READY -- WESLACO CHAMBER

Sunday, April 1, 2012 ❚ A5
Mid-Valley Town Crier
mytowncrier.com
(All photos provided by the Weslaco Area Chamber of Commerce)
CHAMBER NEWS
Weslaco’s 23rd Annual
Onion Fest adds another
day of fun, food and music
The
23rd
Annual
Onion Fest grew into a twoday affair this year, taking
place on Saturday, March
24 and Sunday, March 25 at
Weslaco City Park. Local
Culinary Center features cooking demos,
recipe contests and plenty of samples
Weslaco's 23rd annual Texas Onion Fest featured all the
popular events it's known for, including the AEP Texas Culinary
Center which housed cooking demonstrations and the Onion
Recipe and Salsa contests, sponsored by H-E-B. On Saturday,
spectators were treated to demonstrations by the H-E-B
Cooking Connection, Chef Gloria from STC's Culinary
Department, and Chef James Canter from Alahambra.
Sunday's line up included Eric Arndt from the Blue Onion.
On Sunday, the H-E-B Onion Recipe and Salsa contests
took place, where contestants displayed their entries in decorative fashion before a live audience while judges sampled each
dish. Judges based each onion recipe entry on appearance, texture and flavor, giving an overall score. In addition, each recipe
had to contain at least ½ cup of onions.
The onion recipe contest included three divisions- appetizer, main dish, and dessert, with two separate categories for
adults and professionals. The salsa contest consisted of two
categories, adult and professional. After the judging portion of
the contest, spectators enjoyed tasty samples of each entry after
the judging portion of the contest.
Winners for the 2012 Onion Recipe and Salsa contests are
as follows:
APPETIZERS:
Professional Category: 1st Place - Dalia de la O Carr
- Stuffed Jalapeno Appetizers
Adult Category: 1st Place - Audrey Eoff - Tomato &
Goat Cheese Tart. 2nd Place
- Nancy Courser - Shrimp
and Remoulade Sauce
MAIN DISH:
Professional Category:
1st Place - Dalia de la O Carr
- Pork with Chipotle
Adult Category: 1st
Place - Audrey Eoff - Italian
Potato au Gratin; 2nd Place Nancy Courser - Mushroom
and Spinach Chowder
DESSERT:
Professional Category:
1st Place - Dalia de la O Carr
- Carrot Onion Cake.
Adult Category: 1st
Place - Nancy Courser Sweet Onion Truffles; 2nd
Place - Audrey Eoff Caramelized
Onion
Cheesecake; 3rd Place - Carmen de Leon - Capirotada de
Cebolla y Tomate
SALSA RECIPE:
Professional Category: 1st Place - Dalia de la O Carr
- Salsa Ranchera
Adult Category: 1st Place - Al Ragusin - Brew Crew's
Smoking Hot Sauce; 2nd Place - Audrey Eoff - Tomatillo Salsa;
3rd Place - Nancy Courser - "Chicago Fire" Black Bean Salsa.
Audrey Eoff took Grand Champion in the Onion Recipes
and Al Ragusin was the Salsa Grand Champion. Thank you to
all the participants and to sponsors AEP Texas and H-E-B.
by Ralph and the Cruisers
bringing back some classic
rock 'n roll oldies. Marshall
Law and Whiskey D. added
the country and rock element, while Estruendo followed, kicking off the
evening's set. Marlissa Vela
and Costumbre closed out
the evening as comedian
Raymond Orta offered
plenty of laughs throughout
the evening as the emcee.
On Sunday, R&B recording
Entertainer Chuchin
artist
Lamar
Jones started out
food vendors,
the afternoon,
businesses, and
followed
by
all types of entergospel
acts,
tainers were feacountry music
tured at the
by Bob & Sheila
event. People of
Everhart
and
all ages showed
Tejano
Boys
up early to get a
closing out the
head start on all
Scan the QR code event.
the
different
The Frost
to check out our
attractions and
Bank Cool Spot
features, which Onion Fest mobile Mini Stage hostincluded vendor site where you'll ed Winter Texan
booths, contests, see more pictures favorite Country
and
carnival from the event.
Shades, entertainer Chuchin,
belly dancers Reinas de
Sabas and the famous
Onion Eating Contest, hosted by KRGV reporter
Muscle Car display
rides for the children.
Saturday's entertainment kicked off at the
MVEC Main Stage with the
Weslaco
High
School
Mariachi Pantera, followed
Marshall Law Band
Tejano Boys
Camaron Abundes. On
Sunday, Onion Fest held its
first talent showcase, featuring local talent of all
ages.
The InterNational Bank
Arts and Crafts tent highlighted local vendors with a
variety of products ranging
from handmade jewelry to
scented candles.
And enjoying the music they did.
Various games and
activities were available for
children at the South Texas
College Kid Zone, with the
return of the Mascot Games,
which featured several
familiar mascots from the
professional cooks competed in the H-E-B Recipe and
Salsa contests. Thank you
to Lowe's for building the
kitchen onsite.
Rancho Caballo de
Pura Raza Azteca performed at the Shah Eye
Center Charro Arena, entertaining the crowd with
Azteca and Andulasian
horses dancing to mariachi
music on Saturday and
Sunday.
Mal Querido Flys
community including Jerry
the Jaguar, the Payne
Brothers, H.E. Buddy, and
the Mascot Games champion, Cowboy Cash from Lone
Star National Bank. The
mascots stuck around afterwards for photo ops with
children and adults alike.
On
Saturday,
the
Knapp Medical Center
Pavilion provided plenty of
useful health information,
while the Security First
Credit Union Car Show featured all types of classic and
contemporary
vehicles.
Nearby, Bass Pro Shop displayed a variety of their
boats and ATV's.
The
AEP
Texas
Culinary Stage held cooking
demonstrations, featuring
chefs from H-E-B, the STC
Culinary Dept., Alhambra
and the Blue Onion. On
Sunday, both amateur and
Even the young ones got
into it.
Overall, this year's Onion
Fest was another fun-filled
and exciting affair, and would
not have been possible without the help of all our sponsors and volunteers. Thank
you to everyone who helped
make the event a success, as
well as everyone who attended.
Visit www.weslaco.
com/onionfest or like us on
Facebook to see a lot more
photos!
Coffee Bar Sponsors
Beginning in December, the Weslaco Chamber of
Commerce hosts at Winter Texan Coffee Bar for all of
our visitors. Winter Texans come in for the latest information on events in and around Weslaco, and are treated to coffee and pastries provided by one of our chamber members. Thank you to all of our Winter Texan
Coffee Bar sponsors for the month of March. They
were: Edward Jones - James Enriquez; State Farm
Insurance - Julian Garza; Heritage Village - Texas
National Bank.
Onion Eating Contest heats up
with Cool Spot Mini Stage
WELCOME NEW MEMBERS...
Texas Onion Fest wouldn't be complete without the
famous Onion Eating Contest, which was held on Saturday
at the Frost Bank Cool Spot Mini Stage. Hosted by KRGV
reporter Camaron Abundes, brave contestants took the
stage to consume as much onion as they possibly could in
a certain amount of time. In the Kids Division, Chris
Sinder of Edinburg took first place, and in the Adult
Division, defending champion Elias Vasquez took home
first prize. The Miss Weslaco and Miss Onion Fest court
had its own division with Amara Valdez, Miss Onion Fest
2nd Runner up, taking first place.
Hilltop Gardens
100 Lee Lane (6 ½ miles north of La Villa)
Lyford, TX 78569
956-262-2176
Open Tuesday - Saturday 9 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.
Hilltop Gardens, a 500-acre farm in Hidalgo County, first planted aloe vera in 1938. It was one of the first commercial aloe
farms in the country. Today, several private estate gardens on
the property are now open to the public. The four areas include
a Sensory Walk, a Healing Garden, an Aloe Garden and a
Children's Garden. There's also a Visitor Center and gift shop.
With its tropical design and peaceful atmosphere, Hilltop
Gardens is a true oasis in a hectic world.
ACN Agriproducts, LLC
1512 Rancho Toluca Rd.
Progreso, TX 78579
956-363-2205 phone
956-309-9329 fax
ACN Agriproducts is a business operating within the food
industry dedicated to marketing and export of grains and
byproducts (yellow corn, sorghum, rice hulls, rice pullish, etc.)
to Mexico and the U.S. Founded in 2010, operation hours are 8
a.m. to 5 p.m. ACN is a member of the Texas Grain and Feed
Association (TGFA).
Mid Valley Women's Health and Surgical Arts
420 Professional Drive, Ste. A
Weslaco, TX 78596
956-969-8369 phone
956-284-0390 fax
Open Monday - Friday 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.
www.midvalleywomenshealth.com
Mid Valley Women's Health and Surgical Arts offers the highest quality specialist care in obstetrics and gynecology as well as
cosmetic surgery. They are committed to giving all our patients
the attention and personal service they deserve. Staff physicians are Dr. Rita Ellen Eye, OB/GYN and Dr. Pablo Rivera, OBGYN and Cosmetic Surgery
Onion Fest Talent
Showcase features
local talent of all ages
The first ever Onion Fest Talent Showcase highlighted
talent from all over the Valley performing everything from
country to rap to Spanish rock. First place went to gospel
singer Jose Bulnes who sang a medley of songs. In second
place, Jose de Anda III rapped his own original lyrics, and
third place Ciro Alonso sang "Cosmic Love" by Florence
and the Machine. All three performers are from Weslaco,
and they won $200, $100, and $75, respectively. Thank you
to all who participated!
The Weslaco Chamber of Commerce and Estero Llano Grande
State Park hosted a reception for Texas Parks and Wildlife
Department Executive Director Carter Smith. The event was
held in Smith's honor to show appreciation for all the work
Smith has done for Estero Llano Grande and in turn, the community of Weslaco. The World Birding Center at Estero Llano
Grande is the epicenter of the entire birding network in the Rio
Grande Valley, making it a premier birding destination for
tourists from around the world.