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Fall Fun Around Town
Looking for some fall fun this month? Check out this list of fun things to do now that the weather has cooled down.
The Thanksgiving Spirit
By: Adam Qasem
Thanksgiving is a holiday loved by many for not only the delicious food but for friends, family, and realizing all you are grateful for. Some think Thanksgiving is all about the juicy turkeys and creamy mashed potatoes but there is so much more such as being grateful for the things around you and of course the annual H.E.B. parade. If you're looking to start a fun family tradition, come out to the Houston Thanksgiving Day parade this year. Both parades are also on television to watch.
H.E.B and Macy’s Annual Thanksgiving Day Parade
Houston’s signature kickoff to holiday season is back with its sleigh bells ringing. Entering its 73rd year, the H.E.B. Thanksgiving Day parade has a colorful history, beginning in 1949 when Santa arrived at Union Station and rode his sleigh to the downtown Foley’s department store. H.E.B and Macy's both have their own separate annual Thanksgiving Day parades. While the Macy's parade began in 1924 and has a longer running tradition for the people of New York. Macy's parade is enjoyed on TV by the entire country. The H.E.B parade is proudly held in our very own H-town. Both parades have extreme significance and have long beautiful histories of people coming together and uniting with one another. These parades celebrate Thanksgiving with large inflatables, music, dancing and some may say this is one of the most fun things to do on Thanksgiving Day.
The First Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade | HISTORY
"Weird Traditions"
Like many other holidays many people have their own special traditions such as a turkey pardon and turkey bowling. Turkey bowling is a very “unique” tradition. It consists of trying to knock down bowling pins by sliding a frozen turkey at them. This tradition was started in New Port Beach in a grocery store called Lucky’s Grocery Shop where they would throw the frozen turkey down the store aisle. Another tradition some may classify as “weird” is turkey pardoning done by the President of the United States of America to save a turkey from being someone's delicious meal. Last but most definitely not least is the all-famous Turkey Trot. People come together usually dressed up as turkey and run 3-5 miles for charity!
And if you are a football fan who can forget about the great games that will be on TV all day to enjoy while eating the turkey.
On Thanksgiving Day 2023, there will be three football games. The Detroit Lions and Dallas Cowboys will be playing, as usual
The Green Bay Packers, Washington Commanders, San Francisco 49ers, and Seattle Seahawks will also be playing. The schedule for the games is as follows:
Green Bay Packers at Detroit Lions, 12:30 p.m. ET, FOX Washington Commanders at Dallas Cowboys, 4:30 p.m. ET, CBS San Francisco 49ers at Seattle Seahawks, nightcap
Chilled Bee’s Vs Sugar Llamas
By: Sarah Skinner
Chilled Bee’s Frozen Yogurt and Sugar Llamas are two ice cream shops in the Magnolia area. The question is which one is better?
At Chilled Bee’s I got Cheesecake and the Pumpkin Pie ice cream with cheesecake bites. I am not a pumpkin person, but the pumpkin had a very strong flavor. The cheesecake bites were dry, and the ice cream was very sweet. It was almost too sweet. The ice cream looked good but didn’t deliver. But something good about Chilled Bee’s is that the flavor was what was promised. Overall, I rate Chilled Bee’s Frozen Yogurt a 6.5 out of 10.
At Sugar Llamas I got Moose Tracks. That is ice cream swirled with moose track fudge, and peanut butter cups. The ice cream was scooped into a cup and wasn’t smashed, which was nice. The ice cream tasted like moose tracks. Even though it was mostly chocolate you could still taste the peanut butter. A bonus is that Sugar Llamas also has delicious coffee, unique mini donut flavors are amazing, and the customer service is also amazing! Samples are offered, so you can try all of the amazing flavors of ice cream. For these reasons, I rate Sugar Llamas a 10.
Sugar Llamas won over Chilled Bee’s, but both had great flavors. If you ever want to try a new ice cream place Sugar Llamas is a great place to go.
By: SaRAH Skinner
Childhood Memories
As a kid living close to Houston, I went to the zoo a lot. Seeing cute animals was always so much fun! Then I got busy and stopped. Then, I went back one weekend and fell back in love with the zoo. I went with my friend, Hannah and we had so much fun. We stopped at the seals first and wanted to take them home. Then we saw the otters. Otters were the most playful animals and they were the crowd's favorite. The animals were all awesome, but the coolest thing was the new exhibit, Galapagos Islands. It was the coolest exhibit at the Houston Zoo. There was a glass tunnel that let viewers see the seals swimming underwater! It was amazing. After the zoo, we had lunch at Whole Foods. Whole Foods has a buffet that has so many different kinds of food. There was everything from salad to curries. Finally, we had dessert at The Chocolate Bar. This is a place that has everything chocolate. On the drive home I thought about all of my childhood zoo memories, as well as the ones I had made that day. If you want to do something in Houston, go to the zoo. It is so much fun and is not just for little kids.
Looking for some new good food? Then I’ve got some ideas for you. Good food in Magnolia that is real food, not fast food, is a crisis in the making. Where do we go? But MOOOOOM I want shrimp!!! Sound a bit familiar? Yeah, I thought so. On that note, let's jump into ten amazing restaurants that are right here in Magnolia! Be sure to click on each name to hop to the website.
This grille is the perfect place for you and your family to go if you're looking for something ‘fancy’ and delicious to eat. Here they have everything from plain spaghetti and breadsticks to coconut shrimp. Don't worry parents, they have a kid's menu that is sure to be enjoyed!
Looking for a healthy option that you’ll actually like? Drive down to this restaurant to eat healthy and have a truly good meal. Everything from salads to pasta to chicken and even more. Your plate will be scraped clean after tasting this restaurant. Eden Cafe has a large plant based menu to choose from.
Gringo's Tex-Mex should always be your first choice, for any occasion. Everything here is grilled, fried, and cooked to perfection. They even serve desserts like churros, tres leches cake, and sopapillas (with honey if you’d like). What’s a sopapilla, you ask? Well, I guess you’ll have to go to Gringo’s tonight and see!
There are so many pizza places to choose from! Sauced Up Pizza might look a little… odd from the start, but once you get inside, a world of possibilities opens up. You can get any sort of pizza you want! Maybe you could even try their kimchi and cheese pizza.
Genghis Grill - Our Featured Restaurant
Hungry for some sizzle? Genghis Grill is the place to be if you are. Get a base, get a bowl, then get over to the buffet where you fill the bowl with anything and everything you like. There are meats, seasonings, veggies, fruits and you can even get sauce or eggs in it! Your stir-fry will come out perfectly and that’s a guarantee. One of our reporters, Emma Crawford, went to Genghis Grill and called it ‘Magnolias top restaurant. Can’t wait to go back!’ Must be a 5-star restaurant, huh? Always leave some leftovers though!
Spring rolls are the best form of Chinese food you are EVER going to find. But where’s the best place to find them? Spring rolling. Period. End of discussion. You need to get in your car right this moment and drive to Spring Rolling to eat dinner tonight… They have boba too.
The Dolly Llama or Sugar Llamas
Llama dessert bars must really be yummy because both of these amazing places are so good! You can get everything from waffles and donuts to milkshakes and ice cream here. Whatever treat your mouth is craving, head to one of these places and you’ll be satisfied for the night.
Don't worry sushi lovers! We’ve got something in here for you too. Sakura Bistro is a top-rated sushi restaurant in Magnolia and is sure worth a try (even if you haven’t tried sushi before.) Just think about what you’re missing! Before you say raw fish is gross… What if I told you that there is sushi with cooked fish? Hurry up and go get some!!
Feel free to head there now. Just joking! I have more to say about this amazing burger joint. If you’re feeling like having a little Texan for dinner, then you should stop by Ron’s Hamburgers and Chili. Here, even the sides will wow you!
This restaurant wins our award for the farthest restaurant, but I think it deserves a spot here. Any meal you order here will surely be worth the to-go box and the room in your stomach. Personally, I’d take the dessert to-go too because I had NO ROOM after eating here. Feel free to even bring your boat and your friends because this restaurant just happens to be on a lake that you can swim or boat in as you eat. Make sure to try the Mac Daddy Burger!!!
