One of El Paso’s most celebrated holiday traditions is getting turned up to eleven this year.

The annual Celebration of Lights, set for Sunday Nov. 18, will have it all; hundreds of thousands of lights, a parade, ice skating, a classic holiday movie, and free streetcar rides.

As we previously reported, the City of El Paso’s Celebration of Lights tree lighting ceremony, Celebration of Lights Parade, and the beginning of Winterfest are all happening on the same day, meaning Downtown is going to be lit -- both literally and figuratively.

The area in and around San Jacinto Plaza will play host to the full day of holiday entertainment that will also include a holiday Farmer’s Market behind the ball park, and a free screening of the Will Ferrell Christmas classic, Elf; the first of several free holiday movies at the Plaza Theatre.

Winterfest

If that wasn't enough, Winterfest officially gets underway on Nov. 18, too. Billed as the "Coolest" Fest in the Southwest," Winterfest has become one of the city's top holiday themed events since its inception two years ago. An outdoor ice-skating rink will once again serve as the focal point of the holiday celebration, and popular attractions such as a Holiday Cafe and a life-size snow globe for picture taking will return as well.

City of El Paso/El Paso Live
City of El Paso
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Celebration of Lights Parade

Sunday evening’s festivities will culminate with the spectacular nighttime parade featuring numerous floats, vehicles and walking groups all tricked out in colorful lights. This year, the parade will get underway an hour earlier at 5 p.m. and will follow a new route that incorporates the recently completed Paseo de las Luces.

Paseo de las Luces

Paseo de las Luces, or walk of lights, is the newly renovated walkway along South El Paso St. that now includes ornately decorated archways and stringed white lights overhead that span the width of the heritage corridor from the Plaza Theatre to the Paso del Norte International Bridge. Designed to shine year-round, Paseo de las Luces will also serve to compliment the lights at San Jacinto Plaza and Winterfest and extend the holiday lighting program during the Christmas season.

Want the Paseo de las Luces experience, but you don't want to walk? No problem, hop on the Winterfest Express -- free every weekend through the end of Winterfest.

Streetcars

In addition to all that, Sun Metro will be providing free streetcar passenger service that day, and every Friday, Saturday, and Sunday through January 6.

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