Hello and welcome back to South Texas and to the Rio Grande Valley! We are so excited that you have come back to visit us. And if you are new to the Valley – you are definitely in for a treat.

The Rio Grande Valley is a great place to be – we say and hear it every year from our Winter visitors and friends. Great weather, great people, and great friends.

I am looking forward to cooler temperatures – which haven’t quite made it this way yet, but it looks like we have some in the forecast. At least it isn’t crazy hot. This slightly cooler weather encourages us to be outdoors a bit more and gives us a chance to enjoy more of what the Valley has to offer. We always find that this time of year is just the right time for everyone to make their return to the Valley – those crazy hot temps have left, and y’all bring the cooler temps with you.

This season looks like it will be a busy one as usual. We’re seeing fall events already being planned. Fundraisers, food collections and other events for November are already in the works.

Every year, the parks find more ways to entertain their residents. So, while some parks might start off a little slow, by January, they are full of hustle and bustle, music, arts and crafts, food, R/C racing, pickleball, dancing, and so much more.

Everyone is eager to have some fun and they are waiting for you to join them.

We are already hearing from our Wintertainers™ that have full schedules or are trying to fill a few more openings. They are excited to be coming back to people that love them and we’re so happy to see them return year after year. We also know there are some new ones out there and look forward to catching a few shows and dances during the season.

We have so much happening in the Valley right now. Late October and Early November are the beginning of culture festivals and other events for many Valley cities. Many cities and museums are holding Dia de los Muertos events.

We have Fiesta de Palmas this weekend, and other festivals coming up – Butterfly Festival, RGV Birding Festival, the Annual Pow Wow, and so many more. We’ll have stories about these and more throughout the season. The events can also be found in our events calendar every week.

With Halloween just around the corner, I am sure many parks are already decked out. Some awaiting trick or treaters, others ready for their parades or costume contests. We have attended some in the past few years, and they are always fun. We love seeing pictures of you and your friends, dressed up and having a blast – send them in if you would like to see your face in the paper or online.

While there is a lot of entertainment that can be found in the parks, there is also a lot of local talent that showcases that talent at the McAllen Convention Center and Performing Arts Center, Harlingen Community Theater, Pharr Community Theater, and UTRGV Arts just to name a few. You also have the Valley Symphony Orchestra, McAllen Wind Ensemble, LJISD Folklorico shows, and more. Most of the local high schools have great productions in theater and dance. With the holiday season coming upon us, there will be plenty of opportunities and events to attend.

We will try our best to keep you informed of all these events throughout the Valley.

We are always looking for the great stories out there in your park. Many parks have interesting people that others should know. Or organizations that are doing good things for their community. Some parks have interesting events like hog scrambles, turtle races, derby races, and chair volleyball. We want to know about these events and people. And if you can’t write the story, we can send someone that can, or just give us the information and we’ll take it from there.

If you have a story idea, we love receiving suggestions and hearing from you. Send your ideas to news@wintertexantimes.com. Types of stories we might be interested in could be profile pieces, unique activities, or events in your community – holiday light shows, special pickleball events, etc. – how your park is involved in local charity work, or any myriad of human-interest stories we might stumble across in our Winter Texan parks.

With Thanksgiving about a month away, I am sure there are plenty of parks already gathering food supplies to donate or will be soon – these are things we want to see and hear about. Send your photos and information to us.

We here at the Winter Texan Times hope you find your way safely to your South Texas home and enjoy your stay with us this season. We are here to help you along the way and get the news that matters to you on our pages, Facebook, and online.