Texas Border Business
With only 24 days left to go until the largest illuminated holiday and helium balloon parade in Texas steps off on Saturday, December 3, 2022 from McAllen Veterans Memorial Stadium at 6 PM, McAllen Holiday Parade, presented by H-E-B and powered by Bert Ogden Auto Group still have a plenty of announcements and great features to get the community engaged, excited and rewarded about this year’s presentation of the annual holiday tradition. Aside from a special sweepstakes that includes a bevy of prizes, with a special prize package from Bert Ogden Auto Group, and additional parade route seating options that benefit local organizations, two additional Dallas Cowboys legends were added to the roster of former Super Bowl Champions joining the team of players making an appearance, including #24 cornerback Larry Brown and #58 strongside linebacker Dixon Edwards. If that wasn’t enough, iHeart Radio national syndicated morning show Host Tino Cochino will also be a part of this year’s celebrity appearances.
“Christmas is all about holiday wishes coming true and for the thousands and thousands of Dallas Cowboys fans here in the Rio Grande Valley, having these legends here for our amazing parade is like a holiday wish coming true on Christmas morning in a sea of blue and silver,” said McAllen City Manager Roel “Roy” Rodriguez, P.E. “I love it.”
Echoing that sentiment was Marsha Green, Vice-President of Marketing for the Bert Ogden Auto Group, highlighting how proud the auto group is to be the power behind pulling the 60 floats in the parade.
“This parade is magical. It embodies the spirit and wonder of Christmas, where fantasies and fairy tales come true as dazzling, animated and illuminated displays on the various floats, all pulled by a Bert Ogden vehicle no less,” said Green. “The floats, the lights, the balloons, the bands, and the entire team that puts this event together, help to give our entire Rio Grande Valley community and beyond a Christmas gift that will last a lifetime: the memory of this delightful parade, right here in McAllen.”
Speaking of gifts, that’s one of the more exciting parts of Christmas, isn’t it? Starting today, text the word Southpole to 956-474-6767 to get a chance to win a bevy of prizes, including:
- $1 thousand dollars in holiday cash
- two round trip tickets to Las Vegas or Orlando
- iPhone 14
- various gaming systems, including Nintendo Switch, XBox Series X, or a PS5
- H-E-B gift cards
- 65-inch TV
- And other great and amazing prizes.
Additionally, one special prize that will be given away is the Bert Ogden Prize Package, which includes McAllen Holiday Parade stadium tickets, Meet & Greet passes and – this one is an absolutely a gem – a parking pass for the day of the parade!
Also making a celebrity appearance is Tino Cochino, iHeart Radio’s national syndicated morning show host, who will serve as the DJ for the South Padre Island Vuelta Zone, where those giant helium balloons will make the famous 360-degree Vuelta, which doesn’t happen anywhere in the world, except at the McAllen Holiday Parade.
Additional ticketed seating options, which help benefit the community, were also announced. Chair seating along the parade route, for only $10, are being sold by 11 organizations, as a fundraiser for their group, including the McAllen High School Booster Clubs, for McHi Baseball; McHi Soccer; McHi Basketball; McHi Cheer; Havoc Baseball; Choose to Change; Mustang Cheer; Sanchez Elementary PTO; Road Runners; Nikki Rowe Softball; and the McAllen Parks & Recreation Senior Living Program. Contact any of these groups individually to purchase tickets or purchase at any of the McAllen community centers, including: Lark Community Center, 2601 Lark Ave.; Las Palmas Community Center, 1921 N. 25th St.; or Palmview Community Center, 3401 Jordan Rd.
As a reminder, anyone wishing to be a part of this year’s parade can do so in a variety of ways, including, submitting an entry for the McAllen Holiday Shoebox Parade; or volunteering as a banner carrier or balloon handlers.
Shoebox parade 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 & Beyond,” the theme of both the shoebox and the big parade. The winning shoebox float entry will be made into an actual float for the 2023 edition of the McAllen Holiday Parade.
See the link below to get your entry Forms:
Entries are due no later than Wednesday, November 23, 2022 by 3:00 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.
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. Call 956-681-3350 for more information or sign up at pardvolunteers@mcallen.net.
The parade will step off at 6:00 p.m. on Saturday, December 3, 2022 from the McAllen Veterans Memorial Stadium, 2001 N. Bicentennial Blvd. Ticket prices start at $10, plus service fees for stadium; SPI Vuelta Zone; Skybox Fan Experience; or any of the community group chair seating for the parade and can be purchased at www.ticketmaster.com; at the McAllen Performing Arts Center Box Office, 801Convention Center Blvd or from any of the community groups. There is also plenty of free seating along the parade route, on a first come basis.
For the past four years, the McAllen Holiday Parade has been named the Best Parade in the World, and this year, 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 five years by international and 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 Reliant, McAllen International Airport and South Padre Island CVB. Other sponsors for the 2022 presentation of the McAllen Holiday Parade include Budweiser, McAllen International Bridge System; McAllen Public Utility; Metro McAllen; South Texas Vo-Tech; Matt’s Building Materials; PepsiCo.; Windfield Communities; South Texas College; McDonald’s; Valley Aids Council; Driscoll Children’s Hospital; Chick-fil-A Rio Grande Valley; AEP Texas; JP Morgan Chase; IBC; Lacks; McAllen Chamber of Commerce; Hermes; McAllen I.S.D.; Linebarger Attorneys at Law; General Mills; PNC Bank; O’Reilly Auto Parts; University of Texas-RGV; McAllen Economic Development Corp.; Peña Eye Institute; Doña Lula; Tres Lagos Master Planned Community; Pollux Castor Creative; McAllen Public Works; Explore McAllen; Plains Capital Bank; KSA Engineers; Cigna; Taco Palenque; Halff Associates; Carollo Engineers; S&B Infrastructure; Raba Kistner Consultants, Inc.
