5 WINTER TEXAN TIMES www.wintertexantimes.com DECEMBER 17, 2025 EVENTS CALENDAR December 17 – Bentsen-Rio Grande Valley State Park will host their Winter Speaker Series: Winter Skies at 6 p.m. This event requires a reservation. Please call ahead to confirm program schedule and details by calling (956) 584-9156. Bentsen-RGV State Park is located at 2800 S. Bentsen Palm Drive in Mission. December 18 – Bentsen-Rio Grande Valley State Park will host a Winter Wind-down Hike at 9 a.m. This event requires a reservation. Please call ahead to confirm program schedule and details by calling (956) 584-9156. Bentsen-RGV State Park is located at 2800 S. Bentsen Palm Drive in Mission. December 18 - The Dustin Michael Sekula Memorial Library—teaming up with The Friends of the Edinburg Public Library—invites families, teens, and community members of every age to join the 2025 Holly Jolly Winter Celebration. This free and festive family event will take place from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. at the library, located at 1906 S. Closner Blvd. The event will feature an evening filled with holiday crafts, themed games, photo opportunities, and delightful surprises, all designed to bring joy to attendees of all ages. December 18 – The Brownsville Society for Performing Arts presents their Christmas Concert featuring Handel’s Messiah & More presented by over 100 musicians on stage. The concert will feature Alium Spiritum. The event will be held at 7 p.m. at the TSC Performing Arts Center, 90 Taylor Ave., in Brownsville. Admission is free, donations gratefully accepted. For more information, visit brosperformingarts.org. December 19 – The McAllen Wind Ensemble will present Christmas Across America at 7:30 p.m. at the McAllen Performing Arts Center. Tickets are free, but they are required for entry. Tickets and more information can be found online at www. mcallenwindensemble.org. December 20 – The McAllen Farmers Market will be held at the McAllen Public Library from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. The event is held every Saturday. The library is located at 4001 N. 23rd St. For more information visit mcallenfarmersmarket.com. December 20 – Firemen’s Park in McAllen will host the Growing Growers Farmers Market at 9 a.m. The park is located at 201 N. 1st St. The event is held every Saturday. December 20 – The Brownsville Farmers Market will be held at 9 a.m. at Linear Park, E. 6th St. and E. Ringgold St. The event is held every Saturday. December 20 – Bentsen-Rio Grande Valley State Park will host Our Daytime Skies at 2 p.m. This event requires a reservation. Please call ahead to confirm program schedule and details by calling (956) 5849156. Bentsen-RGV State Park is located at 2800 S. Bentsen Palm Drive in Mission. December 21 – The South Padre Island Farmers Market is held at The Shores, 8605 Padre Blvd., every Sunday from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. Shop for fresh produce, meats, cheese, juices and more. To see this event and others, visit https://www.sopadre. com/listing/south-padre-island-farmers-market/1099/. December 21 – Bentsen-Rio Grande Valley State Park will host a Nature Scavenger Hunt at 11 a.m. This event requires a reservation. Please call ahead to confirm program schedule and details by calling (956) 584-9156. Bentsen-RGV State Park is located at 2800 S. Bentsen Palm Drive in Mission. December 22 – Bentsen-Rio Grande Valley State Park will host a Winter Wind-down Hike at 9 a.m. This event requires a reservation. Please call ahead to confirm program Reunions are a great time to catch up with friends, old and new. Here we will feature reunions and meetings that are happening throughout the Valley. We hope that if you have such a meeting, you will send the information to us so we can help you spread the word. If you would like to share your information, please send it in. We would love to see your photos as well and share with others what a great time you are having. If you have a great photo from your reunion or meeting, we would love to see that too. You can send your information to news@wintertexantimes.com. Rio Grande Valley Woodcarvers The Rio Grande Valley Woodcarvers will have their weekly Thursday get togethers at the Las Palmas Community Center, 1921 N. 25th St., in McAllen from 8 a.m. to 12 p.m. They will meet every Thursday, excluding holidays, until the last Thursday in March 2026. Any questions, call Pam Horstman at (816) 590-6521. RGV Senior Texan Softball League The RGV (previously Ed Marten’s) Senior Texan Softball League is open to all local Texans as well as Winter Texan senior men and women aged 55 years and older. The league practices are held at McAllen’s West Side Park, located on S. Ware Road directly across from the McAllen Convention Center. The Division A practice is every Tuesday and Thursday at 9 a.m. Division B practice is every Monday at 9 a.m. Practices run from now through December. The first week of January the league will “draft” players into teams for some competitive play. For more information, call Fred Esqueda at (956) 897-6961 or Mike Brower at (734) 834-0128; or email Mike at mbrower@umich.edu. RGV Concert Band Rehearsals After the holidays, the RGV Concert Band will focus on the January through March Concerts held in various 55+ parks. The group usually performs six concerts per year during the season. If you’re interested in joining the RGV Concert Band, please come to a concert and /or contact director Gene Goede at (956) 682-9225. Practices are held at Our Savior Lutheran Church, 1107 Fern in McAllen. Submarine Veterans The Submarine Veterans will meet for lunch at 11 a.m. on the third Thursday from now (Thursday, December 18) through April at the Junction Café, 11 S. Cage Blvd., in Pharr. For more information, contact Larry at (715) 305-0401. Fayette County, Iowa Make plans for the Fayette County, Iowa reunion set for Thursday, January 15, 2026. It will be held at Mr. Gatti’s in Weslaco at 11 a.m. Contact Carolyn Beier at (563) 920-3838 if you need more information. NRLCA Winter Texans The NRLCA Winter Texan insurance meeting will be held Tuesday January 27, 2026, at 8:30 a.m. at the Victoria Palms Restaurant, 602 N. Victoria Rd., in Donna. Lynne Paller, Director of Health Insurance Programs, along with Aetna and CVS will be guests. You will order off of the menu. For more information contact Harry Rhoades at (816)-390-7600 or email bingohwr@grm.net. schedule and details by calling (956) 584-9156. Bentsen-RGV State Park is located at 2800 S. Bentsen Palm Drive in Mission. December 27 – Take a peaceful guided walk through the gardens at the National Butterfly Center and discover the butterflies and wildlife active after the holidays. Refresh your spirit as you explore seasonal changes and quiet beauty on the trails. The NBC is located at 3333 Butterfly Park Dr. in Mission.
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