Earlier today, organizers of  the international award-winning McAllen Holiday Parade, presented by H-E-B and powered by Bert Ogden Auto Group announced the return of the South Padre Island Vuelta Zone, a specific “party within the parade” party zone, featuring  a celebrity host, live music, official South Padre Island Vuelta Zone t-shirt, noisemaker, special gifts, reserved seating and, the only official spot along the 1.5 mile-long parade route where the giant helium character balloons will make the famous vuelta. Tickets for this zone go on sale this Friday, September 15, 2023 at www.mcallenholidayparade.com.

To keep the South Padre Island beach fun atmosphere throughout the parade, attendees will get to enjoy the including  traveling South Padre Island parade float entitled “Texas’ Best Beach,” as well as the iconic crowd favorite colossal balloon, Ridley the Sea Turtle.  He will be joining three newly announced helium balloons that will be making their MHP debut this year at the 10^th anniversary of the Christmas event,: Cheer Bear from the Care Bears: Tweety Bird from Looney Tunes cartoons fame and Bumble the Abominable Snowman from the everyone’s favorite Claymation holiday movie, “Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer.”

“Since its creation, the McAllen Holiday Parade has partnered with South Padre Island to take the beautiful SPI parade float across the state to share our top destination with Texas,” said Cindy Treviño, director of marketing and corporate sponsorship, SPI Convention & Visitors Bureau. “From its first appearance at South Parade Island to the Fiesta Flambeau parade in San Antonio, we are excited to return to celebrate 10 years of magic at this year’s McAllen Holiday Parade.”

Three-time Pro Bowler and Super Bowl Champion wide receiver Tony Hill, #80 and three-time Pro Bowler and Super Bowl Champion wide receiver Drew Pearson, #88, are the first celebrities announced, who will be making an appearance at this year’s parade. Celebrity host Mario Lopez will once again return for the English broadcast of the parade, joined by H-E-B Senior Partner for Public Affairs, Linda Tovar. 

While tickets for the parade are already on sale now, for anyone wishing to be a part of the parade, volunteer opportunities are available for balloon handlers and 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 25^th 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 opens still and the deadline to enter 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, October 30, 2023 by 5:00 p.m. to the City of McAllen Office of Communications, McAllen City Hall, 1300 W. Houston Ave., 3^rd Floor.  For more information, visit www.mcallenholidayparade.com. 

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 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 the

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 and Reliant. 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.

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