El Paso Matters – UTEP Dance Championship, Downtown Lunar New Year lead El Paso events roundup

Here’s a roundup of some culture and civic events in the borderland in the coming week.

UTEP Dance Championship

The sixth annual UTEP Dance Championship will bring competitive dance performances to campus, highlighting team talent and community participation during a two-day event featuring competitions at multiple university venues.

When: 8 a.m. Saturday, Feb. 28 (continues Sunday, March 1)
Where: Magoffin Auditorium, 675 Circle Drive; Don Haskins Center, 151 Glory Road
Cost: Prices begin $29.75
Information: ticketmaster.com

Downtown Lunar New Year Celebration

A family-friendly celebration marking the start of the Lunar New Year and the arrival of spring, featuring hands-on activities, cultural performances and vendors from Asian-owned businesses offering food and cultural items. The 2026 celebration will take place across multiple sites in Downtown El Paso and will highlight traditions observed in countries including China, Korea and Vietnam. The 2026 Lunar New Year corresponds with the Year of the Horse.

When: Noon-5 p.m. Saturday, Feb. 28
Where: Downtown Arts District, including the El Paso Museum of History, Mexican American Cultural Center and Cleveland Square Park
Cost: Free
Information: elpasotexas.gov

Desert Dreamscapes — Ceramics and Paintings with Vanessa Zavala Clark

An exhibition exploring desert flora and fauna through ceramic sculptures, pottery and paintings by artist Vanessa Zavala Clark. The show opens with a reception and will remain on display at the International Museum of Art through March.

When: Noon-5 p.m. Saturday, Feb. 28 (opening reception 2-4 p.m.); exhibit on display through March 21
Where: International Museum of Art, 1211 Montana Ave.
Cost: Free; donations accepted
Information: internationalmuseumofart.org

Turn the Page, Start the Adventure Story Fest

A family-friendly event celebrating Black Children’s Book Week with storytelling activities, a puppet show and literacy-focused programming designed to engage young readers and promote children’s literature.

When: Noon-3:30 p.m. Saturday, Feb. 28
Where: Esperanza Acosta Moreno Branch Library, 12480 Pebble Hills Blvd.
Cost: Free
Information: El Paso Public Libraries Instagram

The Seventh Symphonies

The El Paso Symphony Orchestra presents a two-night program led by conductor Bohuslav Rattay featuring Sergei Prokofiev’s Symphony No. 7 in C-sharp minor, Op. 131 and Ludwig van Beethoven’s Symphony No. 7 in A major, Op. 92. A pre-concert “Opening Notes” talk with Nathan Black begins at 6:30 p.m. each evening in the Philanthropy Theatre.

When: 7:30 p.m. Friday-Saturday, Feb. 27-28
Where: Plaza Theatre, 125 W. Mills Ave.
Cost: $17-$49
Information: epso.org

Losar: Creation of a Tibetan Buddhist Sand Mandala

The El Paso Museum of History will host a live sand mandala installation by Losang Samten, allowing visitors to observe the creation of a medicine Buddha sand mandala, a sacred Tibetan Buddhist art form traditionally associated with Losar, or Tibetan New Year. The multi-day installation will conclude with the unveiling of the completed mandala during the museum’s Lunar New Year celebration.

When: Tuesday-Saturday, Feb. 24-28; viewing times 10 a.m.-noon and 2-4 p.m. daily
Where: El Paso Museum of History, 510 N. Santa Fe St.
Cost: Free
Information: elpasotexas.gov

Coming Up

Wine and Wonder at La Nube

La Nube will host an adults-only evening event featuring after-hours access to the museum, wine tastings, a guided charcuterie class, hands-on STEAM activities, live music and karaoke. The program offers participants an opportunity to explore exhibits and take part in interactive experiences, including wine charm making, cork coaster engraving and sensory workshops.

When: 7-10 p.m. Friday, March 6
Where: La Nube, 201 W. Main Drive
Cost: Ticketed event
Information: la-nube.org

Book Talk: Jazmine Ulloa on El Paso’s history

New York Times reporter and El Paso native Jazmine Ulloa will discuss her new book, “El Paso: Five Families and One Hundred Years of Blood, Migration, Race, and Memory,” in a conversation with El Paso Matters CEO Robert Moore. The event will explore the city’s history through the experiences of five families, followed by an audience Q&A, book sales and a signing.

When: 7 p.m. Monday, March 9
Where: Philanthropy Theatre, Plaza Theatre Performing Arts Centre, 125 W. Mills Ave.
Cost: Free

EPSO’s ‘Peter and the Wolf’

Sergei Prokofiev’s classic symphonic fairytale “Peter and the Wolf” follows a young boy who ventures into the forest and encounters a wolf with the help of his animal companions, with each character represented by different orchestral instruments. The performance features narration and staging by the Youth Opera of El Paso in collaboration with La Nube.

When: 1:30-2:30 p.m. Saturday, March 7
Where: Plaza Theatre, 125 W. Mills Ave.
Cost: $11; $6 for children ages 3-12
Information: epso.org

El Paso Home & Garden Show

A three-day event focused on home improvement and outdoor living, featuring exhibitors and resources for renovation, design and landscaping projects. The event brings together vendors and experts offering products, services and ideas for home and garden upgrades.

When: 2-6 p.m. Friday, March 6; 10 a.m.-6 p.m. Saturday, March 7; 11 a.m.-5 p.m. Sunday, March 8
Where: El Paso Convention Center, 1 Civic Center Plaza
Cost: Free
Information: showtechnology.com

Mark Your Calendar

Third Thursdays in the Downtown Arts District

A monthly event featuring extended hours at cultural institutions across the Downtown Arts District, with special programming, an artisan market, live music, food and community organization booths. Participating sites include the El Paso Museum of Art, El Paso Museum of History and other downtown venues.

When: 5-9 p.m. Thursday, March 19
Where: Downtown Arts District, One Civic Center Plaza and surrounding locations
Cost: Free
Information: epmcad.org

Youth Opera of El Paso’s ‘A Note of Explanation’

The Youth Opera of El Paso presents the world premiere of “A Note of Explanation,” an original children’s opera by Shoshana Yavneh Shattenkirk and A.J. Freeman, based on a miniature children’s book by author Vita Sackville-West that was commissioned in 1922 for Queen Mary’s dollhouse library. The production follows a time-traveling sprite’s adventures inside the dollhouse.

When: 7:30 p.m. Friday, March 6; 3:30 and 7:30 p.m. Saturday, March 7; 3:30 p.m. Sunday, March 8
Where: Philanthropy Theatre, Plaza Theatre Performing Arts Centre, 125 W. Mills Ave.
Cost: $32.55
Information: yoep.org

Change Makers 2026: Women in the Arts

The annual Women’s History Month celebration presented by Progress321 and El Paso Matters this year will honor women whose creative work or advocacy has shaped the arts across the El Paso borderland, including artists, musicians, writers, performers, filmmakers, designers and arts supporters. Nominations for Change Makers 2026 are open through Friday, Feb. 20.

When: Thursday, March 26
Where: Mexican American Cultural Center, 201 E. Franklin Ave.
Cost: To be announced
Information: El Paso Matters Events

Poppies Fest

A multi-day festival celebrating Castner Range National Monument and the portion of the landscape open to the public, Poppies Fest brings together local artisans, vendors and performers while highlighting Native American voices, traditions and land stewardship. Organized by the El Paso Museum of Archaeology, the 2026 edition introduces a new festival-weekend format in March and will be preceded by a February partner pop-up at 9 a.m. Saturday, Feb. 21, featuring hands-on activities and information about the upcoming festival, with participation from the Mexican American Cultural Center, El Paso Museum of Art, El Paso Museum of History and GECU.

When: Friday-Sunday, March 13-15; 5-9 p.m. Friday, 10 a.m.-8 p.m. Saturday, 10 a.m.-2 p.m. Sunday
Where: El Paso Museum of Archaeology, 4301 Woodrow Bean Transmountain Road
Cost: Free
Information: epmarch.org

Landscape Expo

El Paso Water will host its annual Landscape Expo, offering guidance on water-smart landscaping for homes in the desert environment. The free, family-friendly event will feature landscape experts sharing tips on irrigation, plant selection and sustainable garden design, along with interactive garden activities for children, soil testing information and “ask the expert” resource tables.

When: 10 a.m.-2 p.m. Saturday, March 21
Where: Tech2O Center, 10751 Montana Ave.
Cost: Free
Information: tech2o.org

BTS at Sun Bowl Stadium

Global K-pop superstars BTS will make their first appearance in El Paso as part of their 2026 world tour, performing two nights at Sun Bowl Stadium. The shows mark the group’s return to the stage following a multi-year hiatus while members completed mandatory military service in South Korea.

When: Saturday-Sunday, May 2-3
Where: Sun Bowl Stadium, 2701 Sun Bowl Drive
Cost: Sold out. Tickets available on secondary markets.

Post Malone and Jelly Roll at Sun Bowl

Chart-topping artists Post Malone and Jelly Roll will bring their Big Ass Stadium Tour Part 2 to El Paso, with Carter Faith joining the lineup. The stadium tour follows the success of the duo’s first joint run.

When: Wednesday, May 13
Where: Sun Bowl Stadium, 2701 Sun Bowl Drive
Cost: Prices start at $98
Information: Tickets go on sale via Ticketmaster

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