Abel

Each year, the City of McAllen Christmas Tree Lighting Ceremony kicks off the holiday season in the Rio Grande Valley. This year, I had the chance to cover the event again—my first time photographing it in nearly a decade. And wow… McAllen didn’t just grow during that time—they went all in.

What used to be a simple community gathering has transformed into a massive holiday production filled with lights, music, families, and that iconic McAllen Christmas spirit. The crowds packed the plaza, the stage production was bigger than ever, and everywhere I turned, I saw kids smiling, parents taking photos, and families making memories together.

As a commercial and event photographer based in Mission and McAllen, I’m lucky to document so many moments throughout the year—but there’s something special about this event. It’s nostalgic, energetic, and warm in that uniquely RGV way.

Reconnecting With the City of McAllen

Working again with the City of McAllen after nearly 10 years felt like a full-circle moment for me. The city commissioners were fantastic to work with, and the energy behind the scenes matched the excitement out front.

And in classic RGV fashion, I even bumped into friends I hadn’t seen in more than 25 years—including a few still rocking the broadcast world over at KGBT. Holidays have a way of unexpectedly reconnecting you with your past.

Santa, Lights, and a Little Probation

One of the highlights?
I can officially confirm that I’m still on Santa’s nice list… but barely. I think he has me on seasonal probation.

Between Santa’s visit, the massive Christmas tree lighting up the area, and the families lining up for photos, the whole night felt alive. These are the types of events that remind me why I love photographing the Rio Grande Valley—they’re joyful, community-centered, and full of heart.

Capturing McAllen’s Holiday Magic

Events like the McAllen Christmas Tree Lighting are more than big productions—they’re traditions that families return to year after year. My goal as a photographer is to document these moments with a clean, magazine-inspired style that tells the story of the community: the laughter, the lights, the excitement, and the connections between people.

If your business, organization, or city department is hosting a holiday event in the RGV and you’re looking for professional coverage, I’d love to help you tell your story.

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Need Event Photography in McAllen, Mission, or the RGV?

Let’s talk about capturing your next event with clean, high-quality commercial imagery that highlights your brand and your community.

You’d think that as a commercial photographer — someone who spends their days capturing polished branding images, corporate events, and headshots that make people look confident and capable — I’d have my digital life perfectly under control.

Yeah… about that. #fakenews

My website got hacked.
abelriojas.com was basically ambushed, trashed, and left looking like the digital equivalent of a hotel room after a 80’s rock band checks out. Someone thought it would be cute to leave tons of links to over seas casinos and internet scams and the more I tried cleaning it out the worse it became. (Think of playing “Whack-a-mole”)

One day everything was fine, the next day my galleries, posts, and carefully curated portfolio were replaced with… fake news articles, spam, and even fake photos from stock image libraries. Who knows how long it had been going on but it happened and what’s done is done.

So here we are: rebuilding from scratch.
(Which is ironic, because I spend half my career telling brands, “Consistency is everything.”)

What Went Down (Insert Dramatic Detective Music)

Without getting too technical: someone broke in, messed with my files, and turned my site into a puzzle with half the pieces missing. The old version of the site still floats around the Wayback Machine, which is kind of cool… like finding an old roll of film, except the photos are of your website before it got mugged.

The Bright Side: A Forced Makeover

After the shock and several “why me?” moments, I realized something worth admitting:

This might actually be a blessing disguised as a catastrophic inconvenience.

My old site worked, sure — but starting fresh gives me a chance to rebuild with intention. To create something that reflects what I do now:

• Clean commercial photography
• Branding images that help businesses show their best selves
• Corporate event coverage without the “deer in headlights” moments
• Professional headshots — the real bread and butter

Plus: stronger security, faster loading, and a layout that works better for the way people search in 2026.

The Plan Moving Forward

This reboot means:

• A more polished portfolio
• Updated galleries featuring recent work
• Easier navigation for clients
• A blog that actually gets regular updates (please hold your applause)
• Better SEO so people looking for a South Texas commercial photographer can actually find me
• And definitely no more hackers — fingers crossed

Think of this as abelriojas.com: The Rebuild.
A cleaner, sharper, tougher version — kind of like a headshot after retouching, but for a website.

Thanks for Sticking Around

If you’re reading this, thanks for hanging with me through this little adventure. I’ll be posting updates, new work, behind-the-scenes content, and helpful info for clients as the site grows back into something I’m proud to show the world.

And yes — this time I’m backing everything up like a paranoid squirrel.

More coming soon.
Let’s pretend this was all part of the plan.