EL PASO, Texas (KTSM) — The El Paso Public Libraries highlighted a powerful, but often-overlooked historical event that happened right here in the Borderland — the First Thanksgiving.
The Main Library, in El Paso’s Downtown, held a special event called “The Forgotten Histories of the First Thanksgiving” on Sunday afternoon, April 19.
This free, family-friendly event used interactive experiences, live performances and educational programming to bring this historical happening alive.
The program highlights El Paso’s historic First Thanksgiving on April 30, 1598, more than two decades before the Thanksgiving in Plymouth, Massachusetts.
Here near present-day San Elizario, the Manso people and Spanish explorer Don Juan de Oñate gathered near the Rio Grande. The moment marked not only a shared meal, but also an early cultural exchange that helped shape the region, the City of El Paso said in its news release.
Nancy Rodriguez, the programs coordinator for the Main Library, said this type of event is one way the El Paso library system tries to teach the community about its history and culture.
“What we really want is to recognize that we are all connected,” Rodriguez said. “History is what binds us. If you go back far enough in history, you might find so many common ancestors, people you might not know you are related to by fifth or sixth cousins, something like that.”
For more information about other El Paso Public Libraries programs, call (915) 212-3217 or click here.
Copyright 2026 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to KTSM 9 News.