Winter Texan Times

Celebrate Christmas in the Valley

20181205 McAllen Christmas Parade HMiller 425 web1 If you are looking for ways to start celebrating Christmas early, look no further. Cities throughout the Valley are turning on their lights and welcoming you to come in and join the fun. Some cities are having full weekend celebrations, some are even having month-long celebrations. Here are a few that we are aware of that we would like to share. I am sure there are a few more we don’t know about as well. Keep a watchful eye to see what your city is doing this holiday season.

Winter Texan Times: Looking back 35 years

Winter Texans love to play

Whether it’s cards, shuffleboard, pickleball, dominoes, or billiards, Winter Texans love to play. They love to compete too.

We have been to many different events throughout the last 35 years where Winter Texans have been playing all sorts of games. Winter Texans make games too, or they bring games from their area or heritage and share them with the parks.

AAF wants to “strike” out hunger among college students

RGV Chapter AAF Bowling Tournament web The Rio Grande Valley Chapter of the American Advertising Federation (AAF) is sponsoring a “Time to Give, Grinches” bowling tournament with all proceeds going to food pantries at local colleges and universities.

It’s all part of a public service initiative to give back to the community.

Winter Texans return to the RGV

Submitted by Arleen Bier

Even though we have been coming here for many years, we still find new things to do, new festivals to attend, new restaurants to try, and many treasures at flea markets and park sales. We appreciate the warm welcome we receive every year when we return to the Rio Grande Valley.

Male singers wanted

The Senior Ambassadors men’s chorus, which has been a part of the Rio Grande Valley since 1985, is looking for singers to join their chorus. Senior Ambassadors is composed of men from the Valley and Winter Texan community. They perform choral music from sacred and semi classical, to pop and country. The group is always looking for men who enjoy singing and invite you to join them at the weekly practice session.

Practice sessions are held each Friday from 1 to 3 p.m. at Bentsen Grove Resort (1645 S. Bentsen Rd.) in Mission. The group sings from music, so no memorization is required.

STEC holds Christmas celebration, speaker series

20221130 STEC FB Photo The South Texas Ecotourism Center (STEC) Laguna Vista will hold a Christmas celebration next week. The celebration will be held on Thursday, December 8 from 6 to 9 p.m. The event will feature Santa, food and craft vendors, and holiday performances. Admission to the event is free.

STEC will also be holding their Fall Speaker Series this coming month. The series is held every first and third Wednesday at 6:30 p.m. Refreshments are free, and the center will stay open until 8:30 p.m.

Professor provides another look into the legacy of Juan Cortina

Marie Theresa Hernandez web The Museum of South Texas History welcomes author Marie Theresa Hernández, Ph.D., as a featured presenter during the Sunday Speaker Series presentation, “History, Terror, Imagination: Stories of Juan N. Cortina” at 2 p.m. on December 4.

Texas folklorist J. Frank Dobie describes Cortina as the “most striking, the most powerful, the most insolent, and the most daring as well as the most elusive Mexican bandit, not even excepting Pancho Villa, that ever wet his horse in the muddy waters of the Rio Bravo.” The great-great grandson of Blas de la Garza Falcón, Cortina came to national prominence when he attacked Brownsville in September 1859 and began what is known as the “Cortina War.”