El Paso’s closest neighbors are just across the Mexican border in Juarez. With its strong Hispanic and Latino heritage, it’s not surprising that El Paso goes all out to celebrate Dia Los Muertos (Day of the Dead). Nearly everyone in the sixth-largest city in Texas turns out to watch colorful parades and take part in special events on November 2.
A city of diverse cultures, El Paso is also one of the oldest cities in Texas. The first bridge crossing the Rio Grande at El Paso del Norte was built over 250 years ago. Our Lady of Guadalupe Mission of El Paso del Norte, established in 1659, helped the village of El Paso del Norte grow. And years before American Pilgrims’ first Thanksgiving, early Spanish explorer Don Juan de Onate held Thanksgiving Mass in 1598.