Posted by Nancy Millar on Mon, May 20, 2013 @ 04:27 PM
COURTESY OF MCALLEN PUBLIC INFORMATION OFFICE:
The McAllen Fire Department is turning 100, this year! To mark the occasion, McAllen FD plans to host several community events for the public to attend, from June 7 to June 10, 2013.
Here's a rundown of some of the scheduled events:
Open House
Friday June 7th, 2013
Open house at Fire Stations 1, 2, 3, 5, and 6.
McAllen residents can drop by and visit their neighborhood fire station, between 4 and 8 pm.
Parade/Community Day at West Side Park
Saturday June 8th, 2013
Families are invited to a parade of fire trucks and to community day, beginning at 10 am.
-Auto Extrication demonstrations-Safety trailer-Games for Kids-Cook off featuring foods prepared by other RGV Fire Departments-Air Evac landing, and demonstration-Apparatus display
-Repelling Demo
...and more!
Posted by Jeramie Heflin on Thu, May 16, 2013 @ 02:14 PM
The Valley Land Fund is offering photography classes for kids ages 6-18 every Saturday this summer at Quinta Mazatlan starting on June 8th and ending on August 15th. Youth are invited to attend one or all of the two hour Saturday Workshops. Indoor classroom instruction will be followed by outdoor sessions on the trails. Workshops by Professional full-time photographer Ruth Hoyt, Photo Bound Tours.
Time: 10:00 a.m. to 12:00 noon (Ages 6-9 and 10-13)
2:00 p.m. to 4:00 pm (Ages 14-18)
Date: Saturdays in June and July
Fee: $5.00 per workshop
Equipment: Digital Cameras Provided
Reservation: Call Quinta Mazatlan at (956) 681-3370
Good ratio of instructors to youth (1:8), 25 students per workshop
June 8: Nature Photography Basics
Learn the basics of nature photography, from camera handling to creating a strong
composition, lighting, perspective and other technical aspects.
June 22: Photograph Waterscapes and Landscapes
Learn how to photograph waterscapes and landscapes.
July 6: Photograph Plants and Wildlife
Learn how to photograph a plant, critter or animal in the natural world.
July 20: Digital Art and Night Photography
Learn what you can do with the images you create, as well as how to discover, observe and
photograph in nighttime conditions.
July 27: How to Prepare Photos for the Photo Contest
Learn how to process and prepare your photos for entry in Contest.
July 31 Submission Deadline for Photographs
Deliver to participating sites by 5pm or upload online at www.valleylandfund.com
Submissions due July 31st, 2013. This is a classroom session with a computer,and participants are asked to bring photos they intend to enter in the photo contest.
August 15: AWARDS CEREMONY AT QUINTA MAZATLAN
Featuring the youth images on a large screen with music!
Bring the family for a fun evening starting at 7:00 pm, 600 Sunset Drive in McAllen
Sponsored by The Valley Land Fund through the generous support provided by the Robert L. Townsend Endowment Fund in association with Quinta Mazatlan,McAllen Parks and Recreation & BBVA Compass Foundation.
Posted by Nancy Millar on Tue, Apr 16, 2013 @ 01:51 PM
Ven y unete a los fans, las estrellas, los proveedores y los artistas que hacen que todo esto sea posible en este espectáculo que donde tendrán la oportunidad de conocer de cerca y personalmente a Chaske Spencer y Erik Odorm, las estrellas de Luna Nueva y la saga de CREPUSCULO!
Podras comprar artículos de colección y juguetes nuevos o clásicos películas de Ciencia Ficciòn como: La guerra de las galaxias, Viaje a las Estrellas,
Galactica, Aliens y figuras de acción de DC comics, Marvel y màs.
Habrà concurso de Disfraces!
Cuando:
Abril 20 y 21 2013 Lugar:
McAllen Convention Center Exhibit Hall A
700 Convention Center Blvd.
McAllen, TX.
Posted by Nancy Millar on Wed, Apr 10, 2013 @ 02:48 PM
The Valley Polo Club cordially invites the community to the First Annual Polo Extravaganza at Spring Fest Park on Sunday, April 14th. Gates open at 1:00pm with the main polo match beginning at 3:00pm. Spring Fest Park is located at 3199 S. 23rd Street in McAllen.
This event is free to the public and is to promote the game of polo in the Rio Grande Valley. There will be food and drinks available. Dress code is casual.
FOR MORE INFO VISIT: WWW.VALLEYPOLOCLUB.COM
Posted by Nancy Millar on Tue, Apr 09, 2013 @ 04:30 PM
McAllen es bien conocido por sus refugios de vida silvestre. Uno de los favoritos - Quinta Mazatlan - es sede del festival verde màs grande en Texas, que se llevarà a cabo este 20 de abril de Vida Verde. El evento se realiza de las 9 a.m a las 4 p.m. (o más, si te inscribes en la carrera de 4k que comienza a las 7:30 am).
La gente ha disfrutado mucho de los eventos pasados por lo que los invitamos a que prueben un poco de:
• Compras en el mercado campestre “Vida Verde” te dará acceso a productos frescos y otras cosas que no encontrarás en ningún otro lugar. Además, puedes apoyar a los agricultores locales - lo que significa una victoria para los consumidores y para el medio ambiente!
• Cada una de las demostraciones de cocina orgánica en el evento, te enseñará cómo preparar comidas saludables y sabrosas. Ya sea que estés cocinando solo o con un amigo, siempre es agradable comer una comida hecha en casa.
* El USFWS Texas Wildlife Tent contará con los animales del zoológico de Texas y Sea Turtle Inc. Es una rara oportunidad de ver animales exóticos y aún más raros verlos de cerca, así que esta es una buena oportunidad de pasar por aquí y verlos.
Esto ni siquiera es el comienzo de todo lo que se puede hacer en Vida Verde.
Aquí puede ver la lista completa de las actividades: http://www.quintamazatlan.com/events/special/vidaverde/entertainment.aspx
Posted by Nancy Millar on Wed, Apr 03, 2013 @ 02:24 PM
McAllen is well-known for its wildlife refuges. One of my favorites - Quinta Mazatlan - is hosting the largest green festival in Texas on April 20th, Vida Verde. The event lasts from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. (or longer, if you join the 4k run that starts at 7:30 a.m.).
I've enjoyed attending in the past. This year, I'm ready to try some new activities with my fellow McAllen-ites. You might want to try a few yourself. For example...
- Shopping at Vida Verde's farmer's market will give you access to fresh produce and other things you won't find anywhere else. Plus, you'll be supporting local farmers - a win for shoppers and for the environment!
- Each of the organic cooking demonstrations at the event will teach you how to make healthy, tasty meals. Whether you're cooking alone or with a friend, it's always nice to eat a homemade meal.
- The USFWS Texas Wildlife Tent will feature animals from the Texas Zoo and Sea Turtle Inc. It's a rare opportunity to see exotic animals - and rarer still to see them up-close and personal - so I'm taking the chance to stop by and see them.
This isn't even the start of everything you can do at Vida Verde. Click here to see the full list.
Which activities are you most looking forward to doing? Please share with us in the comments!
Posted by Nancy Millar on Tue, Feb 26, 2013 @ 12:09 PM
"WHEN CHILDREN's STORIES COLLIDE"
FREE FOR CHILDREN!
This Friday night at 7:00 PM and this Saturday afternoon at 2 PM, a children's play "When Children's Stories Collide" will be presented by WILD (Writers In Literary Discussion).
In this interactive production, children from the audience request what children's stories are acted out, but then at various moments during each story, another child will request another story to also be acted out, which, of course will lead to the stories converging, or children's story characters colliding for intentional humorous effects. Each performance will be different than the previous one. A partially improvisational production directed by Tom Fuschetto.
WHERE: Pecan Campus Auditorium, Building D, STC, McAllen (South side of Pecan -- NOT the Cooper Center).
TIMES AND DATES:
7:00 PM on Friday, March 1
AND
2 PM matinee show on Saturday, March 2
ADMISSION: $1.00 admission. FREE TO ALL CHILDREN.
All people are invited. For more information, contact Tom Fuschetto at 872-3487 (tomf@southtexascollege.edu).
Posted by Nancy Millar on Tue, Feb 26, 2013 @ 10:39 AM
Victoria Cruz, 9th grade student at PSJA North High School, has been awarded one of only ten scholarships from the North American Nature Photography Association (NANPA) and will attend a summit from Feb. 28 to March 3 in Jacksonville, Florida. She will have the opportunity to network and learn from nature photography professionals including stock photo agents and magazine photo editors.
The 14-year-old has been taking photography instruction from professional nature photographer Ruth Hoyt since the summer of 2011. With this scholarship, Victoria will now have the opportunity to improve her craft as she continues to explore her passion for both nature and photography.
According to Hoyt, she saw great potential in the young prodigy and told her family about opportunities such as the NANPA High School Scholarship Program. The application process alone provided Victoria with the practical experience of putting together a portfolio of her work along with essays.
Victoria is the only scholarship recipient from Texas and also the youngest participant. The majority of the participants are seniors and come from other states like Alaska, New York, Washington, Kansas and Florida. One recipient is from Canada.
“The applications received this year were extremely impressive,” said Mac Stone, NANPA High School Committee Chair in the acceptance letter sent to Victoria. “Your maturity, passion for nature photography and past accomplishments were key in your selection.”
According to Stone, after participating in this summit, other scholarship recipients have become finalists and winners in the Youth Awards in Nature’s Best International Competition and have been honored as Young Wildlife Photographers in other international competitions.
“[Victoria] should be proud to be a member of such a prestigious group of young nature photographers,” Stone said.
Aside from her love for photography, Victoria is also part of PSJA’s Dual Language Enrichment Program. As a 6th grade student, she won a national essay contest with her work detailing the importance of being bilingual and biliterate. She is also in UIL Science and Orchestra at PSJA North, as well as the Pan American Student Forum. Victoria has been part of the Gifted and Talented Program and plans to graduate through the Distinguished Achievement Program.
Although the scholarship program includes accommodations, meals, classroom instruction and field trips, winners are responsible for their transportation to and from the summit, as well as of any equipment they purchase and incidentals. Victoria is currently raising funds to meet these costs.
For more information about NANPA and the summit, visit the organization's website at www.nanpa.org. If you would like to learn more about Victoria's fundraising needs, please email ruthhoyt@hotmail.com or call (956) 330-2900. 
Posted by Nancy Millar on Thu, Feb 21, 2013 @ 03:18 PM
BorderFest Gate Admission
Official Website: http://www.myborderfest.com/
Thursday,February 28, 2013
$12.00 for Adults, $ 5.00 for children 10 & under,
Toddlers Free
Friday,March 1, 2013
$12.00 for Adults, $ 5.00 for children 10 & under,
Toddlers Free
Sat.-Sun., March 2, 3, 2013
$ 10.00 for adults $12.00 after 4pm
$ 5.00 for children 10 & under
Toddlers Free
Gate Admission does not include
Zac Brown Band Concert
BUY IN ADVANCE AND SAVE, SAVE, SAVE
Two Day Super Pass $24.00 Value
Only $13.00 In Advance SAVE $11.00
Advance Sale Tickets at all STRIPES of Hidalgo County
Posted by Nancy Millar on Mon, Feb 11, 2013 @ 02:19 PM
Construction is getting underway on the North DeLeon Soccer Complex!! In an interview with the McAllen Cable Network, McAllen Parks and Recreation Director Sally Gavlik said the playing fields should be ready for use by Fall of 2014. Gavlik describes the amenities of the new sports complex and all speaks about plans for a new baseball complex and motocross park. For more information about these projects, contact the McAllen Parks and Recreation Department at (956) 681-3333.http://youtu.be/CRov-2brnlI
special thanks to McAllen Cable Network