Recreation

Mercedes provides many sports and recreation activities throughout the year. It is renowned for its annual livestock show and carnival, which provides live concerts and rodeo competitions. Mercedes also provides recreational activities through public golf courses, tennis courts, professional arena football games and minor league baseball and hockey games.

Rio Grande Valley Livestock Show & Rodeo

The Rio Grande Valley Livestock Show & Rodeo is a highly recognized event that draws over 160,000 people a year. Crowds from all over the Rio Grande Valley, the state of Texas, and Mexico come to the 10th largest livestock show and rodeo in Texas to enjoy its many attractions and exhibits.

The RGV livestock show & rodeo was originally developed and its core service continues to be livestock education for area youth. The RGV livestock show & rodeo provides over $50,000 annually in scholarships to deserving 4-H and FFA students. However, it has expanded its activities and events since its inception in 1940 to include the Midway Carnival and its vast assortment of rides, petting zoo, car shows, and live concerts.

Among the many attractions it offers are barrel racing, bull riding, calf roping, steer wrestling and team roping. The RGV livestock show & rodeo fair grounds are also used for other exciting events, such as monster truck shows, the annual RGV boat and RV shows, and thrilling live concerts.

Golfing

The historic Llano Grande Country Club is one of the oldest golf courses in the Rio Grande Valley. Built in 1925, the Llano Grande’s may amenities include a historic club house, dining room, driving range, pro shop, club rentals, snack bar and a pro on staff. This par 72 golf course country club offers plenty of history as well as a challenging course to golfers of any level. This 18 hole golf course is landscaped with lush tropical foliage, bunkers, water hazards and stunning Bermuda fairways.

The Palms at Mid Valley Golf Course is an 18 Hole Links style Championship course. It provides challenging fairways lined with over 900 palm trees and native grasses that give golfers course play to a par of 72 from four levels of difficulty. It also features a clubhouse, lounge and a pro shop where golfers can relax and enjoy Mercedes exceptional climate.

Sports

For the sports fan in all of us, Mercedes offers plenty of sports events to enjoy. For starters, United League Baseball has two franchises located in the area, the Edinburg Coyotes and the Rio Grande Valley White Wings, with stadiums in Edinburg and Harlingen. In 2006, the Edinburg Coyotes won the regular season championship game and advanced to the United League Baseball championship series.

The area also features a minor league hockey team, the Rio Grande Valley Killer Bees which are frequently play-off contenders and have managed to spark a heated rivalry with the Laredo Bucks. Sports fans can also enjoy the Rio Grande Valley Dorados as they play professional arena football at the Dodge Arena. And coming soon to the Valley will be a D-League expansion basketball team.

Planetarium

Mercedes Independent School District offers a planetarium for students, organizations, and special events. The planetarium invites the public to explore space in a place that lets you discover constellations and galaxies without the hustle and bustle of traveling hundreds of light years. To further enrich your educational experience, Mercedes Memorial Library provides a wide selection of books, computer workstations with internet access, and a conference room for scheduled meetings where you can convene and discuss your day’s activities.