Texas’ cool kid, Matthew McConaughey, dazed and confused and quite the Hollywood star, turns 50 this month. If that doesn’t float your boat, McAllen’s holiday parade might. The city holds what it calls the largest illuminated holiday and helium balloon parade in Texas.
Dazed and 50
All right, all right, all right. It’s time for a party.
On November 4, Matthew McConaughey, born in Uvalde and raised in Longview, turns 50.
McConaughey made his film debut as an aimless 20-something in the 1993 classic Dazed and Confused, set in Austin. Two decades later, he won an Oscar for his portrayal of an electrician diagnosed as HIV-positive who circumvents the system to help others with the disease in Dallas Buyers Club. In between, he was in dozens of movies, many of them romantic comedies.
All told, he has 69 acting credits. His next film, The Gentlemen, comes out next year.
McAllen Holiday Parade
McAllen, the self-declared South Pole of Texas, kicks off the festive season with its Holiday Parade, which the city describes as the largest illuminated holiday and helium balloon parade in Texas. The 11/2-mile parade, December 7, will feature more than 50 lighted floats, more than 30 inflatable character balloons and marching bands. Call (956) 681-1200 or visit mcallenholidayparade.com for more information.
Butting Out
Only 14% of American adults smoke, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. That’s an all-time low in the U.S. Trying to kick the habit? November 21 is the Great American Smokeout, an annual event since 1977 aimed at encouraging Americans to stop smoking.
50 Years Ago
Richard M. Nixon became the first president to attend a regular-season NFL game while in office. Nixon sat in the stands at RFK Memorial Stadium in Washington, D.C., as the Dallas Cowboys beat the Washington Redskins 41-28 on November 16, 1969.
