Valley residents celebrate Thanksgiving in an untraditional way

PHARR, Texas (ValleyCentral) — For those who do not celebrate Thanksgiving at home, there are always local restaurants ready to serve you.

Very few cars were seen driving on the road on Thanksgiving morning and many restaurants were closed. However, some Rio Grande Valley residents made sure to pre-eat before the big feast.

Edward Tirado says he went out to start the day off. He also said he is glad to finally be able to eat out early in the day as he enjoys a day off from work.

“It was hard to go to a place like this right now and for us to find a good place like this right now was pretty good," Tirado said. "I believe early in the morning would be fine then in the afternoon some family time.”

Families were out and about enjoying a holiday meal. Emmanuel Arias says going out to eat is a family tradition prior to receiving company at home.

"We are trying to keep the house clean, so that is why we came out," Arias said.

The little ones were also excited to be out and enjoying the holiday.

“Feel really good because we get to not do any work, and we get to relax for two weeks and a whole week off," said Emmanuel Arias Jr.

El Itacate Manager Montserrat Jerez says they stay open during the holidays because there’s always a large influx of customers. Many are first-time customers who are visiting from out of town or have a day off.

However, they do close earlier than usual for their employees.

“We don’t have the day off but they can enjoy a little more," Jerez said.

Jerez and others said they are grateful this year for family, having a job, and being healthy. Deep down, Victor Niebla says that is what this day is all about.

“I’m 45, and of course, it changes with marketing and the times we live on so far, but the basics are there family and friends getting together, especially on a day like this," Niebla said.