 years comment, "The dancing is great and the after party skits are terrific. The after party is worth the price of admission."
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‘Stars Over the Rio Grande’ Quilt Show is Feb. 19-20
Get ready for the biggest quilt show of the season. The 28th annual Rio Grande Valley Quilt Guild show, “Stars Over the Rio Grande,” will be held February 19- 20 at the Pharr International Convention Center, one block north of Sioux Road on the north 281 Frontage Road. Doors are open 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. daily. Admission is $5.
This show is a quilter’s mecca, featuring many excellent quilts, and a wide variety of quilting supply displays. According to Carol Hovar, publicity chairman for the show, there will be on-going quilting technique demonstrations, a miniature quilt silent auction, and a country boutique where the public can purchase hand-crafted and quilted items.
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Ozark Jubilee Brings Branson Show to Valley
Randy Newman and the Ozark Jubilee are headed for South Texas to put on three special performances in a road show tour Feb. 17 and 18.
World-class violinist and National Fiddle Champion Newman will bring his cast of eight performers to put on a full-scale, Branson-style show at the Border Theatre in Mission on Wednesday, Feb. 17, at 2 p.m. and 7 p.m. Tickets for the Mission shows are $15 downstairs and $10 upstairs (balcony seating), and are now available at the Winter Texan Times, 1217 N. Conway, Mission.
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Winter Outdoor Wildlife Expo showcases region’s natural wonders
From raptors to ocelots, and fly fishing to beachcombing, the 16th Annual Winter Outdoor Wildlife Expo features lectures, classes and exhibits that will tantalize any nature lover. Scheduled from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Saturday, Feb. 6. The event is bigger than ever with the addition of nature-related vendors for the first time.
Attendees can choose from among more than a dozen workshops designed to sharpen their skills in such areas as wildlife photography, gardening and native plants, kayak fishing and flycasting. There are also many educational programs including “Ask a Game Warden,” butterflies, and boating safety.
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David Church brings back traditional style country
David Church, known for his appearances on RFD-TV, has returned to the Rio Grande Valley for his second year. Last year, Church’s performances in the Valley were met with overwhelming response from fans of traditional country music. This year’s performances include a five-piece band.
“My first year in the Valley was wonderful. I found a lot of our regular fans come here. Everywhere I went, I found friendly people that love the traditional style country music.” Church said.
Church’s popularity throughout the U.S., Canada, and now Europe has soared over the past several years from being featured monthly on Saturday night on the RFD-TV network.
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Recording artist Barbara Fairchild tours Valley
Nashville recording artist Barbara Fairchild is once again retuning to the Rio Grande Valley to entertain Winter Texans. Barbara and her husband Roy will be appearing at area RV resorts during February and March. When the couple is not on the road with their show, they do their show in Branson, Missouri, where they have operated the Barbara Fairchild Diner for the past 11 years. They visit with their loyal fans that come to the diner each day.
Barbara, who is a two-time Grammy nominee, is well recognized as both a country and Gospel singer. She received her first Grammy nomination for the “Teddy Bear Song” that went to number one on country charts. In 2004, Barbara and her friends, Sharon White (Skaggs) and Connie Smith, received four Dove nominations for their trio Gospel album, “Love Never Fails.”
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Jay & Tammy come to Chicken House Opry
Jay and Tammy Roy, who are known for their skills playing guitar, will be hosting their own variety show at the Chicken House Opry on Friday, Feb. 5 and Feb. 26. The guitar duo are known for the variety of music styles they play including swing, big band era, classic country, western, gospel and pop chart favorites.
Jay plays guitar while Tammy plays bass. Together they can perform over 3000 vocal and instrumental selections from music spanning a century of musical selections. They play for dances or shows in church parish halls, lodges, campgrounds, inns, and restaurants, at RV rallies and for community events. In 1989 the couple appeared on “CBS This Morning with Harry Smith and Paula Zahn” who were doing a segment about RVing in the United States.
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