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Courtesy Laura D. Garcia,

McAllen Holiday Parade, Planta Nativa and McAllen Marathon Amongst Winners

Boise, Idaho- The International Festivals & Events Association (IFEA) paid tribute to the City of McAllen on September 14 during the Pinnacle awards ceremony held at IFEA’s 62nd Annual Convention in Tucson, Arizona held Sept 13-17. McAllen was presented with 35 awards in the prestigious IFEA/Haas & Wilkerson Pinnacle Awards competition.

“McAllen was up against the Tournament of Roses, Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade and the Kentucky Derby festivals- major players that are very good at what they do and so to be competitive in that market says a lot about McAllen,” said IFEA President & CEO, Steven Wood Schmader, CFEE. “ Congratulations to your city and its leadership for supporting these events and saying it’s important to our community, it’s a big deal.”

The Office of Communications, Parks and Recreation, Quinta Mazatlan and the McAllen Convention Center submitted entries. McAllen won awards in the following categories:

GOLD

Best Parade- McAllen Holiday Parade
Best Full Length TV Program (National Promotion/Syndication)- Office of Communications
Best Full Length TV Program (Local Programming)- Office of Communications
Best Give-Away Item- McAllen Marathon coffee mug
Best Sponsor Partner- McAllen Holiday Parade
Best Sponsorship Program for Individual Sponsor- McAllen Holiday Parade
Best Educational Program- Monarch Celebration
Best Children’s Programming- Quinta Mazatlan & the Valley Land Fund
Best Event (Within an Existing Festival)- Into the Wild at PALMFEST
Best New Event- Monarch Celebration
Best Single Newspaper Display Ad- Office of Communications
Best Single Magazine Display Ad- Office of Communications
Best Outdoor Billboard- Office of Communications

SILVER
Best Event Promotional Photograph- Moon Over Mazatlan
Best Miscellaneous On-Site Décor – Monarch Celebration
Best Targeted Sponsor Solicitation- McAllen Holiday Parade
Best Overall Sponsorship Program- McAllen Holiday Parade
Best Green Program- Planta Nativa
Best Event/Program within an Event to Benefit a Cause- Into the Wild at PALMFEST
Best Miscellaneous Printed Materials (Single Page)- Office of Communications
Best T-Shirt Design- Office of Communications
Best Press/Media Kit- Office of Communications
Most Creative/Effective News Stunt- Office of Communications

BRONZE

Best Pin or Button – Mayor’s Monarch Pledge
Best Pin or Button- Games of Texas
Best Sponsor Gift- coasters
Best Individual Sponsor Follow-up Report- McAllen Holiday Parade
Best TV Promotion (Ad spot or PSA)- Office of Communications
Best Event Video Promotion- Office of Communications
Best Newspaper Insert/Supplement- Office of Communications
Best Miscellaneous Printed Materials (Single Page)- Office of Communications
Best Ad Series- Office of Communications
Best Event Promotional Photograph- Office of Communications
Best Event (Within an Existing Festival)- Office of Communications
Best New Promotion Activity- Office of Communications

“To be recognized as the Best Parade in the World makes us proud of what we do in the City of McAllen,” said City Manager Roel “Roy” Rodriguez, P.E. “We have a great team in McAllen that has worked diligently to make this a signature event. Everyone works very hard to make this a spectacular event; from employees to sponsors and volunteers.”

Sponsored by industry leader Haas & Wilkerson Insurance, the professional competition draws entries from among the world’s top festivals and events. Winning entries came from organizations as diverse as the 500 Festival in Indianapolis, IN; the Des Moines Arts Festival, Des Moines, IA; Riverbend Festival in Chattanooga, TN; Rutgers University in Piscataway, NJ; the National Cherry Festival in Traverse City, MI; the Philadelphia Flower Show, Philadelphia, PA; the Fiesta Bowl, Scottsdale, AZ; the Sausalito Art Festival, Sausalito, CA; the Skagit Valley Tulip Festival in Mount Vernon, WA and Celebrations Ottawa in Ottawa, ON, Canada.

International contenders included such diverse event organizations as the Singapore Garden Festival in Singapore; RedFilo Events, Abu Dhabi, UAE; Destination NSW, Sydney, Australia; The Third China International Circus Festival, Guangzhou, China; Feria Estatal de Leon, Leon, Mexico; Ludwig Van Beethoven Easter Festival, Krakow, Poland; Cuckoo Events, Dublin, Ireland; Rotterdam Festivals, Rotterdam, Netherlands; Festival Lent, Maribor, Slovenia and the Ansan Street Arts Festival, Ansan, South Korea.