International Festival and Events Association recognizes hometown events
Texas Border Business
McALLEN – The McAllen Holiday Parade presented by H-E-B has established itself as the region’s premier parade. Aside from the city’s signature event picking up the coveted Best Parade designation, numerous city-sponsored events brought home top honors as well from the International Festival and Events Association with a total of 55 awards citywide.
Award-winning events include Quinta Mazatlan’s Moon Over Mazatlan and the Monarch Fest, Parks and Recreation’s McAllen Marathon Scott Crane Memorial Run, McAllen Library’s South Texas Book Festival, McAllen Convention Center’s International Carfest and Fiesta de Palmas.
A McAllen delegation made up of employees who are tasked with organizing and promoting various city events attended the 64thannual International Festivals and Events Conference and Haas & Wilkerson Pinnacle Awards Ceremony held in Colonial Williamsburg, VA on Sept. 25.
Sponsored by industry leader Haas & Wilkerson Insurance, the professional competition draws entries from some of the world’s top festivals and events. Winning entries came from organizations as diverse as the National Cherry Blossom Festival in Washington, D.C.; the Kentucky Derby Festival in Louisville, KY and the Fiesta Bowl in Scottsdale, AZ. International winners included such diverse event organizations as RedFilo Events, Abu Dhabi; Destination Sydney, Australia; Guangdong Chimelong Group, China; and Cuckoo Events, Ireland, to name a few.
“For McAllen to be ranked high amongst some of the best events in the world is a true testament to the dedicated professionals who plan, organize and promote quality experiences for not only McAllen residents but the entire Rio Grande Valley as well,” said Assistant City Manager Joe Vera.
Quinta Mazatlan garnered 17 awards for their work on eight different events held throughout the year.
“IFEA continues to celebrate incredible events and festivals around the world. The IFEA awards submission for McAllen serves to coach us every year on how to improve our events from creating educational events to fundraising and safety,” said Quinta Mazatlan Manager Colleen Hook. “On behalf of Mayor Darling, it was an honor for us to bring home the Gold for the Best Community Outreach Program, the Mayor’s Monarch Pledge, along with other awards representing a city with a great quality of life.”
The South Texas Book Festival is a celebration of culture and imagination by linking readers of all ages with authors, performers, and publishers, and fulfilling the mission of the McAllen Public Library as a place where people and ideas meet and connect. The festival has seen tremendous growth across South Texas in the six years since its inception.
The McAllen Marathon Scott Crane Memorial Run, named after the late commissioner, is a favorite of RGV runners and prides itself on being a Boston Qualifier. The race courses are flat and fast with a South Texas breeze on asphalt routes that cruise through shady McAllen neighborhoods.
The McAllen Carfest, now in its 9th year, is organized by the McAllen Convention Center and features over 300 vehicles ranging from classic and antique to muscle cars, hot rods and race cars to modern and concept cars. Each year, contributions from the event are presented to local non-profit organizations.
The McAllen Holiday Parade racked up a total of 29 awards and this is the third year in a row the illuminated parade has earned this distinction in its budget category, along with 10 gold, 11 silver and seven bronze awards for marketing, publicity and communication at the event industry’s annual Haas & Wilkerson awards presentation.
Since its inception in 2014, the McAllen Holiday Parade presented by H-E-B has won 277 awards including Best Parade in the World, Best Parade in Texas and Best Event in Texas awarded by industry leaders.
