Springtime in the Rio Grande Valley is synonymous with a season of local, lively festivals following a variety of themes, some including citrus, onions and monarch butterflies. Mariachi bands of local high schools come to fill the festive air, as does the smell of all kinds of fried food.
This would happen during any normal spring season in the Valley. The saying usually goes, rain or shine the show must go on, but these organizations are contending a global pandemic.
Local organizations, some for the second year in a row, have to decide whether they are going to postpone their annual events, or move festivities online.
THE CITRUS FIESTA
Mission’s annual Citrus Fiesta will be reduced to only the coronation of its royal court this year, instead of the usual two-week festival featuring a Parade of Oranges, carnival and fair.
The decision to postpone events other than the coronation was made by the Citrus Fiesta board of directors Tuesday evening. Since the first festival was held in 1932, the only other time the festival was cancelled was in 1942-46 due to World War II.
“It’s heartbreaking, our community will be missing out on the festivals they are used to,” Citrus Fiesta Executive Director Lisa Rivera said. “But unfortunately, we have to keep safe during this pandemic and prioritize that.”
The coronation is slated for Jan. 28 at the McAllen Performing Arts Center, another major difference about the Citrus Fiesta this year.
The royal court — including King Citrus, Queen Citrianna, along with several princesses and duchesses — usually walks down a runway inside of the gymnasium of Mission High School, but the school district barred them from using their facilities because of the pandemic.
Additionally, only around 300 tickets will be sold for the event, just half of the usual crowd.
“This is a very important event because it’s almost impossible to cancel at the last minute due to the expenses that the young ladies go through,” Rivera said. “These ladies prepare for almost four to five months, and can spend (up to $5,000).”
Since Citrus Fiesta was given the green light earlier in the year to host the parade and fair, Rivera said the organization has already spent as much as $30,000 for plans that won’t happen anymore.
In a board meeting Monday, Mission’s city council unanimously voted to pay Citrus Fiesta at least $25,000 for the funds they spent.
Rivera emphasized that the rest of the Citrus Fiesta festivities are postponed, not cancelled. “Maybe at a different time and maybe with better whether for all we know,” Rivera said. “We will be able to enjoy it and have a better time in the near future.”
LUNAR NEW YEAR FESTIVAL
The McAllen International Museum of Art & Science will be hosting its ninth annual Lunar New Year Festival virtually for the first time this year.
Starting Feb. 1, local residents will be able to pre-register for a free “celebration bag” on the museum’s website, https://theimasonline.org, which will be distributed outside of the IMAS on Feb. 6. The bags will include materials for Lunar New Year-themed arts and craft activities, along with festive snacks donated by the local Chinese American Association will also be found in the bags.
On Feb. 12, the museum will also be airing videos from past Lunar New Year events, in addition to local submissions of cultural performances.
Local residents who commemorate the Asian festival can submit videos of how they celebrate to the museum through their website.
“It could be a dance or a song or a poem or anything, said Claudia Martinez-Gray, the museum’s director of education. “Even a video of them making something they would normally make for the celebration, or just a video talking about what their family does, like a testimonial.”
Martinez-Gray said the museum usually receives around 800 attendees for the event, but because of the virus, they have been hosting almost all of their events on their online platforms.
Another way IMAS is honoring the Lunar New Year is by displaying several lantern sculptures on the museum’s courtyard, which were imported from South Korea. The art pieces illuminate, and will be there through February.
“I think it is important for the museum as a cultural center to honor different cultures,” Martinez-Gray said. “We want to continue showing the Asian community that we support them and teach people in the Valley that there are people who celebrate this and we should be learning about their culture and appreciating them.”
THE ONION FESTIVAL
Though Weslaco’s annual Onion Festival has not been officially postponed yet, Weslaco Chamber President and CEO Barbara Garza said the city’s live events have been on hiatus for months, and it does not seem like it will be lifted anytime soon.
“We are still looking at numbers and how everything is looking with COVID-19,” Garza said. “Because of the abundance of caution we are taking, we have not proceeded with any of our in-person events, especially ones that are more large-scale.”
The Onion Festival, which was cancelled last year, usually reaps around 5,000 to 8,000 attendees.
“We are working closely with the city and working closely with our emergency management office to ensure that any programs that take place aligned with the city’s requirements for COVID-19,” Garza said.
The Onion Festival commemorates the 1015 onion, or the sweet onion, which was created in Weslaco by Leonard Pike in the mid-1900s. This year would be the Onion Festival’s 32nd annual event.
“We really want to make sure that we are a model and example to other communities and to keep our community safe,” Garza said. “What is of most utmost important to us is the health and safety of our citizens at this time.”
THE MONARCH MARCH
To welcome the thousands of monarch butterflies passing through the Valley during their spring migration to Mexico, McAllen’s Quinta Mazatlan usually hosts a Monarch Fest to celebrate. Instead, the garden estate will be hosting a Monarch March this year.
The outdoors trail following the theme of butterflies will be open to the public to enjoy throughout March. Additionally, monarch-themed educational programs will be offered throughout the months, some including lessons on how to design a butterfly garden, and the life cycle of monarchs.
Tickets for festivities can be purchased on Quinta Mazatlan’s website, http://www.quintamazatlan.com. Workshops and programs will cost $5, while trail admission tickets will be $3 for adults and $2 for children. Those younger 2 years old can enter for free.
“Our hope is that we can continue to inspire and teach children and adults to create habitat for the Monarch Butterfly through the month-long approach to environmental education,” Quinta Mazatlan Executive Director Colleen Hook wrote.
FEBRUARY FEST
For the first time Quinta Mazatlan will be opening a trail throughout February themed “All You Need is Love.”
The trail is around a quarter-mile long, and features more than 25 art installations that Hook said will be a great opportunity for families and friends to use as a backdrop for photo-ops.
“As things feel a little different this year, we felt it was important to provide a healthy, fun and inspiring way to celebrate the special people in our lives from partner/spouse, girl/boyfriend, co-worker, family member and friend,” Hook wrote.
She added that he trail also “emphasizes the importance of taking care of yourself in 2021, and that includes daily exercise, which is provided in this ‘All you Need is Love’ trail walk through the woods.”
Children walking through the trail will be handed a “Self-Love Challenge” booklet, which will encourage them to learn and love themselves more this Valentine’s season.
