Looking for Christmas lights in the Valley and other Christmas displays?

We have YOUR go to Christmas Light Guide!

Free Lighting ceremonies, light displays, shows, Christmas light trails and more!

This holiday season get the kids in the car and enjoy the RGV Christmas Magic!

 

 

 

Where to find RGV Christmas Lights?

From the Christmas sand castles to Lights at the ZOO we got you covered!

Before you head out for a magical evening  check weather and drive safe!

 

Christmas Tree Holiday Lights :

 

#1- Brownsville Holiday Lighting Ceremony

When: December 1, 2018  Time: 6pm-9pm

Where: 700 E Madison St, Brownsville, TX 78520

Brownsville Tree Lighting: Like bright lights? Love Christmas cheer? Want a selfie with Santa?
If you answered yes to any of these…

Make plans to join the City of Brownsville Parks and Recreation Department for a festive night of holiday cheer, elfish entertainment, food vendors, games more.

Join us as we light up the park and brighten up the season at the Washington Park Holiday Lighting Ceremony.

Bring your friends, bring your family, and bring a lawn chair (we’ll be showing a movie in the park too).

 

#2- City of Edinburg Tree Lighting

When: December 6, 2018 Time: 6-7pm

Where: 15 W. University Dr. Edinburg, TX

 

#3- Arroyo Lighting

When: December 6, 2018 Time: 6:30-9pm

Where: 1325 S. 77 Sunshine Strip Harlingen, TX 78550

32nd Annual Lighting of the Arroyo
Come celebrate the holidays at McKelvey Park! The annual celebration will include Christmas performances, food vendors, and a special appearance by Mr. and Mrs. Claus!
Don’t forget to enjoy the view as the park is transformed into a Christmas wonderland!

 

#4- Mcallen Tree Lighting:

When: November 26 Time: 6;30-8:30pm

Where: McAllen Convention Center – Oval Park

Join us for McAllen’s 5th Annual Christmas Tree Lighting at the McAllen Convention Center’s Oval Park. Special appearance by the one and only Santa Claus!

Drive Around Light Displays:

 

#5- Hidalgo’s Festival of Lights

When: Dec 1-Dec 31- Call for more information (956) 842-3352

Where: R315777  Hidalgo,, TX 78577

Hidalgo’s Festival of Lights starts at sunset every night throughout the month of December.

 

#6-Christmas at the Ranch

When: Dec 15, 2018 Time: 4:30-7:30pm

Where: 34179 FM 1577  San Benito, TX 78586

2nd  annual Christmas at the Ranch and we are very excited! This year they  have a sponsor who is helping us improve the event. Bingo Gardens has supported them  since the beginning and they are helping us add more lights and Christmas lights. Bingo Gardens shares our goal to provide an event for families to connect and have fun in a ranch and camp environment.

 

Adults: $5
Under 18: $10
Under 2: Free
Single Mothers: Free- you do not need to purchase a ticket for yourself, only for your children.

 

These prices will include all of our games and activities for all of the family. As always we encourage parents and even grandparents to play the games with their kids and teens.

Canoes
Hay Rides through Christmas lights
Gaga Ball
Snowball Fight
Two Barnyard petting zoos and other animals:
Chickens, goats, pigs, horses, turkeys, macaws, a peacock, ducks, koi fish, a dog, and some cats. Our two baby horses will be here for everyone to meet. We will also have baby chicks, baby pigs, and possibly baby goats by then.
Car Bash
Bazooka Ball
Golf Cart Track
Several Carnival Games
Christmas Craft
Face painting
Several vendor booths selling interesting local products and creations
A food truck and a variety of food and hot chocolate offered
And more.

 

#7- McAllen Christmas Fantasia

When: Holiday Season

Where: 1916 Jefferson Ave  McAllen, TX 78504

 

#8- Maddie’s Christmas Lights

When: Holiday Season

Where: 6712 N. Bentsen Rd McAllen, TX 78504

 

#9- Ruiz Bricklayer and Christmas Lights

When: Holiday Season

Where: 216 Nadia St.  San Juan, TX 78589

 

#10- Holiday Village- Brownsville

When: November 19- Jan 1, 2019  Times: Sun-Thurs 8am-11pm & Fri-Sat 8am-11pm (lights come on at 6pm).

Where: Dean Porter Park

Come stroll through the Holiday Village and be magically transported to the North Pole. Admission is free and the memories are priceless.

 

#11- Zoo Nights and Lights

When: Dec 7-9 ,2018 Time: 6pm-9pm

Where: Glady’s Porter Zoo 500 E. Ringgold St, Brownsville TX

This year’s holiday celebration is scheduled for December 7th, 8th and 9th from 6:00 PM to 9:00 PM at the Gladys Porter Zoo, Come out and enjoy live performances from local bands and choirs while taking in the dazzling displays of approximately 135 lighted animal and holiday fixtures along with 800 luminary bags placed all around the Zoo grounds. Admission is $2.50 per person, or free with the donation of a new, unwrapped toy for the Toy for Tots campaign. Zoo members get in free with their membership cards. Tickets are available for pre-sale online at gpz.org or can be purchased at the gate on each night of the event.

 

 

Christmas Parades & Festivals

 

#12- Holiday Sand Castle Village

When: November 30- Dec 16th Time: 12pm-8pm

Where:  7355 Padre Blvd South Padre Island

Come visit our Holiday Sand Castle Village filled with unique Holiday Sand Sculptures built by incredibly talented sand artists. From a Sand Snowman to Sand-ta, and much more, this new exhibit will include a lighted musical performance. The Holiday Sand Castle Village will be open to the public every Friday, Saturday & Sunday — Nov. 30 through Dec. 16 at the South Padre Island Convention Center.

 

#13- Christmas in the park

When: Dec 1, 2018 Time: 12pm-11pm

Where: 1921 N. Bicentennial Blvd McAllen, TX

Saturday, December 1st from 12 noon to 11 p.m. The event will be held on Tamarack between Bicentennial and 23rd Street. We will have 30 food vendors and a Marketplace with over 40 craft vendors. We will also have a main stage and a community stage with entertainment running on both stages throughout the event. Photos with Santa will be available on Friday from 5pm to 11pm.

 

#14-McAllen Holiday Parade

When: Dec 1, 2018 Time: 6pm-10pm

Where:  2001 N Bicentennial Blvd McAllen, TX

The largest illuminated holiday parade in Texas takes place December 1st at 6:00PM at the McAllen Veterans Memorial Stadium! You can expect giant helium character balloons, illuminated floats, marching bands, & celebrity guests!

 

 

#15-  Festival of Lights Illuminated Parade

When: November 30th  Tine: 7pm-10pm

Where: R315777  Hidalgo,  TX 78577

The Hidalgo Illuminated Christmas Parade, will take place on FRIDAY, NOV. 30th at 7 PM outside of City Hall Plaza, located at 704 Ramon Ayala Dr., Hidalgo, TX The event is FREE to the public! Come and experience the Magic! There will be food, music, and plenty of fun!

 

#16-Hidalgo Illuminated Christmas Parade

When: Dec 2, 2018 Time: 6pm-10pm

Where:  704 E Texano Dr. Hidalgo

Don’t miss one of the favorite traditions of Hidalgo’s Festival of Lights, the Illuminated Christmas Parade! Catch it LIVE in person at 6 pm in front of City Hall Plaza, or see it on CBS 4 News Rio Grande Valley starting at 6:30 p.m. Expect to see your favorite superheroes as we celebrate a Superhero Holiday in Hidalgo, and of course, jolly Old. St. Nick! We invite everyone to come dressed as their favorite superhero and join in on the fun!

 

#17- 66th Annual Brownsville Christmas Parade

When: Dec 3, 2018 Time: 7pm-9pm

Where:  E Elizabeth St  Brownsville, TX 78520

 

#18- Santa’s Enchanted Forest

When: Dec 15, 2018 Time: 9am-12pm

Where: 600 Sunset Drive, Mcallen TX

This Holiday season come on out to Quinta Mazatlan and see Santa’s Enchanted Forest!! Bring the whole family & dance in the snow, take pictures with Santa, enjoy face painting, food vendors, Christmas carolers & story time.

Admission : 3.00-5.00

 

 

 

 

Know of more Christmas Events or Neighborhood lights? Email us the info add to the list!  Email us at rgv@tots-tweens.com

Whatever you decide to do this holiday season, get out and enjoy the beautiful Christmas scenery!

 

Happy Holidays,

From our families to yours!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Tips for Saving Money on Your Child’s Hobby

 

From video games to basket weaving, the internet offers a range of activity ideas for people of all ages. However, this means that it can be difficult for parents to figure out which hobby options are best for their children. Additionally, many parents may have trouble finding a hobby for their children that doesn’t obliterate their bank accounts. The good thing is that there are many varieties of fun activities your children can explore that are both easy to put together and light on the financial burden. Here are a few starting suggestions.

 

Become a Scientist at Home

 

Not every hobby has to be a complicated, heavily regimented team sport requiring pricey equipment and extensive training. Many children find a great deal of joy in simple home science projects and other kinds of similar experiments or crafts. Often, home science projects use very few hard-to-find items, more frequently relying on basic kinds of ingredients you probably have lying around your house already. For example, all your child needs to make their own glass of lava is a container, some vegetable oil, water, salt, and food coloring.

 

As your child becomes more experienced with home science projects, they may want to explore other types of science, like robotics, that require slightly more specialized tools and parts. In this case, you should still not feel like you have to spend a quarter of each month’s paycheck on an exclusive membership. You can generally find starter kits or hobby essentials at online retailers, often for a fraction of the cost you would pay at a specialty store, especially if you use daily deals and use coupons for retailers like Amazon. You can also find offers and promo codes for brick-and-mortar stores like Target. Science lets your child explore the uses of their creativity through concrete, tangible actions. It can help foster a lifelong love of learning and reasoning.

 

Learn to Play an Instrument

 

Some hobbies are typically on the expensive side, including playing an instrument. However, the same ideas apply. There is no need to pay full price for an instrument (particularly when your child is just getting started) when you can buy a used instrument or rent one on a temporary basis. Of course, you can always pick up a new one, but remember to look for weekly sales and get cash back at stores like Walmart to save money. Additionally, many music programs also offer rebates if your child is of a certain age or intends to use their instrument in a school program such as marching band.

 

Playing an instrument offers a wide variety of avenues for your child — if your child enjoys folk or rock, they may want to pick up an acoustic or electric guitar, bass, or harmonica. If your child is into jazz, they may be suited to a saxophone, trumpet, violin, or piano. The whole array of strings, brass, and woodwinds is available if your child is of a more orchestral bent. When getting started musically, let your child make the choice as to what instrument they would like to play. (While there are limitations — smaller children may find it difficult to support a tuba or stand-up bass — most instruments depend on technique, not physical strength or size.)

 

If you take the traditional route of paying full price for gear and memberships, hobbies can be expensive.  However, by using online shopping, discounts, and rebates, you can find a less expensive path.  Remember to let your child have a voice in selecting their preferred hobby — if they are passionate about it, they will be much more likely to stick with it over the years and learn from their experiences.

 

Photo Credit: Pixabay.com

 

Teaching your children about financial responsibility at a young age can help instill values and knowledge that will last them a lifetime, and it’s a great way to prepare them for the real world. Even if your children are old enough to have learned about how money works, school will likely not teach them about how to save, how to spend wisely, or why a budget is so important. These are skills you can develop in your children with some hands-on teaching.

Think about what you want to teach your children, and make the lessons fun. For instance, you might encourage your children to set up a lemonade stand with a friend, or buy a piggy bank with a built-in money counter that will help them keep track of their savings.

Here are a few of the best tips on how to teach your child to be financially responsible.

Be consistent

Teaching young people about the importance of being responsible with money is difficult if you aren’t consistent with things such as giving allowance for chores. Some parents don’t believe in paying children to help out around the house, while others feel it’s a great way to help them learn about earning and saving. If you do decide to let your children earn an allowance, stick with it for a while to help them learn the right way to handle their finances.

Work from home

If your schedule will allow it, consider getting a part-time job from home so you can share everything about your job with your children. A great example is working for a dog-walking company, which would allow you to make some extra cash while you teach your children about the importance of being responsible, how to budget both money and time for the week, and what to do with the money you earn. Just be careful not to let your children take over the dog-walking duties; this is about what you can teach them.

Use gifts as teachable moments

Many kids receive cash for birthdays and holidays, so it’s a good idea to show them how to take a portion of it to put away in savings. It might even be the right time to open up a bank account just for your children so you can help them start saving. For older kids, you can strike a deal to match dollar for dollar what they put in up to a certain amount, as long as they keep their grades up and agree to some rules about withdrawals.

Teach your child to shop smart

Teach your children how to shop without overspending by talking about what they want to buy, creating a budget, and comparison shopping online before going to the store to make sure you get the best deal. By showing your kids how to be smart about their spending, they’ll learn that impulse buying can be hard on a budget.

Talk about “needs” and “wants”

It’s important for your kids to learn the difference between what they need and what they want, so include a lesson on the basic human needs and why they are so important. Emphasize that clothing, shelter, food and water, sleep, and family are the most important things in a person’s life, while toys and video games are merely for entertainment.

Talking to young people about money can be a big responsibility, and it’s often difficult for parents to know where to begin. Start off slow and easy and use as many real-life situations as you can to show your children how to be savvy financial planners so they’ll retain these lessons for a lifetime.