Texas Citrus Fiesta, Mission, January 30-31

For more than 65 years, the town of Mission in the Rio Grande Valley has hosted a jovial tribute to citrus fruit--one of the major industries in the region. Don Macedonio Vela planted the earliest recorded citrus trees in the Lower Rio Grande Valley at the Laguna Seca Ranch in 1882. Fifty years later, town leaders established the Citrus Fiesta to celebrate the plentiful harvest of locally grown citrus.

Today, dozens of varieties of Texas grapefruit, lemons and oranges are available across the country, and each has its loyal fans. The Texas red grapefruit has been designated the state fruit. Upwards of 10 million 40-pound boxes of Texas reds are exported from the Valley each year.

The Texas Citrus Fiesta involves three days of fun--a carnival, live music, ethnic foods, arts and crafts displays, and an educational fun fair--as well as elegant formal events. One of the highlights is the coronation of Queen Citriana and King Citrus and their court, including duchesses from surrounding communities.

Don't miss the Parade of Oranges, with elaborately decorated floats and bands. There's even a Product Style Show, where models wear costumes that must be almost entirely covered with Valley fruits and vegetables that have been blended, dehydrated, pulverized and preserved. Costumes from previous years are on display at the Mission Historical Museum.

For more information, http://www.missionchamber.com/txcitrus.html or call (956) 585-9724. The Lower Rio Grande Valley is served by Magic Valley EC.

Photo credits: Texas Citrus Fiesta

Jim Gramon is author of FUN Texas Festivals and Events, Famous Texas Folklorists and Their Stories and, just out, Legendary Texas Storytellers. www.JimGramon.com

Comments about the magazine? E-mail Editor Kaye Northcott at kayen@texas-ec.org ©2004 Texas Electric Cooperatives, Inc.