Summer weather may be stubbornly sticking around, but fall has officially arrived.
Mazes across El Paso and southern New Mexico open in late September for the 2023 season, followed by various haunted houses, carnivals, parades and festivals celebrating Halloween and Día de los Muertos or Day of the Dead.
Here’s where you can find some fall family fun across the Borderland.
MAZES
Area mazes – not always made of corn stalks – offer a variety of pumpkin patches, mazes, games, rides, food trucks and entertainment. Check each venue for activities, prices and other details.
El Paso Corn Maze, 1100 Nuevo Hueco Tanks Road
Sept. 30-Oct. 29: 1-6 p.m. Saturday and Sunday
On social: @elpasocornmaze on Facebook and Instagram
La Union Maze, 1101 Hwy. 28, Anthony, New Mexico
Sept. 23-Nov. 5: 5-9 p.m. Friday; 10:30 a.m.-9 p.m. Saturday; 11:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. Sunday
On social: @launionmaze on Facebook and Instagram
Mesilla Valley Maze, 3855 W. Picacho Street, Las Cruces
Sept. 30-Oct. 28: 11 a.m.-7 p.m. Saturday and Sunday; Fall Festival Oct. 7-8; Pumpkin Festival Oct. 28-29
On social: @mesillavallemaze on Facebook and Instagram
HAUNTED HOUSES
For those who enjoy feeling their hearts race, several haunted houses offer a scare – at varying degrees. Check each venue for prices, level of scare and special instructions.
Asylum Haunted Attraction, 105 S. Stanton
Oct. 5-29: Hours vary. Thursday-Sunday.
On social: Facebook
Forbidden Acres Haunted House, 13161 Tobacco Drive
Oct. 1-31: 8-10:30 p.m. Thursdays and Sundays and Monday, Oct. 30; 8 p.m.-midnight Friday and Saturday and Tuesday, Oct. 31
On social: Facebook and Instagram
KLAQ Haunted Houses of Terror, 13900 Montana
Sept. 28-Oct. 31: 7-10 p.m. Thursday and Sunday; 7 p.m. to midnight Friday-Saturday
On social: Facebook and Instagram
Murder House, 301 S. Ochoa
Oct.1-Nov. 1: 7 p.m.-midnight Thursday through Sunday
On social: Facebook and Instagram
Sheriff’s Haunted House, 3850 Justice Drive
Oct. 12-31: 6-10 p.m. Thursday and Sunday; 6 p.m. to midnight Friday and Saturday
On social: Facebook
EVENTS
The two big fall events that draw thousands include the annual KLAQ Halloween Parade and the city’s Día de los Muertos Festival & Parade, which is growing and gaining popularity each year.
Dia de los Muertos Festival & Parade, Arts Festival Plaza in Downtown
11 a.m. to 9 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 28. Displays, art and farmers market, food trucks and entertainment.
Music, folklorico dancers and other entertainment at San Jacinto Plaza; with matachines at the Arts Festival Plaza next to the El Paso Museum of Art from 6 to 7 p.m.
Parade featuring floats, larger-than-life marionettes, mojigangas, and alebrijes begins at 4 p.m. on San Antonio and Overland streets, heads north on Santa Fe, east on Franklin, south on Mesa and west on San Antonio.
The El Paso Museum of Art and the El Paso Museum of History will host a series of drop-in activities during the festival, including sand art and dry clay arts, face painting, and piñata and sugar skull making. The two museums, as well as the El Paso Museum of Archaeology, will feature special displays and altars, pop-up exhibits and selfie photo opportunities.
On social: Instagram and Facebook
Boo at the Zoo, 4001 E. Paisano
10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Oct. 28-29: Trick-or-treat, animal encounters, children’s activities.
On social: Instagram and Facebook
San Elizario Ghost Stories Tour, 1501 Main Street, San Elizario
9:30-11 p.m. Oct. 28: Guided tour of haunted sites. Ghosts of the Camino Real Spirit Walks also available the first Friday of every month; “La Llorona” presentation on Oct. 14.
On social: Facebook
KLAQ Halloween Parade, Eastwood (Album) Park, 3110 Parkwood
3:30 p.m. Oct. 31: Parade starts at Album Avenue toward Cork Drive to Daphne Court; then west to Fir Street, south to Bermuda Avenue; east to Zanzibar Road and back to Album Park.
On social: KLAQ Halloween Parade
Concordia Heritage Association Día de los Muertos
Concordia Cemetery, 3700 E. Yandell Drive
2-4 p.m. Nov. 4: Cemetery tours with vendors, food trucks and entertainment
On social: Facebook and Instagram
This list will be updated as more events are announced. Send your announcement to cramirez@elpasomatters.org to be added.
