Winter Texan Times

Deadline approaching for Texas Master Naturalist annual training

Texas Master Naturalists sell native plants at RGV Home and Garden Show web Winter Texans and residents over the age of 18 in Cameron, Hidalgo, and Starr counties are welcome to register to join the 2024 South Texas Border Chapter Texas Master Naturalist training class. The deadline to register for the 2024 class is December 15.

Texas Master Naturalist is a unique educational volunteer program sponsored by Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service, Texas Sea Grant Program, and the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department.

Swing by MOSTH for holiday fun

Capture the holiday fun at the Museum of South Texas History Sunday, December 10, from 1 p.m. to 5 p.m.

Come on by to take a photo with Cowboy Santa. Each four inch by six inch photograph is $5 and will include a blank photo frame that can be decorated with supplies provided by the museum. These frames can be added to your Christmas tree at home or gifted to someone special, making it a fun holiday keepsake or gift.

Cartoonist shares new prose, comic collection at MOSTH

MOSTH Jose Alaniz web Author and cartoonist José Alaniz will present a new prose and comics collection published by FlowerSong Press at 2 p.m. December 10 at the Museum of South Texas History (MOSTH).

The hybrid book features short stories and comics, mostly set in the Rio Grande Valley along the Texas-Mexico border. The stories reflect the author’s upbringing in this region as a second-generation Mexican-American, at times fusing folk beliefs with Bradbury-style science fiction. For example, “Tamales” sets the immigration narrative on Mars in 2063, when a migrant family makes the crossing in search of work via (malfunctioning) rocket.

Christmas activities start this week

20181207 Mission La Placita Christmas Lights JMB 0017 web Thanksgiving is over, so that means the Christmas celebrations have begun. The Valley is full of celebrations that start with tree lightings, then parades, and Christmas lights that stay on the entire month, sometimes lasting until the first week of January. We try our hardest to make sure we give you as much information as possible, but we might not have everyone here. So look to your city’s website or Facebook to see if your city is doing anything special for the holidays.

The Brownsville Holiday Village has already started with their little houses and search for the gingerbread man. The village is set up at the Dean Porter Park. Admission is free with live entertainment scheduled and Santa visiting on Friday’s and Saturday’s.

RGV Concert Band announces schedule

The Rio Grande Valley Concert Band will again present a series of winter concerts and can use some new members.

The band has begun rehearsals in preparation for a December Christmas Concert. This concert will be given at 3 p.m. on December 10 at Our Savior Lutheran Church located at 1105 West Fern Ave. in McAllen.

Alamo Train Crash topic at Lecture Series

20210120 Alamo 1940 Train Collision CAB 5216 web The Mission Historical Museum Lecture Series presents: The Alamo Train Crash of 1940 with Juan P. Carmona and Taylor Seaver De La Fuente.

Join the museum for a historical lecture on the Alamo Train Crash of 1940, taking place on Saturday, December 9 at 11 a.m. at the Mission Historical Museum. Admission is free to the public. Coffee and light refreshments will be served.

Ring in the Season at the IMAS Holiday Market

Gingerbread House Challenge web The International Museum of Art & Science (IMAS) is thrilled to announce their annual Holiday Market at the Museum, set to enchant visitors on December 9. Celebrate the spirit of the season amidst an array of local artisans, a gallery talk from a guest curator, Gingerbread Challenge workshops, and the annual Christmas Tree Forest community exhibition.