And how was your Thanksgiving? Mine was extra special with a visit from my grand nephew and his father. It is so great to have family come visit, especially when one of them is a champion at almost every cook off that he enters. So naturally, he cooked the turkey … and I had never had smoked turkey before. Since I had already cooked two turkeys for a special early celebration, I was more than glad to turn over the chore to someone else.
However, I still wanted to do my share and contribute to the festivities. Desserts seemed to be in order along with homemade cranberry sauce. It had been a while since I had prepared that and oh it is so good – much better than the canned you buy at the grocery store. The supply chain interfered somewhat with preparation of the pecan pie – there was just no Karo syrup on the shelves at my local store. What a disappointment. For years, our family has been ordering green label Karo from Amazon – but not to find any Karo at all on the shelf, that is really unusual.
Read more: Now on to the Christmas festivities
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.
Read more: Christmas activities start this week
It’s time to bring out your Santa hats. The City of Edinburg invites the community to join in on the holiday cheer this year at the annual Lighting of the Tree and the Night of Lights Parade.
The community is encouraged to mark the start of the holiday season in Edinburg at the Promenade Park Amphitheater (201 W. McIntyre St.) on Thursday, November 30 at 6:30 p.m. for the Lighting of the Tree ceremony. The event features the city’s beautiful 30-foot energy-efficient LED Christmas tree, which will remain illuminated for the remainder of the year for visitors to enjoy, as well as carolers, music performances, and dance presentations.
Read more: Edinburg to kick off holiday season
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.
Read more: RGV Concert Band announces schedule
Harlingen Concert Association will feature Jingle Belles on Tuesday, December 5 at 7:30 p.m. Jingle Belles will feature Jenuine Cello, aka Jen Mulhern, and the Valley’s very own Leslie Blasing.
Read more: Jingle Belles features Leslie Blasing
The Gladys Porter Zoo will be hosting its annual holiday celebration, Zoo Nights and Lights, presented by McDonald’s. This family-friendly event offers holiday spirit and fun for guests of all ages as well as a romantic setting for a date night. Zoo Nights and Lights will be held from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m. on December 1 through December 3.
The public is invited to stroll through the Zoo’s pathways filled with brilliant light displays while enjoying live musical and dance performances. Guests can participate in the festivities with Christmas karaoke, book readings, cookie decorating, and pictures with Santa. Visitors can also find unique holiday gifts for their loved ones at the arts and crafts show and in the Zoo’s gift shops.
Read more: Enjoy the Zoo’s brilliant light display
I can’t believe Thanksgiving is tomorrow. This year has gone by fast… and this season seems to be speeding on by. Thanksgiving Day is usually quite a busy day for us. We usually have family over or are visiting family.
This year, we are spending it with friends. And although we aren’t hosting, we still have a few things we are making to take to that gathering. We also have a turkey to cook for ourselves.
No matter what, my husband has to have his own turkey. He likes the turkey leftovers. We get a big turkey so that we can have meat for casseroles, sandwiches, and other meals. I can get tired of just plain turkey, but when it’s used for other types of meals, it’s something else entirely.
We also have traditions that start this time of year. Sometimes we are able to keep them, sometimes, depending on the availability of tamales, we don’t do the full thing.
Read more: November 22, 2023 - Rina's Ramblings