OCTOBER 30, 2024 www.wintertexantimes.com 12 WINTER TEXAN TIMES RioValleyEstates@gmail.com www.RioValleyEstatesTX.com • 1 FREE High Speed Internet Modem with WiFi • 1 FREE Spectrum TV Cable Box • Swimming Pool & Hot Tub • Recreation Hall Recreation Hall • Fun Activities • Concrete Pad Sites • Full Hookups • Wide Paved Streets • Gated Community 715 N. Westgate Dr. • Weslaco 956-968-2708 Expwy 83 Business 83 W Pike Blvd Panther Dr Westgate Dr RVs at Only 2 Blocks Off I-2, And Beyond To The Entire RGV Come see how the right location makes all the difference! Rio Valley Estates Within 5 Blocks Of All You Need Festivals, Parades, and more I continue to be amazed at how many things there are to see and do in the Rio Grande Valley. It seems that every town has a festival or a special day to celebrate. There is the Butterfly Festival in Mission, the Birding Festival in Harlingen and another in McAllen, the Citrus Festival in Mission, the Festival of Las Palmas in McAllen and not to be missed the Festival of Lights in the small town of Hidalgo. Even Kingsville joins in with the Saturday before Thanksgiving celebrating ranch life with the Ranch Hand Breakfast. You name it, we’ve got it! And then we have the Parades - July 4th, Veterans Day and Christmas Parades as well as the Port Isabel Boat Parade just to name a few. It appears that we are running out of names for the festivals, so we now have a Margarita Festival, and a Jalapeno Festival is sure to be added. Edinburg presented a Halloween-themed Fall Festival. Perhaps I missed one or two that you consider special. If you live in a Mobile Home or RV Park, you no doubt have all sorts of entertainment to fill your days. In addition to Festivals and Parades most towns set aside special days to offer special events. There are Market Days at least once a month with some towns offering market days only during the growing season where garden fresh fruits and vegetables are sold. One more venue sure to attract your attention should be the concerts and theater presentations that the larger towns offer. Don’t miss Steel Magnolias in Harlingen. Also, be aware of your local school districts. They often offer many theatre and music productions during the school year. Your best reference for things to see and do in the Rio Grande Valley is the Winter Texan Times. They cover the entire Valley from top to bottom. My favorite of all the venues is the Monarch Butterfly Festival. In February of 2025 Go With Jo will provide a tour to see where this beautiful butterfly spends their Winter. It is just too cold in Canada for these delicate creatures who don’t move until the sun warms their wings. What a sight it is to see the pine trees where they spend the night come alive with orange as they wait for the warm sun rays. Once the wings are warmed, they fly down to a water supply for a refreshing drink. If you sit very still Texas Citrus Fiesta Parade. Photo by Doug Young November programs at Bentsen-RGV State Park Bentsen-RGV State Park has fun and informative programs for all ages. Scheduled programs are free with park admission. Reservations are required for some programs. More programs will be announced soon. All programs will meet at the tram turnaround at park headquarters unless otherwise specified. Every Friday, Saturday, and Sunday at 8:30 a.m. the park holds a bird walk. Star Stories, which requires a reservation, will be held on Saturday, November 16 at 6:30 p.m. Call ahead to confirm program schedule and details at (956) 5849156. Bentsen-RGV State Park is located at 2800 South Bentsen Palm Drive, in Mission. Park grounds are open from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. Park store is open from 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Tram transportation service is available from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. daily, and leaves from headquarters on the hour. You can follow the park on Facebook or visit the park website for the latest updates on upcoming events. See GO WITH JO pg. 16 Wild turkeys at RGV Bentsen State Park. Photo courtesy of TPWD/Thomas Riddle
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