Category Archives: Recreation & Tourism

TPW Authorizes New Cameron County State Park

Laguna Atascosa National Wildlife Refuge

Texas Parks and Wildlife Commission recently authorized the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department to pursue acquisition of approximately 477 acres for a new state park in exchange for approximately 43 noncontiguous acres from Boca Chica State Park. “This is an exciting opportunity to acquire land that has been of interest to us and the conservation community for many years,” said TPWD Executive Director David Yoskowitz. “We look forward to working…

Read More

UTRGV Acquires H-E-B Park

UTRGV Stadium

The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley has acquired H-E-B Park, designating the venue as the primary home for the upcoming Vaqueros football program. The announcement came during a recent press conference at H-E-B Park, now to be referred to as UTRGV Stadium. Since 2017, the venue had served as the home of the Rio Grande Valley FC Toros of the United Soccer League. The organization ceased operations in December…

Read More

Brownsville District Attract Visitors

Sculptures of children playing are among the features at the restored Dean Porter Park in Brownsville.

The 150,000 visitors who streamed into the Holiday Village Brownsville to celebrate the Christmas season meant more than enjoying the merriment of December.  It reaffirmed again just how far the renovation of Dean Porter Park has come over the last two decades and the rise of the Mitte Cultural District in Brownsville. The park and district are intertwined in being located next to each other. The whole area where Ringgold…

Read More

Take a First Day Hike at a Texas State Park

Texas First Day Hike

Texas State Parks is inviting citizens to kick off resolutions to explore the outdoors in 2024 with a First Day Hike at a state park. Various parks will host ranger-guided and self-guided walks, bike rides, paddling trips and polar plunges in honor of the national initiative aimed at getting people outdoors. Last year, nearly 8,000 participants shattered the previous attendance record New Year’s Day by ringing in Texas State Parks’…

Read More

SPI Hopes Spurs Link Builds Brand

Promotional materials were plentiful during an event announcing a marketing partnership between SPI and the Spurs.

Blake Henry had his fingers crossed last summer when the NBA held its annual player draft. Henry, as the chief executive officer of the South Padre Island Convention & Visitors Bureau, was seeing the draft more as a marketing professional than a sports fan. In his just over a year on the job, Henry has been active in seeking partnerships to build greater state and national awareness of the Island.…

Read More

Red Snapper Fishing Closes Early 

The Texas Parks and Wildlife Department will close red snapper fishing in state waters on Nov. 20, at 11:59 p.m. until Jan. 2024. Federal waters remain closed until the summer. “While we are disappointed to close state waters earlier than we had hoped, the pattern of prolonged federal seasons highlights the success of Texas’ state-managed red snapper fishery,” said Robin Riechers, TPWD Coastal Fisheries Division director. “This year, anglers had a…

Read More

Texas State Parks Day Brings Free Admission

texas state parks

Texas State Parks Day is Nov. 5 and, as part of continued centennial celebrations, visitors will get free day-use entrance at all Texas state parks. “Texas Parks and Wildlife Department wants to continue to connect everyone to our beautiful parklands and we hope that Texas State Parks Day will give someone new the opportunity to discover what makes our state parks special,” said Rodney Franklin, State Parks Division director. “This…

Read More

RGV Birding Festival Soars Into Harlingen On Nov. 8

Rio Grande Valley Birding Festival

The 2023 Rio Grande Valley Birding Festival takes place Nov. 8-12 at the Harlingen Convention Center. The event includes 100 field trip offerings to choose from including traditional tours through the parks and new offerings such as private ranches.  Special trips in the field with some of the festival’s featured speakers to further enhance their presentations are also on the schedule. In addition to field trips, the Rio Grande Valley Birding…

Read More

Veterans, Service Members Can Enter State Parks for Free

Thanks to a recent bill passed during the last legislative session, active-duty military, honorably discharged veterans and the immediate family members of a service member who died while serving now qualify for one of three new Parklands Passports. These passports are available at no cost and grant the cardholder free entry to all Texas State Parks. The new categories of Parklands Passports, which can be obtained at any state park,…

Read More

Mission Attracts New Sports Complex

A fast-growing sport is expanding in the Rio Grande Valley with plans to construct a 21,500-square-foot venue for padel ball and pickleball players. The RGV Padel Club is making a $2.7 million investment to construct the new facility at 2513 Victoria Drive in Mission. Construction is projected to start within three months and be completed in the fourth quarter of 2024. Estimates are the RGV Padel Club will support 52…

Read More