On the Road

From tasty Texas festivals to must-see museums, Edinburg has it all

Head due south and you’ll encounter the city of Edinburg in the Rio Grande Valley, where annual events and attractions bring in locals and visitors alike while boasting big hometown flavor — both literally and figuratively.

Swap Texas Hold'em for Texas Cook’Em
Place your bets on the 16th annual Texas Cook'Em: High Steaks, an all-day event on July 2, 2022, at Ebony Hills Golf Course. The Rio Grande Valley's biggest barbecue competition awards $25,000 and bragging rights to winning competitors who battle it out on the grill for the top chicken, ribs, pork brisket, and rib-eye.

Plus, in addition to the smoky flavors, Texas Cook’Em serves up family-friendly entertainment, car shows, live music, and of course, fireworks.

Channel your inner Frida
Summertime also means the annual FridaFest in Edinburg, a festival that celebrates renowned Mexican artist Frida Kahlo along with the spirit of womanhood, perseverance, and empowerment.

Make sure you come in costume, as the Frida Procession strives to set a record for “largest gathering of people dressed as Frida Kahlo.” The event is free and also includes live music and dance performances, food vendors, children’s activities, and lots of great Frida-inspired art.

Get set for a movie marathon
Film buffs: This one’s for you. In the fall, the South Texas International Film Festival (STIFF) features five days of film screenings that are open to the public.

Catch local, national, and international films in a range of genres while meeting the people who brought these films to life. Past festivals have featured more than 140 films from 20-plus countries.

Learn about biker culture
The rich heritage of the bike is on display at the South Texas Motorcycle Museum, where you’ll find dozens of models from the last century.

The mission of the museum is to celebrate and preserve the culture, engineering, art, and history of these two-wheeled vehicles. Say "hi" to museum manager David Garcia, A.K.A. Dirty Dave, when you’re there as well as the volunteers who help keep the museum running on all cylinders.

For more information, visit Edinburg Chamber of Commerce.

FridaFest celebrates renowned Mexican artist Frida Kahlo.

Photo courtesy of Edinburg Chamber of Commerce

FridaFest celebrates renowned Mexican artist Frida Kahlo.

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DART News

DART receives $7 million federal grant for new low-emission buses

Gillig

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Dallas Area Rapid Transit (DART) has received a grant to update its fleet of buses. According to a release, the agency was awarded a $7.094 million grant from the Federal Transit Administration to support the purchase of new buses as the agency phases out its fleet of older model vehicles.

The grant awarded to DART is one of 165 transit projects across the U.S. funded with more than $2 billion in federal grants.

In February, DART purchased 476 Compressed Natural Gas (CNG) buses from Gillig, a California-based manufacturer of heavy-duty transit buses, to fulfill their goal to modernize their transit system over the next decade — particularly via new buses and light-rail vehicles to replace the oldest units in their aging fleet.

The phase-in of those new vehicles is expected to be executed through 2027.

Compressed Natural Gas (CNG)-powered buses are a near-zero emission option, which was a key component in DART qualifying for the federal grant. Gillig has already delivered the first buses ahead of a Spring 2026 timeline — meaning that DART riders will get to start riding the upgraded buses on routes by the end of December 2025.

In a statement, DART President & CEO Nadine Lee says the timing is perfect.

“The timing of this grant couldn’t be better as we begin to receive early delivery of new, state-of-the-art vehicles from Gillig and as we move ahead with preparations to provide service to the massive crowds we expect next year with the FIFA World Cup," Lee says. "We are grateful to U.S. Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy, FTA Administrator Marcus Molinaro, and our entire congressional delegation for valuing their strong federal partnership with DART, recognizing the need to find additional funding to support transit programs in one of the fastest growing metro areas in the nation."

This new grant is in addition to $103 million initial federal grants, bringing the total federal support for DART’s purchase of new buses to more than $110 million – reducing the overall cost to DART and member cities.

U.S. Congressional delegates, representing communities across Texas, were instrumental in securing the funding for the grant. The purchase of 476 buses is one part of DART’s Transform, a $2.5 billion 10-year plan to modernize and upgrade the DART system.

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