(McAllen, TX) Residents looking to kick off the holiday season under the stars can do that by celebrating at Christmas in the Park. Located at Municipal Park, 1921 N. Bicentennial Boulevard, right next door to McAllen Veterans Memorial Stadium, Christmas in the Park is a prelude to the much-anticipated McAllen Holiday Parade and features food, fun, vendors and, thanks to sponsor Dr. Raul A. Peña and Peña Eye Institute and media partner R Communications, plenty of attraction and entertainment for the whole family.
While the fun this year will kick off with a carnival winter spectacular on Thursday, November 30, the excitement continues the next evening, Friday, December 1, when the family-friendly event officially opens its doors, starting at 5:00 p.m. There, attendees will get a chance to enter into the much-lauded Dallas Cowboys Hall of Fame Museum, being featured for the first time at Christmas in the Park thanks to the Dr. Peña. The traveling exhibit is a fan favorite among die-hard Dallas Cowboys fans, featuring various memorabilia. Entrance into the museum is free.
The Dallas Cowboys On Tour is a mobile program dedicated to bringing the Cowboys experience to the fans. This one-of-a-kind attraction provides an interactive opportunity for all fans to enjoy. The Hall of Fame Museum is filled with exhibits depicting the history of the Dallas Cowboys including: Super Bowl trophies and rings; Super Bowl MVP lockers; historic uniforms; Tom Landry display; seven flat-screen monitors; jumbo screen; life-size statues of Bob Lilly and Emmitt Smith; and much more!
During the McAllen Holiday Parade on Saturday night, be on the lookout for the Peña Eye Institute float, which is a replica of the Dallas Cowboys home stadium and will feature America’s Sweethearts, the Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders and that smiling Cowboy mascot himself, Rowdy. Starting today, fans will get a chance to become entered into a drawing to be one of the lucky few who will get an autograph and photo session with the cheerleaders, thanks to Peña Eye Institute. Listen to any one of the McAllen Holiday
Parade media partners for chances to win.
“Being a part of the McAllen Holiday Parade, which is becoming such a special part of the Christmas tradition for families here in the Rio Grande Valley is really exciting for Peña Eye Institute,” said Dr. Peña. “We are proud of the eye care we provide the community and being the Rio Grande Valley’s Official IntraLASIK Surgeon of the Dallas Cowboys. ”
“Additionally, we are especially proud to be able to extend the relationship that we have
with America’s Team, the Dallas Cowboys, to bring that excitement to the festivities at Christmas in the Park and the magic to this year’s McAllen Holiday Parade,” he concluded.
However, the Dallas Cowboys and Cheerleaders aren’t the only stars that will be shining brightly at Christmas in the Park. R Communications, home of Super Tejano 102.1 FM, Digital 101.5 FM, La Ley 102.5 FM La Lupe 89.1 FM and KURV-710 AM, as well as RTV, PBS and COZI, will be bringing not one, TWO major Grammy-award winning and nominated artists to the stage at Christmas in the Park for Friday night. And the best part? It is free for the whole family.
Starting at 9:00 p.m., the living legend and group that has spawned the careers of several of Tejano’s largest artists, Mr. David Lee Garza y Los Musicales. A multi-Grammy and Tejano Music Award winning artist, Garzy Y Los Musicales are fan favorites throughout the Rio Grande Valley, Texas and Northern Mexico, developing a cult-following with their fans because of their unparalleled musicianship, smooth vocals, catchy tunes and of course, that one-of-a-kind accordion sound that continues to produce hit after hit.
“We are so excited to be coming to McAllen to be a part of the line-up at Christmas in the Park where we have so many great fans from throughout the Rio Grande Valley,” said David Lee Garza. “Christmas is such a special time and it brings joy to our hearts to be able to bring joy to the hearts of kids who are going to have a magical Christmas this year.”
Also taking the stage after DLG is Brownsville’s own Jimmy Gonzalez y Grupo Mazz. With a lyrical voice and song-writing skills to match, and a roomful of awards to match, Jimmy continues to prove why, decade after decade, he packs every music hall and concert venue he performs at.
As a special treat, McAllen Holiday Parade organizers will be offering a balloon inflation demonstration of some of the characters that will be featured the next day during Christmas in the Park on Friday evening as well. Come watch the amazing process to turn the flat balloons into the giant characters that wow the crowds as they come lumbering down the parade route. During this year’s parade, 40 balloons using 34,000 cubic square feet of helium will be used to get the balloons floating upright in the air.
Of course, the fun does start Thursday, November 30 with the carnival. Admission to the carnival is free, and for Thursday night only, specially-priced wristbands which allow the wearer to unlimited carnival rides, are currently on sale now. The wristbands will be sold on site for $20; however, the City of McAllen Parks & Recreation Department and a few McAllen I.S.D. school locations are currently selling the wristbands for only $10. Visit the City of McAllen Parks & Recreation Department at 1000 S. Ware Road or any of the three Parks & Recreation community centers: Lark at 2601 Lark Avenue; La Palmas at 1921 N. 25th Street; and Palmview at 3401 Jordan Road West, to get ahold of these half-priced wristbands to takeadvantage of the fun at this year’s carnival.
Visit www.mcallenholidayparade.com for more information.
This year’s McAllen Holiday Parade will feature a magical winter wonderland of gently falling snowflakes at McAllen Veterans Memorial Stadium only. Parade goers who want
to experience a white Christmas should make plans to get their tickets to view the parade
with the best seats in the house at the McAllen Veterans Memorial Stadium, Saturday,
December 2, 2017, starting at 6:00 p.m. Tickets for the stadium will be sold starting next week at the McAllen Convention Center Box Office, located at 700 Convention Center Boulevard in McAllen or at Ticketmaster atwww.ticketmaster.com.
For those parade-goers who prefer to see the floats coming down Bicentennial Boulevard, specially-reserved front row seats are also available for sale at the McAllen Parks & Recreation Department. Contact them directly at 681-3333 or visit them at their Ware Road location.
Volunteers also play a critical part of the success of the McAllen Holiday Parade. Anyone wishing to volunteer as a balloon handler or parade marshall should sign up now by visiting the McAllen Holiday Parade website –www.mcallenholidayparade.com – and follow the link. Volunteers must be at least 18 years old and will undergo a background check.
The McAllen Holiday Parade sponsors include La Plaza, A Simon Mall; Kraft; H-E-B; and Bert Ogden & Fiesta Dealerships. Other sponsors include: L&F Distributors-Budweiser; City of McAllen Bridge Department; McAllen Public Utility; Sprint; Dairy Queen; Lacks; Linebarger, Goggan, Blair & Sampson, LLP; McAllen Chamber of Commerce; McAllen Economic Development Corporation/Reynosa McAllen Maquila Association; McAllen International Airport; Anzalduas International Bridge; Peña Eye Institute; IBC Bank; AEP Texas; Metro Connect; Doña Tota; Stripes; City of McAllen Public Works-Recycling; Carollo Engineers; Taco Palenque; Tres Lagos; ERO Architects; Halff Associates, Inc.; University of Texas-Rio Grande Valley; Plains Capital Bank; BBVA Compass; South Texas College; Raba Kistner Consultants, Inc.; Inter-National Bank; Melden & Hunt, Inc.; McAllen ISD; KSA Engineers; S&B Engineers; KNVO-Ch. 48 Univision; KGBT-Ch. 4, CBS; KRGV-Ch. 5, ABC; KTLM-Ch. 40, Telemundo; Univision Radio KGBT 98.5; Entravision Radio; R Communications; iHeartRadio Wild 104 FM; Mas Music 90.9 FM; Multi-Medios; The Monitor; El Periódico, U.S.A.; Advance News Journal; La Patrona; Despierta Valle; and Revista Expresión.
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