We’re just connecting the dots
WINTER TEXAN Volume 10 • Issue 15 January 29, 2025
Your Connection to the Rio Grande Valley
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As I read through the stories in this issue of Welcome Home Winter Texan, I felt overwhelming gratitude. You may not hear it as often as you should, but not only do all of you spending the winter months with us contribute an incredible amount of money to our economy, but you also contribute an incredible amount of volunteer time across the Rio Grande Valley, and it doesn’t go unnoticed. From loom knitting, knitting, and crocheting hats, scarves, and blankets for the Donation Chest at The Lamb’s Loom to making quilts for our cherished veterans and helping at the Food Bank of the Rio Grande Valley, you make a significant impact on the lives of more people than you will ever know. This issue also reminded me of all the fun you (our Winter Texans, Converted Texans, and local retirees) have every day. This week, you’ll read about a Rubber Ducky Derby, a quilt show on South Padre Island, an upcoming Irish Fest in McAllen, and a new Land & Sea tour planned for the fall. It doesn’t have to be Thanksgiving to say thank you. I actually want to say it to all of you in every column. Thank you for choosing South Texas. Thank you for reminding us how many ways there are to have fun. And thank you for your generosity—monetarily and with your time. I have the best job in the world! We’re just connecting the dots…
Thank You
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Indoor kite flying requires a great deal of skill and will be featured at the upcoming SPI Indoor Kite Festival.
Spectators watch intently as a flyer puts on a demonstration at an indoor kite festival on South Padre Island.
SPI Kite Show Features Top Performers, Shows Story by Ric Cavazos Photos courtesy of SPI Indoor Kite Festival
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usie and Bill Doan settled on South Padre Island in the late 1990s, deciding to turn a hobby into a business. The Ohio transplants were too young for retirement back then and saw, on the Island, an opportunity to fill a niche with an SPI kite shop. They favored traditional kite flying but did dabble in kiteboarding in the early years of their business, B&S Kites. The Doans would sell off that part of their business to focus on the traditional kite flying they so enjoyed. Their insights on kite flying and how to utilize the usually gusty Island winds built up a following among visitors and local residents alike. The idea of having a festival arose, and the Doans decided to make a go of it. “It all started with a love to fly kites on the Island,” Susie Doan said. “Then, one year, we started thinking about making a festival out here and seeing how many people would come out.” It turned out many did. For 15-plus years, the
The SPI Indoor Kite Festival draws a full house and rapt attention from spectators.
Doans hosted and organized outdoor kite festivals on the Island. It would become an event enjoyed by all ages and groups, including Winter Texans. In recent years, the Doans have moved their festival indoors, first in Port Isabel and now to the South Padre Island Convention Center. The latest edition CONTINUED ON PAGE 2