By Herb Moering
Local history is what passengers received during a day aboard ship on a Breakaway Cruise out of South Padre Island on Feb. 19.
The 64 mostly Winter Texans on the three-hour excursion learned about the Port of Brownsville’s thriving industries, watched dolphins leaping out of the waters, saw pelicans and seagulls and enjoyed a shrimp boil lunch.
St. Baldrick’s Head Shaving Event and Raffle will be held on Saturday, February 15, at the Edinburg Center at Renaissance, 118 Paseo Del Prado. Music and raffle/silent auction will be at 10 a.m., shaving starts at 10:45 a.m. The head shaving event helps fund research into cures and better treatments for childhood cancer. Come and watch the Hair Fly.
The event was started by Winter Texans in 2009 at Texas Trails RV Park. The first seven years the event was staffed by seniors. Doctor’s Hospital joined the event in 2016 and now the event is staffed by senior volunteers and volunteers from the hospital.
Latin dance instructor, Solenne Reyna will be sharing her passion for dance at Quinta Mazatlán Thursday, February 13 at 6 p.m. as the presenter for Nights at the Mansion. Solenne will be leading a Valentine’s Salsa Night as she teaches her “Beginners Bachata Class,” for couples and singles alike.
Solenne has been dancing for over 10 years and is known for her superb technique and infectious energy. From Hip-hop to Tango, she is familiar with a broad range of dance styles. Presently, Solenne is a dance instructor at the Rhythm Room Studio in McAllen. The studio offers dance instruction in Salsa, Bachata, Country, Ballroom, Cumbia, Zumba and more.
The great, great grandson of Henry Clay Davis, a famous Texas Ranger, will present about his ancestor during the Sunday Speaker Series program, “The Legendary Henry Clay Davis in Early Texas,” at the Museum of South Texas History February 9 at 2 p.m.
L. Michael “Mike” Davis is the great, great grandson of Henry Clay Davis. He created a booklet with the goal of telling his ancestor’s story to his family, and other history enthusiasts. Using Dick D. Heller Jr.’s manuscript, “The Story of Henry Clay Davis,” Mike Davis will discuss the life of the former Texas ranger, frontier fighter, enterprising merchant, state senator, brigadier general and founder of Davis Landing, a docking station for steamboats on the Rio Grande. In addition to the landing, Henry Clay Davis established barracks called Camp Ringgold, later named Fort Ringgold, in 1848. Henry Clay Davis is buried at the Rio Grande City Downtown Historic Cemetery.
Read more: MOSTH speaker series presents famous Texas Ranger
The International Museum of Art and Science (IMAS) will be hosting its eighth annual Lunar New Year Festival on Saturday, February 8, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.
Celebrate the Year of the Mouse (Rat) alongside RGV’s vibrant Asian community. Visitors of all ages are welcome to explore China, Korea, and Taiwan with traditional calligraphy, art, games, story times by McAllen Public Library children librarians, and more.
Entertainment includes a hip-hop dance by X Studio, a piano performance by Dr. Jooyoung Kim from UTRGV, and a martial art performance by students from Bob Davis Martial Arts school. A food sampling from local restaurants will take place (while supplies lasts), plus boba tea will be for sale by the Filipino Student Association from UTRGV.
Join Mission Historical Museum (MHM) for sweets and light refreshments as they present their Lecture Series on February 8 at 11 a.m.
You might call W.F. Strong a student of all things Texas. In 2010, he began sharing his Stories from Texas vignettes on NPR stations, most recently on the Texas Standard's network of 30 stations. Celebrating his home state, Strong has collected 75 of his broadcasts. You’ll hear his inimitably Texan voice in your mind’s ear as he weaves stories on subjects ranging from how to talk Texan to Texas bards and troubadours; from tall Texas tales to Lone Star icons like Charles Goodnight, Tom Landry and Blue Bell ice cream; from legends and heroes of the past to some heartfelt memories of his own.
Read more: Lecture series presents iconic companies of Texas
A non-juried exhibit featuring diverse works created by the Upper Valley Art League’s members will be on display in the Kika de la Garza Fine Arts Center Gallery February 8 through March 7.
Paintings, drawings, photography, mixed media, digital art, ceramics, sculpture, jewelry, and fiber arts, all handcrafted by student and professional artists will be shown in a public open exhibit.
The opening reception for the exhibit will be held on Saturday, February 8, from 7 to 9 p.m. The gallery is located at 921 East 12th Street in Mission.
The Rio Grande Valley Farm Equipment Club will be holding their annual scholarship fundraiser this weekend, Saturday February 8, and Sunday February 9, from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. at the RGV Livestock Showgrounds in Mercedes. Admission is $5. There will be food and fun for those that attend.
All proceeds will benefit the club’s scholarship program. The club awards scholarships to high school students that plan to study agriculture or a related field. The club receives applications every year from Valley high school agriculture and Future Farmers of America department.
The club includes current and/or retired farmers and individuals interested in the preservation of farm life. Some of our members are Winter Texans who are members of similar clubs back home. The club participates in public events, such as the RGV Livestock Show in Mercedes, the La Feria Festival and other related events. Club members display their antique tractors, equipment and other items related to old farm life.
On January 22, 359 Kansans from all over the Rio Grande Valley met to commemorate the anniversary of the state’s January 29, 1861 admission to the Union. This total attendance tops the 2019 Event by 100. What might be more spectacular, is 150 attendees were first timers for this celebration.
This year’s event took place at Trophy Gardens RV Resort. Much appreciation was given to Russel and Kathy Cropp and their team for setup of all tables and chairs. A great lunch was prepared and served by Ballis Catering of Mission. Entertainment was provided by Rusty Rierson, home grown entertainer from Augusta, KS.
Those in attendance had nothing but good things to say about the food and the entertainment.
The International Museum of Art and Science (IMAS) will be hosting Art Bash on Thursday, February 6, from 3 to 8 p.m. to continue its Family Fun Night series on the first Thursday of every month.
Visitors can celebrate different forms of art at the IMAS including spirograph art, Surrealism, Mexican folk art, and music. A special performance by Musical Living Academy students will take place at 5 p.m. Guided tours in the galleries and outdoor sculpture areas will be provided throughout the evening. Recently opened exhibits include Cosmic Connections: The Metaphysical Practice of Kirk Clark and light sculptures from Jinju, South Korea.
At 6 p.m. UTRGV philosophy professor Dr. Remei Capdevila Werning will present a talk entitled “The Impossible Question - What is Art?” The IMAS has partnered with UTRGV’s Department of Philosophy to present Philosophy for Everyone talks, an ongoing series of philosophy lectures at the museum for a broad audience.
It's that time of year – time to head to South Padre Island and watch kite fliers from around the world as they 'tie one on' for a weekend filled with amazing kites and performances.
On January 30 through February 1 – Thursday Night, Friday and Saturday – SPI Kite Fest will descend once again on the town of South Padre Island. The festival kicks off Thursday evening with Indoor Kite Performances held at the SPI Convention Centre from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m.
The indoor performance lineup boasts an array of internationally known kite fliers. John Barresi holds thirty-one national championship titles and is the 2018 Open Individual Unlimited Ballet champion. John will be joined by the 2014 AKA National Indoor Champion, James Fletcher (Baltimore, MD) as well as many other talented fliers – Mario Di Lucca & Steve De Rooy (Victoria, British Columbia), Jeremy Wharton (Andover, Hampshire, UK), Spence Watson (SeaTac, WA), Paul de Bakker (Oak Harbor, WA), Paul Lamasters (Germantown, MD), Eli Russell (Medford, OR) and Brett Marchel (New Boston, MI) – to mention just a few. These amazing indoor fliers will show off their kite flying talent as they hit the floor with their choreographed routines to a mix of jazz, swing, classic rock and pop music.
University researchers who study the positive impact Winter Texans have on the Rio Grande Valley economy need your input. Every two years the Winter Texan Times helps the local university collect information about the Winter Texans that visit the Rio Grande Valley. So, it’s that time again – We need your help.
This week, the Winter Texan Times includes the University of Texas Rio Grande Valley (UTRGV) Winter Texan Survey as an insert in the newspapers. We invite our readers to complete the survey, and in so doing, be entered in a drawing for $150 cash prize.
The easiest way to complete the survey is online. UTRGV has created an easy-to-use web form and there is a link to it on the home page of our website at www.wintertexantimes.com. You can also find the survey form online at http://utrgv.edu/wintertexan.
Boy, has it been a busy month – with the last two weeks seeming to go non-stop here at the Winter Texan Times office. Our readers have been visiting the office quite a bit this month – bringing their news in, dropping off reunion and meeting notices, picking up papers, placing classified ads and picking up prizes they have won by subscribing to our email edition.
In all of this, my husband, Dan, and I have been trying to get out more and visit the parks, getting to know the people that we serve. We have been invited to a few events, have had booths at others, and some we have just decided to drop in on and see what was going on. Our writers are out there quite often getting the newest story or learning more about a sport – check out our new column From the Cheap Seats where one of our writers has been able to get out and learn about sports in the parks.
The Texas Citrus Fiesta Parade of Oranges has grown to become one of the largest parades in South Texas, an annual tradition that attracts about 100,000 people. In addition to its signature floats made of citrus fruit, the parade features spirited marching bands, exciting dance performances, stunning citrus-themed pageant gowns, and a royal court.
The spectacular event is scheduled for Saturday Jan. 25, 2020 at 3 p.m. The Texas A&M Parsons Cavalry, a horse combat unit consisting of cavalry, artillery and quartermaster elements will highlight this year’s parade. Texas State Sen. Juan “Chuy” Hinojosa (D-McAllen) will serve as parade marshal.
The parade begins at Griffin Parkway and runs south on Conway Avenue and ends at 1st Street. Mission Police will close all streets along the parade route in phases, beginning at 9 a.m. until the conclusion of the parade. Spectators are advised to exercise caution along Conway Ave., and to stay clear of any marked and coned-off areas.
January 23rd has been named Cook Your Catch Day by the avid anglers and cuisine fans of South Padre Island. The Island is celebrating their first-ever Cook Your Catch Day with a VIP fishing trip and Chef’s table dinner for local and regional influencers, tips from fishing guides on techniques for catching different species, ideas from SPI chefs on how to make the most of every catch, and a call for the best fish stories on social media.
Enjoying freshly caught fish is a tradition on this tropical Texas island. With Island restaurants renowned for their fish recipes and great Redfish and Drum in the bay, SPI is the perfect Gulf-to-Table experience.
