The Poppies Fest is always a great way to celebrate the arrival of springtime and those yellow and orange wildflowers.
The fest also started as way to bring more awareness to Castner Range and make it a national monument. Castner Range was designated a monument by President Joe Biden in 2023.
This year, the fest will be celebrated in one weekend, Friday through Sunday, March 13-15, at the El Paso Museum of Archaeology, 4301 Transmountain Road. Previously, it was several weekends in March. It has free admission.
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El Paso Museum of Archaeology Director Sebastian Ribas Normand said the shortened time frame is because of the limited staff of five and the fact that most of the city’s festivals, such as Chalk the Block, are held over one weekend as well.
New this year, transportation from the nearby Camp Cohen water park parking lot, 9700 Gateway North Blvd., to the archaeology museum. There will be four shuttles running every 15 minutes throughout the festival.
Here is what to know about the 18th annual Poppies Fest.
Poppies bloom along the Nature Trail near the El Paso Museum of Archaeology before this weekend’s Poppies Fest on Wednesday, March 11, 2026, in El Paso, Texas.
Are the poppies blooming for Poppies Fest 2026?
Ribas Normand said the rainfall has to be really good from October to December for there to be a blanket of flowers around the Castner Range.
“The rain conditions were not bad this year … right now I can tell you it’s a late bloom this year. We have a few flowers, and we have a ton of very tiny plants, very tiny. So, I’m hoping that maybe in the next two to three weeks, we might be able to see a bigger patch of flowers,” he said.
Visitors are reminded not to pick the poppies and to stay on designated trails when walking around the grounds.
Poppies bloom along the Nature Trail near the El Paso Museum of Archaeology before this weekend’s Poppies Fest on Wednesday, March 11, 2026, in El Paso, Texas.
What to expect at Poppies Fest: Time, entertainment
The Poppies Fest will be from 5 to 9 p.m. Friday, March 13, and from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. Saturday, March 14, and 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Sunday, March 15.
The Poppies Fest features live performances, hands-on activities, vendors, food trucks, and live art. There will be dancing by Native American groups, including the Tiguas and the White Mountain Apache from Arizona.
Friday, March 13
5:30 p.m. Cellist Rebecca Samaniego
Saturday, March 14
10 a.m. Ballet Folklorico Luz del Mundo
11 a.m. and 2 p.m. Cha’Be’Tu Apache Crown Dance
12 p.m. Tigua Youth Dancers
3 p.m. Teatro Sin Fronteras
4 p.m. Samba Alma de Fogo
5 p.m. Austin Jimmy Murphy
6 p.m. Mariachi Excelencia.
Sunday, March 15
10:30 a.m. Annual Poppies Fest Walk
10 a.m. to 2 p.m. DJ Rodriga
10 a.m. to 12 p.m. Archery
12 p.m. Lucha League Meet and Greet.
Tigua Youth Dancers perform on the first day of the El Paso Museum of Archeology’s Poppies Fest 2023.
On Sunday, the focus will be more on fitness with yoga and zumba taking place.
Those looking for snacks and food will be able to buy from three food trucks, selling hot dogs and popcorn and other snacks and lemonade.
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Castner Range poppies begin blooming ahead of Poppies Fest in El Paso
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Poppies bloom along the Nature Trail near the El Paso Museum of Archaeology before this weekend’s Poppies Fest on Wednesday, March 11, 2026, in El Paso, Texas.
MarÃa Cortés González may be reached at 915-546-6150; mcortes@elpasotimes.com; @eptmaria.bsky.social on Bluesky, and @eptmariacg on TikTok.
This article originally appeared on El Paso Times: Poppies Fest in El Paso: What to know before you go