South Texas Plains

Situated at the bottom of Texas within the southernmost tip of the state, the South Texas Plains region’s towns and cities infuse Mexican customs into their everyday living. Towns and cities found in the South Texas Plains region include Alamo, Crystal City, Laredo, McAllen, Rio Grande City, San Antonio, San Juan, Three Rivers, and Zapata.

Laredo and McAllen are considered the gateways to Mexico. These sisters lie on the border and carry many Mexican customs into their every day life. McAllen’s sister city Reynosa is located on the Mexican side of the border. Tourists who come to McAllen are urged to cross the border and check out the impressive dining and shopping on the other side of the border in a day trip. At night McAllen’s nightlife is pretty reminiscent of what you would find in Mexico and highly enjoyable. Be sure to enjoy some live Tejano music during your stay. Laredo is filled with natural areas for hiking and bird watching. Laredo is rapidly growing to handle an increasing tourism base. Many area hotels have undergone multi-million dollar renovations or have recently opened their doors. Laredo is a port city, so be sure to check out the incredible local merchants and restaurants.

In the northern border of South Texas Plains Region, the charming city of San Antonio awaits visitors of all ages. From the moment you arrive, San Antonio’s Spanish heritage is instantly apparent. Visitors flock to San Antonio to view the Alamo, but there are many other historic buildings worth viewing. San Antonio de Bexar, Buckhorn Saloon & Museum, Casa Navarro, Fort Sam Houston, and Guenther House are all popular attractions. For those seeking a touch of whimsy, do not miss the Guinness World Records Museum & Ripley’s Haunted Adventure.

The climate in South Texas Plains Region can be pretty warm in the summer, but spring, fall, and winter are usually quite pleasant with warm days and cooler nights. For this reason, you will find there are enjoyable outdoor festivals held throughout the year.

January finds the Laredo International Sister Cities Festival. During this event, twenty of Laredo’s international sister cities from around the world are celebrated in large craft and food sale. San Antonio’s annual Stock Show & Rodeo occurs in February. This festival is an old-fashioned family fair and carnival complete with livestock events and a rodeo. Laredo also holds the world famous Washington’s Birthday Celebration throughout the month of February. This festival is more than 100 years old and includes many family-friendly events. The Texas Rio Grande Onion Fest is held in March. People gather in Weslaco to celebrate the onion. Carnival rides, onion eating contests, food vendors, and concerts are offered during this festival.

By spring, the weather has warmed up and flowers are all blooming. It Poteet, the town holds what is known as the biggest agricultural event in all of Texas. 95 acres are turned into a huge Strawberry Festival where the year’s crop of strawberries are celebrated in high style with popular country and Tejano artists, rodeos, and many food vendors. In May, San Antonio holds their annual “Return of the Chili Queens.” This three-day event highlights local products in a number of fabulous chili and chili con carne feasts.

Summers are usually pretty hot, so outdoors events are common. Stockdale’s Watermelon Jubilee, a gala with rodeos, concerts, parades, and watermelon eating contests are popular. The Miss Texas Rodeo is also held in June.

Fall is still warm, but the nights start to cool down. September finds Uvalde’s Annual Palomino Fest offering excellent rodeos, duck races, and Tejano concerts. The proceeds from this event all benefit the Southwest Texas Junior College Scholarship Fund. Every October, Cuero holds an Annual Turkey Fest and the yearly Turkey Capitol of the World pageant.

South Texas Plains