Submitted by Michele Eastwood
It is time to celebrate the semiquencentennial of the USA. Spend the day at the Llano Grande Quilt Bee 16th annual show on Tuesday, January 27, from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. The show will be held at the Llano Grande Event Center, 2215 East West Blvd. (off Mile 2 West) in Mercedes.
Read more: Celebrate USA’s semiquencentennial at Llano Grande Quilt Bee
The Food Bank of the Rio Grande Valley will host its annual Farm Dinner on Friday, January 23, from 6 to 9 p.m., at the Food Bank RGV, located at 724 N. Cage Blvd. in Pharr.
Read more: Food Bank RGV seeks sponsors and silent auction donations
Sea Turtle Inc. is thrilled to announce the 2026 Enchantment Under the Sea Gala, presented by the Sea Turtle Inc. Foundation. Join them on January 31, at the Hilton Garden Inn for a night of elegance, beauty, and fun in support of sea turtle conservation. After the resounding success of the event’s inaugural year, we’re back again, intent on making the 2026 gala even better!
Read more: Sea Turtle Inc. Foundation presents the fundraising gala
Internationally acclaimed rock n’ roll pianist, Jared Freiburg, will be performing his high-energy show “PIANOMANIA!” at Christian Fellowship Church, 901 N. Loop 499, Harlingen, on Tuesday, January 20, at 7:30 p.m. For ticket information, visit the association’s website at www.HarlingenConcert.com or call (956) 392-9757.
Quinta Mazatlán invites the community to discover the rich botanical history of the Rio Grande Valley during a special Thursday Night Live presentation, “Robert Runyon Plants,” with longtime native plant grower Mike Heep, on Thursday, January 8, 2026, from 6 p.m. to 7 p.m.
As the holiday season winds down, the City of Edinburg invites residents to join in the environmentally friendly tradition of recycling Christmas trees. The Tree Recycling Program encourages residents to transform their festive evergreens into valuable mulch at designated drop-off locations.
Happy New Year to everyone! I hope you had a safe and fun one. I know lots of parks had sold out dances and entertainment for New Year’s Eve. I am sure everyone had a blast, and it is evident by the many photos I have seen on Facebook.
And then there was the New Year’s Day Polar Bear Plunge. I saw a video of the hundreds that joined in at South Padre Island. I also saw a few parks that used their own swimming pool to hold the event.
Just about every park has something special for New Year’s Eve. Many have special entertainment lined up with dinner and other events throughout the night. Many of these parks sell out of tickets weeks before New Year’s Eve. So, if you didn’t get a ticket in time and are still looking for things to do, there might be a few places you can go to still have some fun.
By Herb Moering
Remote car racing has grown in popularity in the past few years with dirt and paved track ovals popping up in recreational vehicle parks in the Rio Grande Valley.
Quinta Mazatlán invites you to end your year with a morning of Birding, Wednesday, December 31, from 8:30 to 10:30 a.m., with Education Specialist and life-long birder Isidro Montemayor. Winter is a great time to get out Birding welcoming an amazing variety of Valley Specialty birds, like the Green Jay, Great Kiskadee, and Plain Chachalaca to name a few. The season also welcomes birds that spend their winter down in South Texas. Ducks, sparrows, owls, even rare birds from Mexico can be seen in the Valley during winter. From binocular basics to bird calls and behavior, you’ll leave this guided experience feeling more in-tune with our avian friends.
