Social Fest launches RGV Creator of the Year award
By RGV Business Journal Staff • August 27, 2026 • 2 min read
EntertainmentTechnologyTourismU.S.
Rio Grande Valley creators can be nominated regardless of follower count, with the inaugural winner set to be announced at Social Fest in McAllen this November.
Latest News
- USMCA won’t die in 2026 — but it’s entering a new, uncertain phase, RGV trade expert says
- Social Fest launches RGV Creator of the Year award
- Texas commits $192M to widen the only highway to Starbase
- San Juan Acura dealership sold, will become Lumos Acura
- Twin Peaks is coming to Brownsville and South Padre Island
- Mexican tech company chooses McAllen as launchpad for U.S. expansion
- Rio Grande Valley job growth slows to a trickle through July
- Brownsville reschedules vote on SpaceX disannexation request
- Cameron County wants input on a highway that could lead to SPI’s second causeway
- New statewide push to reduce Texas’ uninsured population starts in the Rio Grande Valley
- SpaceX seeks to take zoning control over nearly 450 acres from city of Brownsville as a ‘regional’ water deal takes shape
Technology
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Mexican tech company chooses McAllen as launchpad for U.S. expansion
Ticketopolis arrives in Texas after creating more than 11,000 events, issuing 1 million tickets and processing more than $20 million in transactions.
U.S.
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Texas commits $192M to widen the only highway to Starbase
The funding will widen 14 miles of State Highway 4 from two lanes to four as traffic continues to surge between Brownsville and Starbase.
Tourism
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Cameron County wants input on a highway that could lead to SPI’s second causeway
The proposed 21.5-mile Outer Parkway would create a new east-west highway across northern Cameron County as part of a broader route toward the coast.
Entertainment
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Travelers spent $272M on RGV lodging in first half of 2026. See where they stayed
Travelers most often chose to stay on South Padre Island overnight when visiting the Valley, even more so in 2026 than in 2025.
Infrastructure
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The Valley landed the projects. Now it has to power them — and the others that are following
Industrial growth is bringing power requests larger than Brownsville’s electric system as the Valley races to expand power and water infrastructure.
Finance
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San Juan Acura dealership sold, will become Lumos Acura
Lumos Auto Group has acquired Acura of the Rio Grande Valley from Bill Bird and will operate the San Juan dealership under a new name.
Commercial Real Estate
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Twin Peaks is coming to Brownsville and South Padre Island
The sports restaurant chain is planning new locations in Cameron County as part of a broader South Texas expansion agreement that also includes Laredo.
Real Estate
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Brownsville reschedules vote on SpaceX disannexation request
Commissioners will now meet Saturday to consider whether nearly 450 acres should be removed from Brownsville’s city limits and zoning control.
Retail
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Sovereign Coffee grew into a multimillion-dollar business. Now, more is brewing
Sovereign Coffee is expanding to McAllen and Weslaco and adding its own bakery and roastery as the homegrown coffee company continues to grow.
Mexico
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Pharr’s cross-border business push earns international recognition
The Pharr Global Business Hub was recognized for connecting businesses, entrepreneurs, and investment opportunities across South Texas and Mexico.
Business spotlight
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BMW sales at Bert Ogden in Pharr are outpacing some bigger Texas markets, leaders say
The Rio Grande Valley population may be smaller than other markets in Texas but BMW dealership leaders say demand is growing statewide.
Economic Trends
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Rio Grande Valley job growth slows to a trickle through July
The Valley added 4,900 jobs over the year through July, almost entirely in the McAllen metro, while Brownsville-Harlingen added just 100.
Workforce
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Mission’s first Small Business Expo puts $25K on the line for local entrepreneurs
The free, full-day event will bring businesses, resources and an entrepreneur pitch competition to the Mission Event Center on Sept. 16.
Water
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SpaceX seeks to take zoning control over nearly 450 acres from city of Brownsville as a ‘regional’ water deal takes shape
The city says SpaceX is negotiating an investment that could roughly double regional potable water capacity as commissioners weigh its request.
International trade
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Volvo’s truck deal in Mexico is driving millions in new investment at Matamoros plant
Core Molding is adding two 4,500-ton presses in Matamoros to produce 1,000 Volvo truck roofs per week starting in 2027.
Healthcare
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New statewide push to reduce Texas’ uninsured population starts in the Rio Grande Valley
A new nonprofit backed by major health organizations is starting its statewide work in the Valley, where some of Texas’ highest uninsured rates persist.
Industrial Real Estate
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Industrial growth is bringing RGV workers home — now the region needs to build its next workforce generation
More than 70% of Rio Grande LNG’s 6,000-plus construction workers are from the Valley as leaders prepare for the next wave of industrial jobs.
Education
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STC puts AI to work across 55 courses — from construction sites to car repair
The effort is designed to prepare students for workplaces where AI is quickly becoming part of the job.
Manufacturing
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TSTC bets on advanced manufacturing to meet RGV’s industrial boom
HARLINGEN — As billions of dollars in industrial investment take shape across the Rio Grande Valley, Texas State Technical College is overhauling its program lineup to keep pace wi
Economic incentives
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USMCA won’t die in 2026 — but it’s entering a new, uncertain phase, RGV trade expert says
The trade pact remains in force, but annual reviews, shifting tariffs and ongoing negotiations are creating new uncertainty for South Texas border businesses.
Agriculture
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Texas A&M’s $53.5M McAllen research center will tackle water, food security and Valley health
The project has grown by more than 4,000 square feet since it was announced, with construction now targeted to begin in February 2027.
Immigration
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Thousands of Mexicans are being sent back through Matamoros — bringing skills that could reshape Tamaulipas’ economy
Matamoros handled nearly 90% of Tamaulipas’ repatriation events through May — almost 14 times as many as Reynosa.
Residential Real Estate
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SpaceX’s millionaire boom could make Brownsville homes — and some tax bills — more expensive
Thousands of SpaceX employees may have become millionaires, adding pressure to Brownsville’s housing market.
Logistics
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TSTC lands nearly $500K grant to train more South Texas truck drivers
The federal grant will pay for two new semitrucks, a trailer, and upgrades to the college’s training and testing pad to help build the region’s transportation workforce.
Energy
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SpaceX quietly secured zoning approval for a new nearly 34-acre heavy industrial site along Boca Chica Highway
Space Exploration Technologies Corp. could expand its industrial operations to another 33.9 acres near Boca Chica Beach, records show.
Sponsored Content
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New capital projects chapter confronts growth challenges in the Rio Grande Valley
Harlingen luncheon will ask whether power, water and workers can keep pace with industrial expansion.
Demographics
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Reynosa and Matamoros emerge as Tamaulipas’ population engines
Reynosa and Matamoros now account for more than one-third of Tamaulipas’ population, fueled by manufacturing, logistics, and cross-border trade.
Most Read
- USMCA won’t die in 2026 — but it’s entering a new, uncertain phase, RGV trade expert says
- Mission lands one of its largest private investments with $50M aluminum manufacturing plant
- Vice President J.D. Vance cancels South Texas visit ahead of Port of Brownsville event
- New $1.6M food hall aims to transform downtown Edinburg with dining, retail and events
- South Texas builders say ICE raids are back, mourn death of slain construction worker
- Sluggish job growth across the Rio Grande Valley continues through June, data shows
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In the Headlines
- USMCA won’t die in 2026 — but it’s entering a new, uncertain phase, RGV trade expert says
- Environmental advocates push back as Starbase votes to dramatically expand city limits near Boca Chica Beach
- $1B desal plant secures land on South Padre Island
- SpaceX’s operations projected to generate $13B economic impact in Cameron County
- U.K. business plans massive data center in Harlingen, records show
- Cameron County set to acquire B&M Bridge, adding fourth international crossing to its network
