Texas Border Business
Attendees to this year’s McAllen Holiday Parade, presented by H-E-B and powered by Bert Ogden Auto Group, can begin their 2023 holiday season fun by celebrating with some legendary stars, Dallas Cowboys legendary stars that is. Parade organizers announced that coming to this year’s presentation of the event include Dallas Cowboys Super Bowl Champion and Pro Bowler Randy White. Additionally, thanks to the Dr. Raul Peña and Peña Eye Institute, the Dallas Cowboys‘ fan experience for this year will once again include the Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders, the Dallas Cowboys Hall of Fame Museum and Rowdy, the Dallas Cowboys mascot.
“Today, I am filled with immense pride and gratitude as we step toward the remarkable milestone of the McAllen Holiday Parade’s ten-year anniversary,” said McAllen Mayor Pro Tem Omar Quintanilla. “It’s been a decade of storytelling through exciting parade themes, spinning floats, and smiling people that have all become an essential piece of our community’s holiday spirit.”
Before the McAllen Holiday Parade steps off at 6:00 p.m. from McAllen Veterans Memorial Stadium on Saturday, December 2, 2023, the community is invited to enjoy Christmas in the Park which starts its celebration with the carnival on Thursday, November 30, 2023, from 5:00 to 10:00 p.m. at Municipal Park, located at 1921 Bicentennial Boulevard. The full-fledged free, fun, family-friendly Christmas festival kicks off the next day and aside from the carnival, features food, fun, vendors, arts & crafts, concerts and entertainment for the whole family. Here, fans can enjoy the Dallas Cowboys Hall of Fame Museum and enter for a chance to Meet & Greet the cheerleaders, the legends, Rowdy and other celebrities yet to be announced. Bands on Friday night include Texas Storm Band; Xplosion Tejana; Grupo Inevitable; and La Lexxion. On Saturday, the activities start at 12:00 p.m. and that night, bands include the Brody Rivers Band; Solitaire; The Yard Dawgs; Southern Ashes; the Ybarra Boyz; and Pedro Garcia “El Gran Mariachi.” Community dance groups and performances will be presented throughout the day, as well as games and other activities.
Organizers are also inviting the community to sign up to be one of hundreds of balloon handlers throughout the 1.5-mile parade route. Additionally, volunteers can light up the parade by holding one of over 100 lighted banners that walk just in front of the floats, balloons or bands. 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. All volunteers are required to have pardvolunteers@mcallen.net.
Organizers are also reminding anyone throughout the Rio Grande Valley that the call for entries for the McAllen Holiday Shoebox Parade is right around the corner. 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.
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..
Everyone is invited to enter the 2023 McAllen Holiday Parade sweepstakes, where participants have a chance to win a bevy of prizes, 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.
