Chalk the Block happens once a year in October and every year that I've loved it. I think there is…read morea lot of room for CTB to grow so who knows what it will look like in a few years, but as it stands it should be on your list of "things to do in El Paso". This year we decided to go early morning on Saturday which I think is a really good idea if you want to beat the heat. I think we ventured to just about every booth and I was really impressed by the range of vendors. Everything from clothes to sweets to paintings to salsa to face painting. I did pick up a few things here and there. There were at least twenty food trucks, but only a handful of the big dogs (shout out to Sweet Addiction!) which makes me wonder... if they have only a select space for the food trucks how are they selecting them (or is it first come first serve) and what kind of fees are they charging them. I went to two different food trucks that I've never heard of and both left me disappointed... also both charged me two dollars to use a debit card even though they were using Square. Moral of the story, bring cash or be extremely choosy when it comes to the food vendors at CTB (even the other vendors I talked to were shocked that I was charged for using a debit card). Okay so the chalk... you'll find both professionally drawn works and the regular Joe type. All are fascinating to look at and they always have a competition. Those are the pieces you really want to check out. Along with chalk art, CTB always has other forms of art including live performances. This year one of the things I really loved was the moving fire breathing dragon. I didn't get to see it at night which would've been amazing, but seeing it during the day in all it's glory definitely wasn't a let down. Cannot wait until next year's CTB. Great for kiddos, families, and adults alike. It's a lot of fun and there's so much to see. And it doesn't hurt that you can also add the Museum of Art and the Museum of History to your adventure.

Chalk the Block is an. annual event in El Paso. Artists come out and paint the streets using their…read moreimagination and chalk. This is a creative way to showcase the talents of local artists. The work put into these concrete canvases is truly marvelous. Not to worry, there are opportunities for the average joe to showcase his skills too. As you walk the streets you can grab chalk and go to town. Of course, in good old El Paso fashion there were plenty of local vendors selling their wares; sweets, shirts, pillows, crochet creations, cds, trinkets and whatnots. The food truck circus had an area too. Not your popular food trucks, some of the up and coming guys. Here is where my 5th star was lost. I wish it were more of the popular ones. The food from these trucks were sub-par, plus they taxed the heck out of you for using a credit card. $2!!! The regular vendors didn't upcharge you 2bucks, only the food trucks. The service was very slow too. CTB is a family friendly event. Bring comfy shoes, imagination and some cash. Have a great time.

Great place to visit some of El Paso's history. They host many events year round, especially around…read morethe holiday in Christmas. They also host several local lodges here.

A fun museum to visit! A great piece of El Paso history. Many shows are also held here.read more

This is a very interesting and well laid out museum. It's not very big, maybe 30-45 min to wander…read morethe two large rooms, but it has just enough detail to be interesting. Great overview of area history from archeological sites in TX, NM, and AZ. Outside the building is a great botanical garden with local plants, well labeled. Free to wander around but why not make a small (or large) donation to help support such a great place? Worth a trip if you're in or coming through El Paso.

We attended the archaeology homeschool event! It was absolutely amazing! I loved how passionate and…read moreknowledgeable the staff are. We never been to this museum prior to the homeschool event. It's a must see! They have so many beautiful artifacts, you learn so much about the native plants, animals and people who once lived here before. They have an excavation site where my kids enjoyed finding thing by using tools archaeologists use. They learned so much with the help of ms. Brooke! We enjoyed the classes and the hands on learning and skills. Highly recommend visiting and learning more about El Paso.

Located on Ft Bliss, this very large building holds a number of tanks, artillery, and other…read morevehicles used over he years by the US and other Armies. There is not a lot other than these various military vehicles in the building, in fact it is probably more than half empty space, so lots of room for growth. Still, it provides a great opportunity to get up close and personal with every major tank iteration the Army ever used. All are hands off, but each has a nice poster with the very basic information about the vehicle. Didn't take long to wander through but enjoyable experience as an Air Force veteran from the Desert Storm era.

Visiting Family at Fort Bliss and was lucky enough to visit Old Ironside Museum. There is a lot of…read morehistory to see here and learn about. It has a variety of exhibits from different time eras in our history. They have a variety of military vehicles on display ranging from tanks to helicopters and others too. The exhibits have great information on vehicles, weapons and arsenal use during time of past wars. Great way to learn how our country is being protected from outside threats. There is lots of memorabilia to see inside of the museum. Camp sites, uniforms, lots of guns, medals, and an activity center for the kids to color and draw. They have uniforms and prop guns available for you to take some souvenir photos. We came on a scorching hot day in the triple digits so I briefly viewed the vehicles they had displayed outside. This museum gives you a different perspective of the vehicles used in trainings and combat. If you would like to visit the museum you will need clearance to come onto Fort Bliss. Come to the visitor center and they can help you out with that. Th museum is free to visit.

As we face increasing antisemitism this museum plays a critical role in reminding us of the…read moreatrocities and genocides committed by Adolf Hitler and Nazi Germany. This museum is jewel of historic facts and details very well conceptualized. I visited Yad Vashem in Israel and was so impressed by what this museum is able to convey in a relatively small and compact museum. From the rise of Nazism, the hatred for the Jewish population to mass extermination. This museum does not spare any details. This was a moving and heartbreaking visit but yet so necessary. Will come back with my son.

It was fascinating but very sad. The fact that they had these cards made to identify who was…read moreJewish saddens me.the museum took me two and a half hours to explore.

NDMF is an annual festival held in the city of El Paso currently in the downtown plaza. They shut…read moredown various streets and thousands, I mean thousands, of folks attend the 2-day festival. It's an all ages event but they do focus themselves towards the 21+ crowd. I was a big fan of the VIP area where they had open bar and complimentary food. This year they featured Dos XX, Tito's, Orange Cow Burgers, and a few other options. Personally thought it was cool they had the rehydration tent with IVs and the hair/makeup touches. The teepees had a nice added touch and it was nice to layout on the grass without having to worry being congested like a herd in the general area. There were four stages were 1 was for local artists and the other three featured artists from indie/hip hob/r&b/electronic genres. Some of the featured artists were Nelly, J Balvin, Alesso, Hardwell, Ghostland Observatory, and Foster The People. Honestly being at a festival like this you're bound to get hungry so I was quite pleased to see the wide vary of food available from local spots including Crave. I thoroughly enjoyed myself and had a fun time.

Neon Desert is my favorite festival in El Paso! And yes, I'm comparing it to all the different…read moretypes of festivals we have in the area. Beyond being one of the largest (if not THEE largest), NDMF is executed pretty well and there's a range of things to do while there. I only have two gripes with the whole thing and that's the food/drinks and kids, but we'll get to that later. The lineup is usually pretty good and always has a mix of genres. The silent disco is where it's at. You throw on some head phones and you can click between two DJs. Then you dance the night away. It's actually kind of funny to see if you don't know what you're looking at since everyone is dancing and laughing, but you can't hear anything. Oh and the silent disco is usually under an open tent so you can get out of the sun for awhile without missing out on the actual festival. I wasn't able to check out each and every single vendor this past NDMF, but some of my favorites were the Henna Tattoos by Lu-E Fresh (they look good and they last a long time), the Mattress Firm tent (just lined with a ridiculous amount of mattresses that you can hang out on), the Southwest University mobile photobooth (also where you can get free paletas), the El Paso Electric Tent (charging ports galore, but you'll get out of there faster if you have your own cord), the Malibu House (drinks and flash tattoos), and the Tidal booth (where you feel like you're connected to Beyoncé). The food is where I get a little hung up. It's always overpriced, but I think that has to do with the businesses needing to recoup their cost after paying for a space at NDMF. I try to eat before I go so that way I'm only getting a couple of things here and there. I also think there could be a bigger selection of food with more vendors because they definitely have the space. If the food is overpriced, the drinks are unaffordable. My biggest recommendation is stick to the big names when it comes to drinks. There are tents that sell NDMF's drinks and can utilize any number of sponsored liquors/beer, but if those sponsors have an actual booth go to their booth instead. I bought some kind of adult lemonade from a NDMF tent and it tasted like straight lemon water... no alcohol, no sweet, just lemon water. And I even told the bartender no ice because when I found out it was over $8 for a regular cup of a mixed drink, it was a little disappointing when the cup was loaded to the brim with ice. For the same amount I spent at that tent I bought a frozen Piña Colada at the Malibu House that was not only big, but also delicious! Know where you're going to get the most bang for your buck. I just want to touch on the kiddo thing. While you are allowed to bring your kids to this festival, don't do it. It's like taking your kid to a bar... like yeah, you can do it, but the other patrons will give you that look. And actually I'll give you a list of reasons you shouldn't bring your kids: - Almost all of the crowd is 21+. - Booze, cussing, and possibly some other things that you might not want your kids around. - No kids areas... nope, you will not find a bounce house. - It's loud. - As an adult this is a wonderland so you'll probably want to walk around the whole festival, your kid will not. Just don't bring your kids. And if your kid begs you to take them because they're twelve and want to see JUST one of the performers, but they need you to take them... DON'T DO IT. They can wait until they're eighteen and they can go by themselves. This is the place to be during Memorial Day weekend if you're in EP. There's so much going on there like the skate park, live art, food, drinks, and of course music. They usually come out with the lineup a few months before the event, but you can score the best price on tickets if you buy them before then.

After driving by the billboards for about a month, I was looking forward to checking out the El…read moreChuco Fair, but unfortunately I maybe I should have tempered my expectations. I kinda knew it would be a traveling carnival, and that's part of the appeal, they got the rides, the petting zoo, the stunt shows, the games, and, of course, the deeply fried foods, which makes for a fun evening. I just wish there were more El Chuco-ness to the fair, some El Paso flavor like local food trucks or vendors or artists. I dunno, maybe it's because it's located at the site of the old Western Playland, but it mostly made me wish I had gone to Western Playland.

A nice size rose garden for a desert city. They have a large selection of award-winning roses here…read more At the time of my visit in early May, there were a lot of fading blooms and not many new ones to see. There is shade and covered seating so not a bad place to ce and just relax for a bit. There is a section that is wheelchair accessible. Worth a look. I would really like to wander through at the height of blooms.

If you love plants especially roses, then you'll love this garden. I hadn't visited too many free…read moregardens, but was glad this one was. Came in May 2023 when everything was a full bloom. It was truly beautiful, but of course it was a scorcher with the heat. All the roses had a pleasant scent. There were alliums as well. The paths were paved and easy to maneuver. Great for wheelchair bound individuals to enjoy their time out as well. A seen a few couples spending time. The parking was open not paid. There are benches located throughout the garden. Not too many bees or flies buzzing around which was a huge plus.