Amid the blazing summer heat, McAllen is focusing on cooler days.
Kicking off a series of announcements leading up to their annual holiday parade, the city unveiled the theme for this year’s celebration: Southpole & Beyond.
“Today, I am proud to unveil our 2022 theme of the largest illuminated holiday and helium parade in Texas,” City Commissioner Victor “Seby” Hadad said during a news conference held Wednesday.
This will be the ninth holiday parade for the city, according to Assistant City Manager Joe Vera, who also spoke during the news conference.
“The McAllen parade is just one of the traditions that sets McAllen apart from so many other events that take place,” Vera said. “Our team here has created an experience for everyone and for everyone of you here today, but this parade, presented by H-E-B and powered by Bert Ogden, has really come a long ways.”
Vera pointed out that for last year’s parade, more than 265,000 people attended.
“Special events are truly essential to the quality of life in our community,” he added, “and quality of life was the number one strategic goal for the city of McAllen.”
This year, the 1.5-mile parade will follow its usual route, beginning at the McAllen Veterans Memorial Stadium and then down Bicentennial Boulevard.
It will also be bigger this year, increasing to 50 illuminated and animated floats and to more than 30 giant “Macy’s Parade-style” helium balloons that utilize approximately 44,500 cubic feet of helium, according to Carina Jimenez, deputy director of McAllen Parks & Recreation.
The 2021 parade had a $18.5 million economic impact, according to a February presentation from city staff who reported that the impact was a 25% increase from 2019. That calculation was based off of an economic study from the University of Texas Rio Grande Valley.
For 2021, the city also reported $830,900 in sponsorship investment, which was an 11.6% increase from 2019.
Re-broadcasts of the parade reached 31 Latino markets throughout the U.S. and it received 93.9 million impressions, a 13.6% increase from 2019.
The city invested $313,641 in media for the parade and reported an earned media value of $1.64 million, a 37% increase from 2020, according to the city.
As part of its promotion for the parade this year, the city will be offering a two-for-one deal for stadium tickets throughout the month of July, allowing the public to purchase two tickets for $10.
The tickets can be purchased online using the promo code JULY50 or at the McAllen Convention Center box office.
The holiday parade will make its procession on Saturday, Dec. 3.
