Polar Express and road closures to get attendees to event safely, efficiently
Earlier today, at a press conference held at long-time parade sponsor L&F Distributors, MHP organizers announced details of road closures and the McAllen Holiday Parade Polar Express, the day-long free park & ride shuttle that is being provided by Metro McAllen on parade day, to help ensure the safety of the anticipated 265,000-plus parade attendees, as well as the 1,200 parade participants and volunteers.
Getting the family to the parade will not be difficult, as the City of McAllen, in partnership with South Texas College, will offer a FREE McAllen Holiday Parade Park & Ride Polar Express Shuttle from the STC campus on Pecan Boulevard and 29th St. to the Quince Avenue and 23rd Street parade Drop-Off/Pick-Up point. Starting at 12:00 p.m. on Saturday, December 2, Metro McAllen trolleys and buses will make a continuous loop approximately every 15 minutes, from pick-off point at STC to the parade Drop-Off/Pick-Up point. The Park & Ride Polar Express Shuttle will run until 12:00 a.m. Wheelchairs, walkers and strollers are welcome, as are service dogs. Both parking and the ride are free for everyone throughout the day.
Organizers are reminding parade attendees that there will be multiple road closures around McAllen Veterans Memorial Stadium, the site of the parade step-off, beginning at noon the day of the parade. These road closures are designed to help parade participants arrive to the staging area safely and to avoid traffic congestion or accidents as hundreds of thousands of spectators make their way to the parade viewing area.
“As the largest single day attendance event in the Rio Grande Valley, it is our priority to make sure that everyone arrives safely and on time to see the McAllen Holiday Parade,” said Joe Vera, McAllen Assistant City Manager and Executive Producer of the event. “We ask everyone to take note of the road closures, pay attention to barriers and pedestrians and to take advantage of the free Polar Express that will get everyone to the parade site quickly and safely. Thanks to the many law enforcement partners who will be assisting with traffic control and other security details, we want to make sure that everyone has a fun and safe time at the parade,” concluded Vera.
Anyone wishing to participate in the parade as a volunteer still has time to sign up as balloon handlers or banner carriers. Balloon handler volunteers must be 18 years or over, while banner carriers must be 16 years or over. All volunteers must go through a background check and will receive gloves, t-shirt and snacks. Learn more at www.volunteersotx.org or by visiting Las Palmas Community Center located at 1921 N 25th Street or calling Las Palmas at 681-3350.
Organizers are also reminding anyone throughout the Rio Grande Valley that the call for entries for the McAllen Holiday Shoebox Parade is open and the deadline to enter was extended but is fast approaching. Entries must be on a shoebox, and can include any type of arts & crafts, toys, holiday decorations, lights or countless elements to celebrate “South Pole Dream Land,” the theme of both the shoebox and the big parade. The winning shoebox float entry will be made into an actual float for the 2024 edition of the McAllen Holiday Parade. Entries are due no later than Monday, November 20, 2023 by 5:00 p.m. to the City of McAllen Office of Communications, McAllen City Hall, 1300 W. Houston Ave., 3rd Floor. For more information, visit www.mcallen.net.
Everyone is invited to enter the 2023 McAllen Holiday Parade sweepstakes, where participants have a chance to win a bevy of prizes, including an iPhone 15; PS5; Nintendo Switch; Apple Pro Max Headphones; a Dyson Airwrap; VIP Parade tickets and much more. In fact, Bert Ogden is providing the grand prize for the 2023 McAllen Holiday Parade sweepstakes, which will include four VIP Stadium tickets; four meet and greet tickets; and one parking pass. Anyone can register by simply texting the word SOUTHPOLE to (956) 474-6767 to get registered to win.
Celebrity hosts of the 2023 presentation of the parade will include Mario Lopez and Linda Tovar for the English-language broadcast and Julian Gil for the Spanish-language broadcast. Other celebrities already announced include: Dallas Cowboys Super Bowl Legends Tony Hill, Michael Irvin and Drew Pearson and Telemundo celebrities Myrka Dellanos, Giselle Blondet and Veronica Bastos, co-hosts of “La Mesa Caliente” and 2020 Miss Universe Andrea Meza.
The parade will step off at 6:00 p.m. on Saturday, December 2, 2023 from the McAllen Veterans Memorial Stadium, 2001 N. Bicentennial Blvd. Ticket prices start at $10, plus service fees for stadium, SPI Vuelta Zone, and McAllen International Airport Skybox Zone seating for the parade and can be purchased at www.ticketmaster.com. There is also plenty of free seating along the parade route, on a first come basis. For stadium seating, organizers are encouraging attendees to arrive early to enjoy the first-ever Vuelta Spin-Off, a competition between two iconic giant helium balloons.
For the past five years, the McAllen Holiday Parade has been named the Best Parade in the World, and for the second time, earned the Grand Pinnacle Award from the International Festivals and Events Organization. The McAllen Holiday Parade has also been named the Best Parade in Texas for the past six years running now by state event industry organizations.
The McAllen Holiday Parade is presented by H-E-B and powered by Bert Ogden Auto Group and proudly sponsored by McAllen International Airport, South Padre Island CVB, Reliant and Lone Star Bank. Other sponsors for the 2023 presentation of the McAllen Holiday Parade include Budweiser-L&F Distributors, McAllen International Bridge System; McAllen Public Utility; Metro McAllen; South Texas Vo-Tech; University of Texas-RGV; Matt’s Building Materials; PepsiCo.; Valley Aids Council; South Texas College; McDonald’s; Driscoll Children’s Hospital; Chick-fil-A Rio Grande Valley; American Electric Power Foundation; McAllen Public Works; IBC; Lacks; McAllen Chamber of Commerce; Hermes; Peña Eye Institute; McAllen I.S.D.; Linebarger Attorneys at Law; General Mills; PNC Bank; O’Reilly Auto Parts; McAllen Economic Development Corp.; Doña Lula; Tres Lagos Master Planned Community; Pollux Castor Creative; Explore McAllen; KSA Engineers; Cigna; Plains Capital Bank; Taco Palenque; Halff Associates; B2Z Engineering; Raba Kistner Consultants, Inc.
Media partners for the parade include Advance News; AIM Media; El Periódico U.S.A.; iHeart Radio; KNVO-Univision; KRGV-ABC; KTLM-Telemundo; Lamar Outdoor; Latino Media Network; Más Music; Nexstar 23&4; Radio United; Revista Expresión.
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