Here’s a roundup of some culture and civic events in the borderland in the coming week.
El Paso WinterFest and Lights Parade
WinterFest returns Saturday, Nov. 22, to Downtown El Paso, kicking off a weeks-long slate of seasonal events that run through Jan. 4, 2026. The city’s signature holiday celebration opens with the Scherr Legate WinterFest Lights Parade, which marks its 30th anniversary this year. The illuminated procession is expected to draw tens of thousands of spectators to a one-mile route near San Jacinto Plaza, where more than 55 floats, marching bands, community performers and “walking twinklers” will begin stepping off at 6 p.m., following pre-parade activities starting at 5 p.m. Organizers advise arriving early to secure a viewing spot as the festival launches into its busiest weekend. Information: epwinterfest.com
‘Unexpected Pedestrians’ Exhibit debuts at MACC
The Mexican American Cultural Center will host the opening reception for “Unexpected Pedestrians,” the first solo exhibition by El Paso-born artist Citlali Delgado, from 3 to 6 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 22. The show explores the complexities of life in the borderland through paintings shaped by Delgado’s movement between Ciudad Juárez and El Paso, examining the divide between fantasy and lived experience. Delgado, a Chicana visual artist with work in regional museum collections, uses her practice to consider community visibility, identity and the emotional landscapes of border communities. The exhibition runs through Feb. 15, 2026. Information: epmacc.org
Brown Bag Lunch at Magoffin Home
The Magoffin Home continues its Brain Trust Brown Bag Lunch Lecture series with a presentation by local historian Keith Wilden at noon Wednesday, Nov. 19, in the Magoffin Home Hall, 1120 Magoffin Ave. Wilden will explore the history of Shakespeare, New Mexico — a once-thriving silver mining camp turned ghost town that hosted figures such as Billy the Kid and “Rattlesnake Sam.” The talk will trace the town’s rise and decline, as well as the efforts of Janaloo Hill Hough and others to preserve its legacy. Attendees are encouraged to bring their lunch for the lecture, which will conclude with a Q&A session. Information: thc.texas.gov
MACC Celebrates Mexican Revolution’s 115th Anniversary
The Mexican American Cultural Center, 201 W. Franklin Ave., will mark the 115th anniversary of the start of the Mexican Revolution with an evening program from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. Thursday, Nov. 20. The event will feature antojitos served on the center’s terrace, a mobile printmaking demonstration by Oso Impresor in partnership with Puro Borde, and a corridos recital at 6:30 p.m. The gathering is free and open to the public. Information: epmacc.org
Third Thursdays
Downtown El Paso’s cultural corridor will come alive once again from 5 to 9 p.m. Nov. 20 for Third Thursdays in the Downtown Arts District. The monthly event invites visitors to explore multiple venues offering extended hours, special programs and family-friendly activities. Guests can stroll between institutions such as the El Paso Museum of Art, El Paso Museum of History, La Nube STEAM Discovery Center and the Mexican American Cultural Center, while enjoying live music, food and an artisan market featuring local vendors. The free, all-ages initiative by the city’s Museums and Cultural Affairs Department and Visit El Paso aims to showcase the creativity and community spirit of the Arts District. Information: epmcad.org
Missions of the Borderland Tour
The Tom Lea Institute will host a free, guided tour of the historic El Paso Mission Trail from 9:45 a.m. to noon Friday, Nov. 21, starting at the Ysleta Mission, 131 S. Zaragoza Road. Participants will visit the missions of Ysleta and Socorro, as well as the presidio chapel of San Elizario, while learning about the region’s layered Indigenous, Mexican and American history. The tour also highlights the work of artists such as Tom Lea and José Cisneros, who documented the cultural legacy of the mission communities. Registration is required and space is limited. Attendees are responsible for their own transportation; an optional no-host lunch at Gabriel’s Café will follow. Information: tomlea.com
Coming Up
• Sun Bowl Thanksgiving Parade: El Paso’s long-running Sun Bowl Thanksgiving Parade returns to Montana Avenue beginning at 10 a.m. Thursday, Nov. 27, beginning at Ochoa Street and concluding at Copia Street. This year’s theme, “Childhood Is Where Dreams Are Born,” will be led by celebrity chef Aarón Sánchez, who serves as the 2025 grand marshal. First organized by the El Paso Downtown Lions Club in 1935, the parade now draws an estimated 250,000 spectators and remains one of the region’s largest community events, featuring entries from civic groups, service clubs and local industries. Information: sunbowl.org
• Native American Heritage Month: The El Paso Museum of Archaeology, 4301 Woodrow Bean Transmountain Drive, will host a full-day celebration for Native American Heritage Month on Saturday, Nov. 29, featuring dance, history and cultural presentations that highlight the region’s Indigenous communities. The program opens at noon with a performance by the Tigua Youth Dancers of Ysleta del Sur Pueblo, followed by a 1:30 p.m. talk on the Tigua’s ancestral ties to Hueco Tanks by cultural center director Rick Quezada. A 2:30 p.m. presentation by Omar and Kimberly Enjady will explore Mescalero Apache ceremonies and traditions, and the day concludes with an outdoor storytelling session from 6:30 to 8 p.m. led by Alex Mares, Diné (Navajo) and Bená á záh (Zapotec). Attendees are encouraged to bring blankets and chairs for the evening program. Information: epmarch.org
Mark Your Calendar
• El Paso Matters 9.15K: The El Paso Matters 9.15K will leave the starting line at 9:15 a.m. Sunday, Dec. 7, at San Jacinto Plaza in Downtown El Paso. More than just a race, the 9.15-kilometer course highlights community pride by honoring the region’s area code, with proceeds supporting El Paso Matters’ nonprofit journalism. Runners, walkers and supporters are invited to participate in this celebration of local stories and connection, with the event blending fitness, identity and civic engagement. Registration is now open. Information: elpasomatters.org
• Resler Canyon 20th Anniversary: The Frontera Land Alliance will mark the 20th anniversary of the Wakeem/Teschner Nature Preserve at Resler Canyon with a trail race and family walk beginning at 8 a.m. Sunday, Dec. 7. The event, held at the 91-acre preserve protected by the nonprofit, includes a 5K run and walk beginning at 8 a.m. and a one-mile family walk starting at 8:30 a.m. Gates open at 7:15 a.m. at the Cadiz Street and Fiesta Drive trailhead. Frontera staff say the anniversary highlights two decades of community-driven conservation at the site and aims to raise awareness of ongoing efforts to protect open space in the region. Information: fronteralandalliance.org
• EPSO ‘Christmas Fantasia’: The El Paso Symphony Orchestra presents “Christmas Fantasia,” a concert blending the wonder of Disney’s “Fantasia” with the spirit of the season Dec. 5-6 at the Plaza Theatre, 125 W. Mills Ave. Conducted by Bohuslav Rattay and featuring the University of Texas at El Paso Choral Union, the program offers a musical journey filled with festive favorites and classical music. Performances will take place at 7:30 p.m. each night. Doors open at 6:30 p.m. The venue now operates as a clear-bag and cashless facility. Information: epso.org
• ‘A Tale of Two Artists’: The International Museum of Art and the Magoffin Home will celebrate the legacy of two early El Paso artists and friends, Octavia “Tia” Magoffin Glasgow and Leola Warnock Freeman, with the opening of “A Tale of Two Artists” from 2 to 4 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 6, at the museum, 1211 Montana Ave. The exhibit explores the women’s artistic journeys and the social dynamics that shaped their creative paths. The opening reception will also feature an interactive activity led by the Magoffin Home and the debut of the museum’s new pop-up gallery, “Woman As Artist,” which highlights other early women artists of the region. Admission to the International Museum of Art is free, and the exhibit will remain on view in the Turney Gallery.
The post Downtown El Paso to light up with WinterFest, Third Thursdays appeared first on El Paso Matters.
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