Valle Vista Mall, Still Open for Business

(This article was written by Abigail Muniz-Garcia and appeared in the August 2024 issue of Explore Harlingen Magazine .) “Hello! Welcome!” Rebecca Hughes meets her customers with a smile and a warm greeting as they enter her store, Hummingbird Valley Boutique and Gift Shoppe located inside Valle Vista Mall in Harlingen.  The owner of this small business, which sells jewelry, apparel, and other gifts, Hughes has experienced the summer slowdown at the mall, which tends to happen between May and July. She also mentioned how she’s come to the realization that many locals believe the mall is not open when in fact, it is. Hughes and other shop owners have come together to offer events like Valle Vista Mall Market Days, which happens every 2nd Saturday of the month from 11 am to 7 pm. This recurring event began in November 2023. “It was a big hit. We had a lot of people,” Hughes said. The event offers vendors an opportunity to set up and sell their goods inside the building. Visitors get to enjoy shopping in an indoor location and not only support small businesses that are selling at their booths, but also the merchants located in the mall. A recent market day even featured Jurassic RGV, a dinosaur experience that offers activities for the kids, and included pet adoptions with the Humane Society. “It’s indoors… you don’t have to deal with the heat,” Hughes said with a smile. Ashley Negrete, a lifelong Harlingen resident, enjoys shopping at the mall. She said she likes to support the small businesses. “It does look closed from the outside, but there is still stuff going on,” she said. “I love coming here. I find it very therapeutic to be walking back and forth.” Negrete said she even takes her grandmother to shop at the mall since she is wheelchair-bound, and she finds it easy to navigate through the open space. “I bring her and walk around and shop here and there,” she said. Hughes mentioned that some have voiced negative views about how the mall is not what it used to be, but she remains positive and hopes locals can realize that there is still shopping to be done at the mall, especially during this back-to-school season. “Management does what they can with what they have and keeping it going,” she said. “We have a little over 30 establishments here.” Hughes wants people to know that the mall is open for people’s shopping needs and to remind them to focus on the stores that are open. One of the back-to-school deals that will be happening through September 21, 2024, is a $12 “Student Cuts” deal where students from K-12th grade can get a haircut for that low price at the JCPenney Salon. Janie Tobias, one of the managers at JCPenney, invites people to take advantage of this special and other sales that will be going on in the store. “It’s a good deal,” she said. To stay up to date on deals and events happening at Valle Vista Mall, follow Harlingen Mall Hotspots on Facebook.