Fun Things to See and Do

Rio Grande Valley Livestock Show & Rodeo

The Rio Grande Valley Livestock Show & Rodeo is a highly recognized event that draws over 220,000 people a year. Crowds from all over the Rio Grande Valley, the state of Texas, and Mexico come to the 10th largest livestock show and rodeo in Texas to enjoy its many attractions and exhibits. The RGV Livestock Show & Rodeo was originally developed and its core service continues to be livestock education for area youth. Since its inception in 1940, it has expanded its activities and events to include the Midway Carnival and its vast assortment of rides, petting zoo, car shows, and live concerts. Among the many attractions it offers are barrel racing, bull riding, calf roping, steer wrestling and team roping. The RGV Livestock Show & Rodeo fair grounds are also used for other exciting events, such as monster truck shows, the annual RGV boat and RV shows, and thrilling live concerts.

Las Botas de Mercedes

Mercedes is home to the most unique Public Art project in the state of Texas.  There are 30 handcrafted 5 1/2 foot tall cowboy boots dispersed throughout the city each beautifully painted with different colleges from around the state, country and even Mexico. People are passionate about their alma mater and come from all over to take a picture with their boot!  You are invited to come visit yours and post it, tweet it, instagram it and most importantly hashtag it #botasdemercedes.  We look forward to seeing you in Mercedes!

Click here to find your boot.

Golf

The historic Llano Grande Country Club is one of the oldest golf courses in the Rio Grande Valley. Built in 1925, this par 72 golf course country club offers plenty of history as well as a challenging course to golfers of any level.

The Llano Grande’s many amenities include a historic club house, dining room, driving range, pro shop, club rentals, snack bar and a pro on staff. This 18 hole golf course is landscaped with lush tropical foliage, bunkers, water hazards and stunning Bermuda fairways.

Sports

For the sports fan in all of us, Mercedes offers plenty of sports events to enjoy. For starters, United League Baseball has two franchises located in the area, the Rio Grande Valley White Wings and the Brownsville Charros, with stadiums in Harlingen and Brownsville. The area also features a minor league hockey team, the Rio Grande Valley Killer Bees which are frequently play-off contenders and have managed to spark a heated rivalry with the Laredo Bucks. Sports fans can also enjoy the the Rio Grande Valley Sol (professional arena football), and La Fiera (professional indoor soccer) at the State Farm Arena. There is also the Rio Grande Valley NBA D-League Basketball team, the Rio Grande Valley Vipers. In 2013 the Vipers battled the  Santa Cruz Warriors to win the NBA D-League Championship

Rio Grande Valley Premium Outlets®

In November 2006, the Valley witnessed the grand opening of the Rio Grande Valley Premium Outlets®. With a collection of more than 140 outlet stores, it is the only mall of its kind south of San Marcos. This makes it ideal not only for local shoppers but for shoppers as far away as Monterrey. Rio Grande Valley Premium Outlets® feature some of the world’s finest designers and name brand clothing such as Burberry, Ann Taylor, Betsy Johnson, Brooks Brothers, Coach, Nike and Calvin Klein just to name a few.

Aside from the assortment of stores catering to designer fashion, sportswear, shoes, children, luggage, house wares, jewelry and accessories, and specialty items, the outlets have an ample food court and plenty of special events throughout the year.

Downtown District

The commercial and social heart of any community is its downtown, where residents can live, work and entertain. The City of Mercedes strives to promote an environment that is vigorous and welcoming to businesses, visitors and residents. The Mercedes Downtown District offers more than 65 diverse businesses in one central location to accommodate the demands of everyday life. The Downtown District businesses provide access to banking, insurance, automotive repair, home décor, medical services, shopping and restaurants. Businesses such as HEB Grocery, State Farm Insurance, First National Bank, Texas National Bank, Subway, Coach’s Pharmacy, and Bealls, as well as local specialty stores provide patrons with South Texas charisma as well as goods and services. In addition, the district hosts many community events such as the Festival of Lights and Texas Street Festival.

Outdoor Adventures

Mercedes’ year-round tropical weather allows visitors to enjoy outdoor activities 365 days a year. Outdoor activities in the area range from birding, hunting and fishing.  Mercedes is also close to the beautiful beaches of South Padre Island, a popular tourist destination.

Birding

The Rio Grande Valley is recognized as a world-class birding destination. Mercedes is located right in the center of The World Birding Center , a network of nine sites dotted along 120 miles of river road from South Padre Island west to Roma, with habitats ranging from dry chaparral brush and verdant riverside thickets to freshwater marshes and coastal wetlands.  Mercedes is home to one of the best, Estero Llano Grande State Park & World Birding Center where you can find over 300 species of birds, 100 species of butterflies and so much more!

The area is one of the most critical areas for migrating birds in North America. Birders can always see a wide variety of birds and may get a peak at some of the more uncommon species including Green Jays, Great Kiskadees, Buff-Bellied Hummingbirds and the Altamira Oriole.

Wes-Mer Drive In

The WesMer Drive-In opened at the beginning of America’s Drive-in boom in the late 1940’s, but unfortunately, like many other drive-ins, closed down in 1984. Ten years later it was restored and reopened and continues to operate today. It is the last drive-in in the Rio Grande Valley and one of only a few left in Texas. WesMer Drive-In is a single screen drive-in with a capacity for 400 cars. The drive-in shows double features of Hollywood’s latest releases daily.

The concession stand offers delectable snacks; take your pick from popcorn, nachos, corn dogs, chili bowls and more. Step back in time at WesMer Drive-In Theatre, where you can relax and enjoy Hollywood blockbusters in the comfort of your own car.