While social distancing is still being practiced in many activities, several of our local festivals have had to change the way they do things this year. Some have been cancelled and have next years dates on their website – so please look for those and prepare for next year.
Each year, thousands of people unite to commemorate Veterans Day, a holiday that honors all those who have served the country in war or peace. This year, the City of Mission is honoring local military heroes with a Veterans’ Appreciation BBQ Saturday, Nov. 7. The drive-thru event at Mission Event Center will feature a chicken plate with all the trimmings, while supplies last.
“We want to make sure our community recognizes the true meaning behind Veterans Day,” Mayor Dr. Armando O’Caña said. “We must honor the men and women who have sacrificed for our freedom. I wish we could host our second annual parade, but the safety of our community is first and foremost so we had to change things up this year to take the necessary coronavirus precautions.”
Operation Christmas, Samaritan’s Purse, is in full swing for this upcoming Christmas season. Boxes were delivered recently to several locations so participants could get started on building boxes for those less fortunate in other countries. This year, because of social distancing, there are additional ways to participate and there will be a no touch collection at Baptist Temple in McAllen.
By Quinta Mazatlán World Birding Center
Learning about the vast world of birds is like a treasure hunt. There are many paths that we can take to help us find these beautiful gems in nature. Books are a great way to start learning about birds. Bird field guides help us grasp the physical attributes of different birds’ appearances, as well as providing us with a feel of where the birds can be found, and what their vocalizations can sound like.
The all-new Mission Food Park hosted its grand opening this past weekend and is looking forward to serving the community. Mission Food Park, powered by the Mission EDC, is located at the CEED building on Bryan Road and U.S. Business 83. The site is the permanent location of Jitterz coffee bar and local brewery 5x5 Brewing Co., which will be operating during the food park hours. The food park will host a variety of food trucks including Queenie, Motoramen, Sahadi’s, and Pineapple Ninjaz.
The Rio Grande Valley Transportation Museum recently reopened with a big event that featured a live presentation by the pilots, including flyovers in that museum’s vintage Ryan PT-22 aircraft. The Ryan PT-22 is just one of the several World War II era planes that museum has to view – and they are all in working condition. The museum is located within the historically significant Port Isabel Cameron County Airport, on Veterans Drive, two miles north of FM 510, and off of Buena Vista Blvd.
The museum houses World War II exhibits and artifacts that have been donated by local families. Display cabinets have been arranged to display significant events leading to and experienced during the war. Among the exhibits is a display of Flying Tiger artifacts, an enlarged photo of the first bomb dropped on Pearl Harbor, a display of the Women of the Army Air Force who flew every aircraft in the US military arsenal, as well as a Home Front display.
South Texas College Theatre has taken a leap into the virtual world this season.
While patrons cannot come together in the college’s beloved performance spaces at the moment, STC Theatre have figured out creative ways to produce some innovative and entertaining productions for folks to watch in the comfort of their own home, or wherever their desire to see theatre strikes them.
