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McAllen's Residents Enjoy Parks, Golf Courses, Sports and More
Offering a wide selection of city parks, golf courses and sports teams, McAllen residents and visitors have many choices of things to do in their spare time. Other SportsSports fans in the Rio Grande Valley have plenty to cheer for, with minor league or semi-pro basketball, football, baseball, hockey and soccer teams. Hockey fans have cheered on the semi-professional Central Hockey League Rio Grande Valley Killer Bees since 2003. Those looking to have fun and stay... Read More »
McAllen's Food Scene is Ideal for Choosy Customers
Home to a wide variety of restaurants and eateries, McAllen is an excellent place for food lovers. Diners can enjoy international cuisine, fine fare and farmers markets – yes, all in one city. So come hungry, and let your cravings lead you to your dining destination.
Tex Mex
Starting off close to home, Tex-Mex eatery Costa Messa Restaurant offers authentic Mexican food, with menu favorites such as the Botanas, consisting of chips, beans, cheese, your choice of beef or chicken, fried... Read More »
Learn, Explore and Enjoy McAllen's Cultural Offerings
Explore McAllen's artsy side with a quick look at all it has to offer – theater, festivals, museums and more.
Neighboring the U.S.-Mexico border, this progressive city offers some of the best cultural activities in the state.
Entertainment in McAllen
McAllen's downtown 17th Street Entertainment District is filled with lounges, restaurants, nightclubs and more. Located at its center is the historic Cine El Rey Theater, which opened in 1947 and operated for 40 years before functioning as it... Read More »
McAllen, TX Restaurants
With over 600 eateries within the city limits, the diversity of the local flavor in McAllen defies conventions. From upscale dining delicacies to exotic Indian, Mediterranean, Thai and Korean cuisine, McAllen offers something to please any palette.
Tex-Mex
Koko’s Mexican Restaurant, created by Albert and Jorge Suarez, is a local legend. Koko’s original downtown location was a “hole in the wall” that could only accommodate ten tables. Despite its diminutive... Read More »
McAllen’s Arts Scene Inspires Local Talent
The arts scene is thriving in McAllen largely due to partnerships between the McAllen Chamber of Commerce and city government, which nurture local talent in visual and performing arts.
McAllen’s diversity and location play a part in local arts, according to Cultural Arts Coordinator Jamie Tabak of the McAllen Chamber of Commerce.
“McAllen has attracted many diverse kinds of art and artists. We have art ranging from embroidery to graphics to music to style to a little bit of... Read More »
McAllen Parks Bring the Great Outdoors to Your Backyard
From lush golf courses to picturesque lakes, the Rio Grande Valley abounds with open-air recreation opportunities. But thanks to a network of beautiful parks, McAllen residents need not leave the city to discover a world of outdoor fun.
Fireman’s Park The Parks Division of the Parks & Recreation Department currently oversees 25 city parks in McAllen, the new centerpiece of which is Fireman’s Park, which will be open to the public in early 2012. The 15-acre project broke... Read More »
Fun Things To Do in McAllen
1. Check out the ever-changing exhibits featured at the International Museum of Art & Science.
2. Get tickets for some of the biggest Broadway shows presented at Broadway in McAllen.
3. See a concert or classic film at the historic Cine El Rey.
4. Improve your golf swing with a few rounds at the Palm View Golf Course.
5. Shop for local treasures as you explore Downtown McAllen.
6. Put on your dancing shoes and head to the annual Texas Square Dance Jamboree, held in February.
7.... Read More »
McAllen Dog Park Boosts Pet Community
McAllen's off-leash dog park provides a great place for pets and their owners to play and socialize. The 5-acre park includes separate enclosures for large and small dogs, a walking trail, Fido fountains and lights for after-dark play. Besides canine recreation and socialization, the park provides an unanticipated bonus: It has become the focal point for McAllen's community of dog-lovers. Through online forums, McAllen's dog owners are able to discuss pet tips, park etiquette, and make... Read More »
McAllen Sports Teams Keep Residents Cheering
If you can’t find a sports team to root for in the Rio Grande Valley, you just aren’t looking hard enough. In fact, there are teams to cheer in football, baseball, basketball and hockey.
The region is home to the Rio Grande Valley Vipers, a team that competes in the National Basketball Association Development League. The Vipers play a 50-game schedule from late November to early April, and their home games take place at Dodge Arena. The team is an affiliate of the NBA Houston Rockets, and the... Read More »
Visit McAllen's Quinta Mazatlan For Wildlife And History
Quinta Mazatlan is a study in unexpected contrasts.
It’s a 10‚000-square-foot mansion whose name means “country estate‚” yet its neighbors include the airport and the mall.
As a 1930s hacienda‚ it’s a piece of south Texas history that serves as a unique conference and events center.
Quinta Mazatlan embodies the Spanish Colonial Revival architecture of arches and beams and carvings‚ set in formal tropical landscaping‚ even while much of its... Read More »
McAllen's Nightlife is on 17th Street Entertainment District
When the sun goes down, McAllen locals find themselves on 17th Street, where the nightlife scene is just getting started.
Now called the "Heart of the City,” 17th Street wasn't always the height of McAllen nightlife. It came about as the result of an effort by the city to revitalize the area. In 2005, McAllen adopted the Heart of the City, a program that aimed to create a downtown scene, and 17th Street was designated the place to be.
The street now sports an impressive... Read More »
McAllen Artwalk Displays Local Talent
The McAllen Artwalk attracts a large number admirers every month. The free event brings together many mediums of art, and encourages residents of the Rio Grande Valley to support their local artists.
The self-guided gallery tour occurs on the first Friday of every month, September through May. It happens in one of the oldest parts of McAllen and involves numerous art galleries and art hosts, all open for guests' to view. Walkers can start their tour at any location and make their way... Read More »
Plenty To Do in McAllen
McAllen is young — and young at heart. With a median age of 27, the border city is a hub for nightlife, shopping and recreation in the Rio Grande Valley.
Steve Ahlenius, President and Chief Executive Officer of the McAllen Chamber of Commerce, says the city's low cost of living and year-round tropical climate attract countless young families and singles, including the 50,000 higher education students who call Hidalgo County home.
"The region's student population has been a huge... Read More »
International Museum of Art & Science Filled With Fun, Knowledge
Don’t touch! That isn’t the message to young children who visit the International Museum of Art & Science.
IMAS features numerous art and science offerings for adults‚ but children also are encouraged to attend film showings or actually create art pieces of their own. This attention to people of all ages has made IMAS one of the principal attractions in the Rio Grande Valley.
The museum‚ founded in 1969‚ is a Smithsonian affiliate. Read More »
Shopping in McAllen, TX
McAllen shopping may surprise you. With multiple centers and malls to choose from, shopaholics will have no problem satisfying their cravings.
La Plaza Mall
The mecca of McAllen shopping, the La Plaza Mall, is a leading shopping destination in the Rio Grande Valley. It's home to such major department stores as Macy's, JC Penny, Dillards and Sears. All together, the mall holds 140 specialty retail shops.
Palms Crossing
The trendy Palms Crossing is located next to McAllen's impressive new... Read More »
McAllen Nurtures its Arts and Artists
A vibrant art scene can translate to a higher quality of life, says Greg Schuller, the cultural arts director for McAllen’s Chamber of Commerce. By that standard, life in McAllen is pretty good.
One of the reasons McAllen’s art scene is so vibrant: the McA2 Creative Incubator, formed in 2005. That year, the chamber rented an old elementary school and created a dozen studio spaces, making them available to artists of all genres.
“We don’t have a closed view of what art is,” Schuller says. “It’s... Read More »
Valley Symphony Orchestra Enriches the McAllen Community
For more than 50 years, the Valley Symphony Orchestra has stayed true to its mission of inspiring the community with quality performances and educational programs.
The symphony presents a dozen concerts over the course of a season at various locations across the Rio Grande Valley. The shows embody a variety of different musical genres and themes.
“The music performed by the symphony represents times and places that span generations from around the world,” says Fawn Foudray-Golich, community... Read More »
RGV Ice Center Hosts Figure Skating, Hockey
Ice skating? In South Texas?
McAllen residents can stay cool all year round – even in the Texas tropics – at the Rio Grande Valley Ice Center, where skaters can hit the ice for leisure, figure skating and youth and adult hockey. The indoor rink is open year round, with public skating sessions being the main attraction.
RGV Ice Center on 26th Street and is open seven days a week, with public skating hours every day. The center is especially busy on weekends, staying open until midnight on Friday... Read More »
McAllen's Private and Public Courses Offer Year-Round Golf
Golfers looking for a mild climate and exceptional golf courses find what they want in McAllen.
Palm View, an 18-hole, links-style facility owned by the City of McAllen, offers a par-72 championship challenge and is one of the only courses in the area with contoured, undulating fairways. The championship tees turn the links into a challenging 6,771 yards, with the middle tees tendering a moderate 5,779-yard play. The course hosted the Ladies Professional Golf Association’s Duramed Futures Golf... Read More »
