What DO McAllen-ites Do? Part II of IV

* Alas, even the best laid plans...get delayed. As promised here is the 2nd part of my TOP 25 LIST for McAllen Activities! Enjoy!

6. Special Events!
There are so many active organizations in McAllen that put on fun events all year long. From an Iron Chef Cook-Off, International Fashion Shows, Casino Night, New Year’s Eve Downtown Ball Drop, music festivals, Brew-seum by IMAS), ARTWalk, bi-monthly Music After Hours, artshows, etc. It’s VERY easy to fill up your weekly calendar with a different event each night.

7. Outdoor Delights!
With over 10 public parks, as well as, popular hike and bike trails, and a city-wide commitment to beautiful, native landscaping! McAllen-nites love to spend their evenings outside with their families and friends. It genuinely feels like a community because our parks and sidewalks are populated and vibrant. I love that I can sit on my balcony in the evenings and watch parakeets flying overhead, the neighbors bbq-ing, and scattered groups of people walking and biking in the park down below…. anytime of the year!

8. Vintage /Thrift Scavenger Hunts!
Thrift Shopping is no doubt a popular trend with younger generations, but McAllen-ites certainly have their own spin to offer to these scavengers! From down-town shopping, vintage shops everywhere, and several Ropa Usadas (a warehouse filled with mountains of clothes – literally. For the brave, it’s well worth the adventure)! Our younger generation McAllen-ites understand that “one man’s trash is another man’s treasure!" Many folks spend their Saturday afternoons taking full advantage of our La Plaza Mall, Palms Crossing, and hundreds of other stores and shopping centers, but many visitors never get to know the shopping scene from this angle! ;)

9. THE ARTSY SCENES
Of course Art-walk and Music after hours! Almost year-round, McAllen host a monthly ARTWALK, in which residents and visitors can spend an evening walking amongst the blocks of studios, galleries, stores, coffee shops, and restaurants enjoying local artist's pieces, conversation, and people watching. With over 3000 people averaged at each of these evenings, its hard to believe our ARTWALK has only been around for three years!
Living in the ART District, has given me a chance to enjoy this scene all the time, and I spend most of my evenings with the window open to hear the live music and soft chatter on the coffee/wine shop patio next door.

10. Backyard BIRDING
Having grown up in McAllen for 15+ years and being the daughter to an avid birder, my appreciation for this city is largely based on the backyard birding that has made this city an international destination. With grapefruit and orange trees nestled next to towering palm trees, and bird baths scatter about, the green, cool sanctuaries migrating birds seek out are found right in our McAllen backyards!
It fascinates me to be standing in a McAllen yard, alongside 12 binocular-donned strangers, and a line of cars parked down the block…all to gawk at a rare bird that hasn't been sited by most people. McAllen resident birders are so generous when it comes to sharing the sighting and their backyard havens with fellow birders. It's a birder thing….and McAllen has been doing it for years!

Email me questions or thoughts at jsimpson@mcallencvb.com