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Craig Greenwood

Name? “Craig Greenwood.”

Where are you from? “I’m originally from Woodstock, New Hampshire.”

How long have you lived on SPI? “Twenty years.”

How long have you been bartending? “Thirteen years.”

How old are you? “I’m 30 years old.”

Where else have you bartended? “I’ve bartended at Tom and Jerry’s and Palm Street Pier.”

Why do you like working at PadreRitaVille? “It’s a good atmosphere, good people, and the owners are nice. The drinks are fun and they smoke. If you can make your drinks smoke, it’s always a good thing.”

What are your favorite drinks to make? “Martinis and the Miami Vice, a frozen daiquiri with piña colada mixed together.”

What is the most requested drink? “Margaritas – we have a list of 25 margaritas and you can get them frozen or on the rocks.”

What sports do you follow? “Football, basketball, baseball – really anything I can watch while I’m working.”

What are the most popular dishes at PadreRitaVille? “We won the Shrimp Cookoff the last two years in a row. Both the Shrimp Bayou and Shrimp Diablo are pretty high sellers. Bacon wrapped shrimp with jalapeños and cream cheese is also pretty good. That’s why we won.”

What keeps customers interested in PadreRitaVille? “It’s a fun atmosphere. We have live music seven nights a week and we like to have fun. We’re not one of those uptight strict places where you come and there are candlelit tables.”

What’s the least fun thing about bartending? “Dealing with really drunk people. They come in and get mad because we won’t serve them. It’s never fun when you have to cut somebody off.”

Are you active in any organizations? “I do the Surf Rider Foundation. I like to help out with cleaning up the beaches. Besides working and that (Surf Rider volunteerism), I don’t have much time.”

You can visit Craig at PadreRitaVille five nights a week at 5 p.m. until closing.

To recommend a bar or bartender for the Beach Bar Beat, please email b...@portisabelsouthpadre.com or visit our Facebook page. After summer, bartenders featured in the Beach Bar Beat will be rounded up to compete to be this year’s champion. To participate, you can vote for your favorite in the second annual South Padre Parade’s Beach Bartender Competition.

Feel free to join me for a drink when you see me working the Beach Bar Beat. It is a tough job, but someone has to do it.

Continue reading »]]> You will not go without something to do on Saturday as events are going on all across South Padre Island.

Boomerang Billy’s Beach will host its annual Memorial Day Volleyball Tournament with men’s doubles, women’s doubles and co-ed events. Boomerang Billy’s Beach is located at 2612 Gulf Blvd.

Paragraphs on Padre Blvd. will have its weekly children’s story hour from 11 a.m. to noon. This Saturday’s story is “Zoo Nonsense from A to Z” by Harlingen author Don Clifford. Following the story, there is a time for attendees to play and get acquainted. Clifford will also be at Paragraphs from 1 to 3 p.m. for a book signing.

Sunset on the Bay summer kickoff concerts presents Pat Green and Roger Creager performing at 7 p.m. at the South Padre Island Convention Centre, 7355 Padre Blvd. A second concert is set for 7 p.m., Sunday featuring Gwen Sebastian and Big & Rich. For more info, call (956) 761-3000.

Three fireworks shows are set to all begin at 9:15 p.m. – at Laguna Madre Bay, Pier 19 (1 Padre Blvd.) and at a location three miles north of the Queen Isabella Causeway near Hilton Garden Inn, La Quinta and Clayton’s Beach Bar.

Continue reading »]]> Residents and visitors to the area will be treated to a series of fireworks displays this weekend.

The shows begin at 9:15 p.m., Friday at Laguna Madre Bay.

On Saturday, three fireworks shows will entertain the crowds as Clayton’s (6900 Padre Blvd.) and Pier 19 (1 Padre Blvd.) and Laguna Madre Bay are all set to begin their shows at 9:15 p.m.

So stretch out your necks as they will be busy this weekend looking up towards the colorful night sky.

Continue reading »]]> The Veterans of Foreign Wars Post 8791 and American Legion Post 498 have announced a schedule of upcoming events in the Port Isabel area.

On Saturday, May 25, VFW members will be placing flags at the Port Isabel Cemetery in commemoration of Memorial Day. The placing of the flags will begin at 9 a.m. A Memorial Day ceremony will then take place at 10 a.m., also at the Port Isabel Cemetery, on Monday, May 27.

The cemetery is located on the corner of Houston and North Musina Street in Port Isabel.

Continue reading »]]> Barbeque lovers rejoice.

Brownsville will hold its first Bordertown BBQ Bash on Saturday, May 25.

Scheduled from 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. at 325 Mexico Blvd. in Brownsville, the event will include the International Barbeque Cook-off Association-sanctioned BBQ cook-off, car show, live music, family entertainment and a headlining concert by the Texas Tornadoes.

Bordertown BBQ Bash aims to attract tourism and provide family entertainment to local city and surrounding communities. The event benefits local charities such as Monica’s House, Combat Marine Outdoors and Guadalupe Regional Middle School in Brownsville. The event will include special recognition to Veterans, fallen heroes and all those who serve in protecting our country.

Admission to the Bordertown BBQ Bash is $20 and free for children ages 12 and under.

For more information, call (956) 521-4239, visit wwwmbordertownbbqbash.com or email bord...@gmail.com.

Continue reading »]]> Ricardo Mejia, considered a conjunto and bajo sexto legend, is slated to perform Thursday, May 30, at the Narciso Martinez Cultural Arts Center in San Benito.

Scheduled from 7-9 p.m., Mejia, accompanied by Juan Tovar on bass and Juan Lugo on accordion, will hit the stage at the center, located at 225 E. Stenger St. in San Benito.

Mejia began his conjunto music career in his early teens with conjunto legend Ruben Vela. For more info, call Rogelio T. Nunez at (956) 367-0335 or Yolanda Lopez at (956) 571-3325.

Continue reading »]]> The Preservation and Pizza Party, an event hosted by the San Benito Historical Society, is scheduled for Thursday, May 30.

Beginning at 5 p.m., the party will be held at the San Benito Community Building, located on 210 E. Heywood St. in San Benito. The event is open to the public at no cost.

The society is looking for volunteers to help with the organization of its archive and physical collections. Volunteers will help with sorting and organizing, and interested persons will learn how to catalog collections on the computer. Volunteers will be treated to pizza and drinks during the evening.

For more info, email toot...@yahoo.com or rhia...@gmail.com.

Continue reading »]]> Author M.H. Stout will be signing copies of her children’s book, Saturdays at Grandma’s House, from 1 to 3 p.m. Saturday, June 1.

Stout, a resident of Rancho Viejo, wrote her book about a little boy who gets to spend Saturdays with his grandmother. They go on journeys and adventures, play games and make friends with animals.

The book signing will be held at Paragraphs On Padre Boulevard, located at 5505 Padre Blvd. in South Padre Island.

For more information, contact James Branscum at (888) 361-9473 or email him at jam...@tatepublishing.com.