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“This is going to be one heck of a presentation of the largest illuminated holiday and helium balloon parade in Texas, THE Mcallen Holiday Parade, presented by H-E-B and powered by Bert Ogden Auto Group,” said City of McAllen Dist. 5 Comm. Victor “Seby” Haddad. “This next star is definitely an international sensation and to the thousands of fans of futbal, or soccer, as we Americans call it, fans found here in the Rio Grande Valley, I’m sure we will be seeing his jersey, or the famous Tri, at our McAllen Holiday Parade this year. Ladies and gentlemen, I am proud to say we will be bringing former Mexican soccer star Vicente Matias Vuoso to be a part of the parade.”
Vuoso began his career at Indepediente in 2000, then transferred to English club Manchester City in 2002, where he did not play in a single league match. In 2003 he played in Mexico, having two stints with Santos Laguna and Club América, as well as playing for Atlas and Chiapas. Born in Argentina, he played on Mexico’s national soccer team, making his debut in 2008 and featured for them at the 2015 Copa América.
Additionally, details of Christmas in the Park were announced, when everyone can begin their holiday season fun by celebrating under and with the stars, starting on Friday, December 2 at 5:00 p.m. and continuing on Saturday, December 3, starting at 12:00 p.m. and continuing through 11:00 p.m. The family-friendly and free winter festival is held at Municipal Park, right next to McAllen Veterans Memorial Stadium at 1921 Bicentennial Boulevard, and features a carnival, food, fun, vendors, arts & crafts, lots of games, activities and entertainment for the whole family. Attendees are encouraged to look for the helium balloon preview, the Dallas Cowboys Hall of Fame Trailer & Museum, brought courtesy of Peña Eye Institute, the Budweiser Bar Trailer and H-E-B’s tamale masa spreading contest and other fun sponsor activations. Also available at the Christmas celebration will be U.S. Marine Corps Reserve Toys for Tots drop-off box, part of the City of McAllen’s partnership with the long-standing holiday toy drive.
Part of the fun includes free concerts and Friday’s line-up features a mix of Tejano, country and norteño regional with Texas Storm, Inevitable, Lucky Joe and Grammy-award winning group Solido. The concerts continue the next evening with Gatos Locos, a musical line-up from Revista Expresión, Texas Storm, La Patrona 107.5 FM, Jay Treviño y Explosión Tejana and, the Tejas Bros., considered by many to be one of the best live musical acts in the genre.
Kick off the fun at the carnival on Thursday, December 1, starting at 5:00 p.m. with unlimited carnival rides. Good for only that night, purchase unlimited carnival ride bracelets on site for $15; every other night they are $20.
Getting the family to the parade or Christmas in the Park 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 12:00p.m. on Saturday, December 3, trolleys will make a continuous loop approximately every 10 minutes, from pick-off point at STC to the parade Drop-Off/Pick-Up point. The Park & Ride Polar Express Shuttle will run until 12:00 a.m. Wheelchairs, walkers and strollers are welcome, as are service dogs.
Organizers are reminding parade attendees that, to keep everyone safe, there will be multiple road closures around McAllen Veterans Memorial Stadium, the site of the parade step-off, beginning at noon the day of the parade. These road closures are designed to help parade participants arrive to the staging area safely and to avoid traffic congestion or accidents as hundreds of thousands of spectators make their way to the parade viewing area.
“As the largest single day attendance event in the Rio Grande Valley, it is our priority to make sure that everyone arrives safely and on time to see the McAllen Holiday Parade,” said Joe Vera, McAllen Assistant City Manager and Executive Producer of the event. “We ask everyone to take note of the road closures, pay attention to barriers and pedestrians and to take advantage of the free Polar Express that will get everyone to the parade site quickly and safely. Thanks to the many law enforcement partners who will be assisting with traffic control and other security details, we want to make sure that everyone has a fun and safe time at the Best Parade in the World,” concluded Vera.
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.
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 [email protected].
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 SIX years running now 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 McAllen International Airport, South Padre Island CVB and Reliant. 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.; Winfield Communities; South Texas College; McDonald’s; Valley Aids Council; Driscoll Children’s Hospital; Chick-fil-A Rio Grande Valley; American Electric Power Foundation; McAllen Public Works Recycling; Peña Eye Institute; 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.; Chase; Doña Lula; Tres Lagos Master Planned Community; Pollux Castor Creative; Explore McAllen; Plains Capital Bank; KSA Engineers; Cigna; Marco’s Pizza; Taco Palenque; Halff Associates; Carollo Engineers; B2Z Engineering; S&B Infrastructure; Raba Kistner Consultants, Inc.
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