Downtown Harlingen Merchants Share Information

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Downtown Harlingen Merchants Share Information

Downtown merchants gathered for coffee and breakfast tacos to hear updates from fellow business owners. (VBR)
Downtown merchants gathered for coffee and breakfast tacos to hear updates from fellow business owners. (VBR)
Downtown Harlingen director Edward Meza speaks to the gathering of merchants. (VBR)
Downtown Harlingen director Edward Meza speaks to the gathering of merchants. (VBR)

Downtown Harlingen Director Edward Meza welcomed about 30 people Thursday morning to discuss some of the latest news from downtown merchants. Sponsored by the Harlingen Chamber of Commerce, coffee and breakfast tacos were served as business owners took turns talking about their products and services and promoted upcoming events.

Meza said he has recently talked with three individuals interested in opening businesses in the downtown area.”There are more new people wanting to open businesses downtown,” he said. “That’s always good news.”

Downtown merchant and Harlingen Chamber ambassador Victor Leal urged merchants to participate in chamber events. (VBR)
Downtown merchant and Harlingen Chamber ambassador Victor Leal urges merchants to participate in chamber events. (VBR)

Victor Leal, owner of Cybernation and chamber ambassador, reminded those in attendance about the importance of networking, and urged everyone to take advantage of chamber-sponsored gatherings to make business connections.”It’s really important we get out there and shake hands,” he said. “You are missing out on opportunities if you are not.”

Harlingen Farmers Market manager Kate McSwain updated the group on the growth of the weekly market since it opened in October at its new location at Second and Tyler. The number of vendors has grown to more than 30 each Saturday, and numbers of customers has reached highs of about 700. “The vendors really love the new location,” she said. “We have the largest number of produce vendors of any farmers market in the Valley.”

Harlingen Farmers Market manager Kate McSwain updated merchants on growth of the market at its new location. (VBR)
Harlingen Farmers Market manager Kate McSwain updates merchants on growth of the market at its new location. (VBR)

McSwain also plugged the farmers market’s largest fundraiser of the year, Taste of the Market, coming on April 26 from 5:30-8 p.m. Five chefs will be on hand at the Jackson Square Events Center to prepare dishes using ingredients from market vendors for guests to sample. Tickets for Taste of the Market are $60 per person.

 

George Cox is a veteran journalist with more than 30 years experience as a newspaper writer and editor. A Corpus Christi native, he started his career as a reporter for The Brownsville Herald after graduating from Sam Houston State University with a degree in journalism. He later worked on newspapers in Laredo and Corpus Christi as well as northern California. George returned to the Valley in 1996 as editor of The Brownsville Herald and in 2001 moved to Harlingen as editor of the Valley Morning Star. He also held the position of editor and general manager for the Coastal Current, a weekly entertainment magazine with Valleywide distribution. George retired from full-time journalism in 2015 to work as a freelance writer and legal document editor. He continues to live in Harlingen where he and his wife Katherine co-founded Rio Grande Valley Therapy Pets, a nonprofit organization dedicated to raising public awareness of the benefits of therapy pets and assisting people and their pets to become registered therapy pet teams.

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