Winter holiday festivities are hitting the borderland early this season.
There’s plenty of holiday lights, Santa, cocoa and more – including the El Paso WinterFest with the tree lighting ceremony, parade and ice skating Downtown, as well as the annual Thanksgiving Day parade down Montana Avenue.
From El Paso to southern New Mexico, El Paso Inc. has you covered for the holidays:
SUN. NOV. 17
The Grinch at Upper Valley Market
7930 N. Mesa
11 a.m.-3 p.m.
Grinch meet and greet, shopping, dog and kid friendly. Upper Valley Artist & Farmer Market on Facebook
SUN. NOV. 21 - DEC. 24
Santa Photo Time
Cielo Vista Mall
8401 Gateway Blvd. West
Various times
Reserve your fast pass online & skip the line simon.com/mall/cielo-vista-mall
THU. NOV. 21- DEC. 19
Very Merry Movies at Sunland Park Mall
Sunland Park Mall
750 Sunland Park
6-8 p.m. Thursdays thru Dec. 19
Backyard Cinema inside The Greenery. Free admission; snacks will be served.
FRI. NOV. 22
Fort Bliss / Freedom Crossing
Tree Lighting Ceremony
1611 Haan on Fort Bliss
5:30-7:30 p.m.
Music, cookies, cocoa, photos with Santa, Mrs. Claus and the Grich
@freedomcrossingatFortBliss on Facebook
SAT. NOV. 23
El Paso WinterFest
Noon: Ice rink opens at Arts Festival Plaza
5:30 p.m. Holiday Tree Lighting Ceremony
5:55 p.m. Scherr Legate Celebration of Lights Parade.
San Jacinto Plaza and surrounding area. Lights, ice skating and other activities remain through Jan. 5.
@elpasowinterfest on Facebook.
@epwinterfest on Instagram.
@ElPasoTXGov on Twitter
Santa’s Arrival
Bassett Place
6101 Gateway Blvd. West
1-5 p.m.
Holiday performances, games with Santa’s winter wonderland friends, gingerbread decorating, face painting, balloon twisting, ugly sweater contest, photos with Santa
Bassett Place on Facebook
SAT. NOV. 24
Pet Photos with Santa
Cielo Vista Mall
8401 Gateway Blvd. West
6:30-7:30 p.m.
Bring your pet for photos with Santa.
simon.com/mall/cielo-vista-mall
THU. NOV. 28
83rd Annual Oscar Leeser’s Hyundai of El Paso Sun Bowl Parade
10 a.m.
Montana Avenue, Ochoa to Copia streets
Grand Marshal: Ron Stallworth
Theme: ‘Bobbleheads on Parade’
FRI. NOV. 29
Fred Loya Light Show
12001 Paseo de Oro
Interactive light show with music
6, 7, 8 p.m. Friday-Sunday though Dec. 25
El Paso Christmas Lights on Facebook
Santa’s Workshop on the Lawn
Fountains of Farah
8889 Gateway Blvd. West
Times vary through Dec. 24
Photos with Santa
The Fountains of Farah on Facebook
Santa’s Arrival at White Sands Mall
White Sands Mall
3199 N. White Sands
Alamogordo, N.M.
10:30-11:30 a.m.
Parade, visiting with Santa
White Sands Mall on Facebook
Christmas on the Pecos
711 Muscate
Carlsbad, N.M.
40-minute light show/boat ride
More than 100 Pecos River homeowners and businesses decorate for this event.
Boat rides between 5:30 and 9:45 p.m. through Dec. 31 (Closed on Dec. 24)
$5-20
Cloudcroft Christmas Market
(also on Nov. 30)
Cloudcroft Chamber of Commerce
Cloudcroft, N.M.
1-5 p.m. Friday; 10 a.m.-4 p.m. Saturday
Handcrafted gifts
SAT. NOV. 30
5th Annual Lights on the Lake
Ascarate Park
6900 Delta Drive
4-11 p.m.
Holiday lights, jingle bell jog, music, food trucks. @AscaratePark on Facebook
15th Annual Holiday Market
(also on Dec. 1)
Ardovino’s Desert Crossing
1 Ardovino
Sunland Park, N.M.
11 a.m.-9 p.m.
Vendors, pictures with Santa, live music, food. Ardovino’s Desert Crossing on Facebook
Motown’s Jingle Jam
El Paso County Coliseum
4100 E. Paisano
Temptations, Four Tops, Lenny Williams perform hits and holiday songs
8 p.m.
$35-$150; ticketmaster.com
Story Time & Cookies with Santa
Barnes & Noble
705 Sunland Park
11 a.m.-noon
Storytime, holiday traditions
Barnes & Noble, Sunland Park on Facebook
SUN. DEC. 1
Christmas Tree Lighting
Inn of the Mountain Gods
287 Carrizo Canyon, Mescalero, N.M.
1-6 p.m.
Treats, pictures with Santa, “A Charlie Brown Christmas”
Inn of the Mountain Gods on Facebook
WED. DEC. 4
Trans-Siberian Orchestra
UTEP Don Haskins Center
151 Glory Road
7:30 p.m.
$48.25-$72.75; ticketmaster.com
FRI. DEC. 6
Cookies, Cocoa & Holiday Cheer
Texas Tech Medical Education Building lawn
5001 El Paso
6-8 p.m.
Light show, holiday fun
@ttuhscep on Facebook
Socorro WinterFest
Rio Vista Community Center
901 N. Rio Vista
6-10 p.m.
Parade, live entertainment, tree lighting
915-860-8615; City of Socorro on Facebook
SAT. DEC. 7
Santa at the Zoo (and Dec. 8)
10 a.m.-4 p.m.
El Paso Zoo
4001 E. Paisano
Snow, letter writing to Santa, crafrs, more
epwinterfest.com/events/zoosanta
Moscow Ballet’s Great Russian Nutcracker
1 Civic Center Plaza
1 p.m.
$29-$99; ticketmaster.com
Star Wars Christmas
The Boardwalk Market
1773 Pali Drive at Zaragoza
6-10 p.m.
All things Star Wars, photos with Santa, food trucks, vendors
The Boardwalk Market on Facebook
Cloudcroft Tree Lighting & Annual Parade
Cloudcroft Chamber of Commerce
Cloudcroft, N.M.
5-8 p.m.
Lighted parade, Santa, live music
Cloudcroft Chamber of Commerce on Facebook
Old Fashioned Holiday Display
Las Cruces Railroad Museum
351 N. Mesilla, Las Cruces
1-4 p.m.
Santa and his elves, holiday train displays, children’s crafts, holiday music
Las Cruces Museums on Facebook
Olde Fashioned Christmas
800 & 900 Block of New York
Alamogordo, N.M.
4-9 p.m.
Entertainment, vendors, Santa’s Village, horse drawn trolley, contests, pageant
Alamogordo MainStreet on Facebook
SUN. DEC. 8
Caring Santa
Cielo Vista Mall
8401 Gateway Blvd. West
Private photo experience for children with special needs and their families
RSVP: simon.com/mall/cielo-vista-mall
FRI. DEC. 13
Alamogordo Christmas Tree Lighting
100 Washington, Alamogordo, N.M.
6-9 p.m.
City of Alamogordo-Government on Facebook
SAT. DEC. 14
La Fe Luminarias
Scenic Drive
off Rim Road / Richmond Drive
6-10 p.m.
More than 4000 luminarias. Info: Centro de Salud Familiar La Fe on Facebook
A Drag Queen Christmas
Abraham Chavez Theatre
1 Civic Center Plaza
8 p.m.
Holiday performances by contestants from reality TV show on VH1
$38-$54.25; ticketmaster.com
Holiday Market
Undisputed Craft House
1881 Saul Kleinfeld
10 a.m.-5 p.m.
Local artists & vendors, food, drinks
El Paso Punk Rock Flea Market on Facebook
Movie Nite on the Lawn
Fountains of Farah
8889 Gateway Blvd. West
7-10 p.m.
“The Santa Clause”
The Fountains of Farah on Facebook
Yelp’s Ugly Sweater Holiday Party
Undisputed Craft House
1881 Saul Klenfeld
7-9 p.m.
Ugly sweater contest, karaoke, food
SUN. DEC. 15
II Divo: A Holiday Song Celebration
Plaza Theatre
125 Pioneer Plaza
7 p.m.
$49.40-$350; tickermaster.com
MON. DEC. 16
Dave Koz & Friends Christmas Tour
Plaza Theatre
125 Pioneer Plaza
7 p.m.
$45-$78; ticketmaster.com
TUE. DEC. 17
A Christmas Carol
Flickinger Center for Performing Arts
1110 New York, Alamogordo, N.M.
Original production with special effects
7-9 p.m.
$17-$42; flickingcenter.com
THU. DEC. 19
Twas the Night Before Christmas
Plaza Theatre
125 Pioneer Plaza
7 p.m.
The classic Christmas program live on stage
$25-$50; ticketmaster.com
FRI. DEC. 20
A Merry-achi Christmas
Plaza Theatre
125 Pioneer Plaza
Mariachi Sol de Mexico performs Mexican and American Christmas songs and carols
7:30 p.m.
$26.50-$62.50; ticketmaster.com
SAT. DEC. 21
Christmas Music Sing Along
Rio Grande Theatre
211 N. Main, Las Cruces
2-4 p.m.
Rio Grande Theatre on Facebook
SUN. DEC. 22
Last Minute Christmas Market
Upper Valley Artist & Farmers Market
7930 N. Mesa
11 a.m.-3p.m.
Upper Valley Artist & Farmers Market on Facebook
