The Museum of South Texas History presents ¡Cascarón!, an Easter celebration, from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday, April 8.
The museum’s annual event features the regional tradition of decorating “cascarones,” or empty eggshells, filled with confetti. Blank and ready-to-hide cascarones will be available for purchase, while supplies last. Guests can choose to decorate a dozen empty eggshells for $2 or purchase a dozen pre-decorated eggs for $4.
South Padre Island has a new art gallery, The Art Lounge, and it will be hosting an exhibition called Bloom. The exhibit will take place on April 8, from 3 to 5:30 p.m.
The high-end art gallery is turning one-year-old and they are giving the community flowers to celebrate. They are turning the gallery into a garden party for the art opening. Just in time to be held the Saturday before Easter.
The Gladys Porter Zoo has implemented a new dynamic pricing model. Zoo admission prices will now vary through July, depending upon the day of the week. This dynamic model is currently used nationwide at various attractions and is intended to encourage visitorship from Monday through Thursday when the attraction is generally less crowded. At the same time, the slightly higher cost to attend the Zoo provides an inflation-based increase in income at the front gate. Since 90 percent of the Zoo’s operating income is derived from admission sales, this adjustment is needed to maintain a world-class facility, purchase nutritious food for the Zoo’s 1,600 inhabitants, and retain top-notch experts by paying competitive wages.
The U.S. Department of State has extended the processing times for U.S. passports again. Now, the routine processing of a passport application is now 10 to 13 weeks, up from eight to 10 weeks. The expeditated processing – for the additional $60 fee – is now seven to nine weeks, up from five to seven weeks.
Recently, the Texas General Land Office (GLO) Commissioner Dawn Buckingham, M.D. reminded all interested volunteers to sign up for the 2023 Texas Adopt-A-Beach (AAB) Coastwide Spring Cleanup on Saturday, April 22nd at 23 locations across the Texas coast, from Port Arthur to Boca Chica Beach.
Edinburg Music Fest is seeking vendors and artists to participate at the fourth annual festival on April 15th. This year’s festival will take place at the Edinburg Promenade Park Amphitheater located at 201 W. McIntyre and promises to be a fantastic day filled with music, dance, food, and fun for the whole family.
The Edinburg Music Festival will feature various local bands, carnival rides, folkloric and dance performances, food trucks, crafts, children’s activities, an animal petting zoo/exhibits, and more. This year, Texas Folklife and the Museum of South Texas History will host the annual Big Squeeze, partnering with the City of Edinburg for the annual accordion semifinals competition, from 2 p.m. to 5 p.m., followed by the Edinburg Music Festival concert from 6 p.m. to 11 p.m. The concert is free and open to the public but VIP tables are available for purchase at edinburgarts.com/viptables.
Sometimes those of us who live in the Rio Grande Valley just take for granted all the wonders that surround us. Regardless of our age, we have so many opportunities to enjoy our life.
For the young or more active, how about canoeing down the Rio Grande River or perhaps kayaking in the Arroyo Colorado or in the Bay at nearby South Padre Island. Hiking trails and nature parks are scattered all over our semi-tropical area. Spring and Fall migrations attract many residents and visitors who want to add to their Birding Life List. For those of us who are more sedentary, river boats can take us up and down the river. Simply said, the Rio Grande Valley is virtually a natural paradise.
There are so many opportunities for travel and exploring. How about a Sunday afternoon drive down what is now referred to as the Memorial Highway. At one time bandits on horseback rode in this area often intercepting and robbing the mail wagons that not only carried the mail but often more valuable payrolls. Later this same road became the thoroughfare for the Oblate Fathers who were the ministers of the Christian faith to the ranches scattered along the river road. Those ministers were named the Cavalry for Christ.
By Herb Moering
St. Patrick’s Day could be called a breeze this year at Royal Palms Mobile Home Park in Alamo. The gusts on Friday were not enough to stop the annual Irish-themed park parade of decorated golf carts, pets, and a walker.
Reigning over the afternoon event were grand marshals Norm and Mary Hall, married for 75 years and park residents since 2001. The couple, who were given gifts for their participation, came to the Valley in 1990 after Mary retired from a long-time stint as a teacher’s aide that was part of Norm’s 38 years with the U.S. Air Force, a combination of seven years in the service and 31 years as a civilian employee. The period of 1949-52 they were in Germany as part of the Berlin Airlift. He also was at a Waco, TX training base for pilots during the Korean War. He ended his career in 1990 after 30 years at Lowery Air Force Base in Denver.
It was a warm February day in Bentsen State Park; we had stopped for a rest and a drink of water at the Mexican Marker and realized we had a problem. The Marker is about halfway around our planned bike ride. At the Marker, our friends admitted they had not ridden a bike in years.
Meeting Old Friends is Part of The Joy of Camping.
Case and Geraldine were good friends from twenty years ago. Our jobs had taken us to different parts of Canada, but we had maintained contact on Facebook.
They were crossing the southern USA in their RV. They had come to the Rio Grande Valley to see us.
Each Friday in November through March from 1 to 3 p.m. the Blue Wolf band, and associate band members with jammers, entertain audiences of listeners with country, bluegrass, rock and roll, and other music genres at McAllen Mobile Park. The co-hosts are Jerry and Shirley Spanhanks assisted by the sound engineer, Dennis House, announcer Les Watkins, and entertainment coordinator Betty Dennison.
On stage, is the Blue Wolf band comprised of Steven Kelley on drums, Birger Olson on bass guitar, Shirley Spanhanks on guitar, and Jerry Spanhanks on lead guitar and other string instruments. Don Leet and RK Welander (both play bass and regular guitar) recently joined the stage band.
