Last-minute preparations were happening at the Holiday Village at Dean Porter Park Monday afternoon as event organizers prepared to open the gates to a winter wonderland Monday evening.

The Holiday Village Brownsville features over 30 decorated cottages that are placed along the sidewalks at the park giving patrons the chance to enjoy them.

The free event, which draws crowds from across the Rio Grande Valley is scheduled to open its gates at 6:00 PM with the lighting of the park scheduled to begin at 7:00 PM.  There will be music, entertainment, free treats while they last and door prizes.

Brownsville resident Laura Silguero was at Dean Porter Park Monday afternoon with her great-niece Raphaela Silguero and her great-nephews Manuel Silguero and Liam Chairez getting a sneak preview of the village. They had been around the park since Sunday night because they weren’t sure when the Holiday Village lights would be turned on.

“One of the ladies said they were going to turn the lights on later today so I told the kids we would come back later today,” Laura Silguero said.

Laura Silguero said she has visited the Holiday Village in previous years with her mom and this would be the first year that her great-niece and great-nephews would get a chance to see it.

“I have always enjoyed it. It’s very nice and every year I come with my mom and we usually just come to see it,” she said.

Asked what Manuel, Raphaela, and Liam would think when they saw the Holiday Village lit up with colorful Christmas lights, Laura Silguero replied, “I think they are really going to love it. I really think so.”

The Holiday Village will take place from November 20, 2023, through January 1, 2024, providing a festive atmosphere for families to enjoy during the holiday season.