Here\u2019s a roundup of some culture and civic events in the borderland in the coming week.<\/p>\n
UTEP Dance Championship<\/p>\n
The sixth annual UTEP Dance Championship will bring competitive dance performances to campus, highlighting team talent and community participation during a two-day event featuring competitions at multiple university venues.<\/p>\n
When: 8 a.m. Saturday, Feb. 28 (continues Sunday, March 1)<\/p>\n
Where: Magoffin Auditorium, 675 Circle Drive; Don Haskins Center, 151 Glory Road<\/p>\n
Cost: Prices begin $29.75<\/p>\n
Information: ticketmaster.com<\/a><\/p>\n Downtown Lunar New Year Celebration<\/p>\n A family-friendly celebration marking the start of the Lunar New Year and the arrival of spring, featuring hands-on activities, cultural performances and vendors from Asian-owned businesses offering food and cultural items. The 2026 celebration will take place across multiple sites in Downtown El Paso and will highlight traditions observed in countries including China, Korea and Vietnam. The 2026 Lunar New Year corresponds with the Year of the Horse.<\/p>\n When: Noon-5 p.m. Saturday, Feb. 28<\/p>\n Where: Downtown Arts District, including the El Paso Museum of History, Mexican American Cultural Center and Cleveland Square Park<\/p>\n Cost: Free<\/p>\n Information: elpasotexas.gov<\/a><\/p>\n Desert Dreamscapes \u2014 Ceramics and Paintings with Vanessa Zavala Clark<\/p>\n An exhibition exploring desert flora and fauna through ceramic sculptures, pottery and paintings by artist Vanessa Zavala Clark. The show opens with a reception and will remain on display at the International Museum of Art through March.<\/p>\n When: Noon-5 p.m. Saturday, Feb. 28 (opening reception 2-4 p.m.); exhibit on display through March 21<\/p>\n Where: International Museum of Art, 1211 Montana Ave.<\/p>\n Cost: Free; donations accepted<\/p>\n Information: internationalmuseumofart.org<\/a><\/p>\n SEE ALSO: When is spring break? El Paso area schedules, camps, events<\/a><\/p>\n Turn the Page, Start the Adventure Story Fest<\/p>\n A family-friendly event celebrating Black Children\u2019s Book Week with storytelling activities, a puppet show and literacy-focused programming designed to engage young readers and promote children\u2019s literature.<\/p>\n READ MORE: Black History Month events honor El Paso\u2019s Black legacy<\/a><\/p>\n The Seventh Symphonies<\/p>\n The El Paso Symphony Orchestra presents a two-night program led by conductor Bohuslav Rattay featuring Sergei Prokofiev\u2019s Symphony No. 7 in C-sharp minor, Op. 131 and Ludwig van Beethoven\u2019s Symphony No. 7 in A major, Op. 92. A pre-concert \u201cOpening Notes\u201d talk with Nathan Black begins at 6:30 p.m. each evening in the Philanthropy Theatre.<\/p>\n When: 7:30 p.m. Friday-Saturday, Feb. 27-28<\/p>\n Where: Plaza Theatre, 125 W. Mills Ave.<\/p>\n Cost: $17-$49<\/p>\n Information: epso.org<\/a><\/p>\n Losar: Creation of a Tibetan Buddhist Sand Mandala<\/p>\n The El Paso Museum of History will host a live sand mandala installation by Losang Samten, allowing visitors to observe the creation of a medicine Buddha sand mandala, a sacred Tibetan Buddhist art form traditionally associated with Losar, or Tibetan New Year. The multi-day installation will conclude with the unveiling of the completed mandala during the museum\u2019s Lunar New Year celebration.<\/p>\n When: Tuesday-Saturday, Feb. 24-28; viewing times 10 a.m.-noon and 2-4 p.m. daily<\/p>\n Where: El Paso Museum of History, 510 N. Santa Fe St.<\/p>\n Cost: Free<\/p>\n Information: elpasotexas.gov<\/a><\/p>\n Coming Up<\/p>\n Wine and Wonder at La Nube<\/p>\n La Nube will host an adults-only evening event featuring after-hours access to the museum, wine tastings, a guided charcuterie class, hands-on STEAM activities, live music and karaoke. The program offers participants an opportunity to explore exhibits and take part in interactive experiences, including wine charm making, cork coaster engraving and sensory workshops.<\/p>\n When: 7-10 p.m. Friday, March 6<\/p>\n Where: La Nube, 201 W. Main Drive<\/p>\n Cost: Ticketed event<\/p>\n Information: la-nube.org<\/a><\/p>\n Book Talk: Jazmine Ulloa on El Paso\u2019s history<\/p>\n New York Times reporter and El Paso native Jazmine Ulloa will discuss her new book, \u201cEl Paso: Five Families and One Hundred Years of Blood, Migration, Race, and Memory,\u201d in a conversation with El Paso Matters CEO Robert Moore. The event will explore the city\u2019s history through the experiences of five families, followed by an audience Q&A, book sales and a signing.<\/p>\n When: 7 p.m. Monday, March 9<\/p>\n Where: Philanthropy Theatre, Plaza Theatre Performing Arts Centre, 125 W. Mills Ave.<\/p>\n Cost: Free<\/p>\n EPSO\u2019s \u2018Peter and the Wolf\u2019<\/p>\n Sergei Prokofiev\u2019s classic symphonic fairytale \u201cPeter and the Wolf\u201d follows a young boy who ventures into the forest and encounters a wolf with the help of his animal companions, with each character represented by different orchestral instruments. The performance features narration and staging by the Youth Opera of El Paso in collaboration with La Nube.<\/p>\n When: 1:30-2:30 p.m. Saturday, March 7<\/p>\n Where: Plaza Theatre, 125 W. Mills Ave.<\/p>\n Cost: $11; $6 for children ages 3-12<\/p>\n Information: epso.org<\/a><\/p>\n El Paso Home & Garden Show<\/p>\n A three-day event focused on home improvement and outdoor living, featuring exhibitors and resources for renovation, design and landscaping projects. The event brings together vendors and experts offering products, services and ideas for home and garden upgrades.<\/p>\n When: 2-6 p.m. Friday, March 6; 10 a.m.-6 p.m. Saturday, March 7; 11 a.m.-5 p.m. Sunday, March 8<\/p>\n Where: El Paso Convention Center, 1 Civic Center Plaza<\/p>\n Cost: Free<\/p>\n Information: showtechnology.com<\/a><\/p>\n Mark Your Calendar<\/p>\n Third Thursdays in the Downtown Arts District<\/p>\n A monthly event featuring extended hours at cultural institutions across the Downtown Arts District, with special programming, an artisan market, live music, food and community organization booths. Participating sites include the El Paso Museum of Art, El Paso Museum of History and other downtown venues.<\/p>\n When: 5-9 p.m. Thursday, March 19<\/p>\n Where: Downtown Arts District, One Civic Center Plaza and surrounding locations<\/p>\n Cost: Free<\/p>\n Information: epmcad.org<\/a><\/p>\n Youth Opera of El Paso\u2019s \u2018A Note of Explanation\u2019<\/p>\n The Youth Opera of El Paso presents the world premiere of \u201cA Note of Explanation,\u201d an original children\u2019s opera by Shoshana Yavneh Shattenkirk and A.J. Freeman, based on a miniature children\u2019s book by author Vita Sackville-West that was commissioned in 1922 for Queen Mary\u2019s dollhouse library. The production follows a time-traveling sprite\u2019s adventures inside the dollhouse.<\/p>\n When: 7:30 p.m. Friday, March 6; 3:30 and 7:30 p.m. Saturday, March 7; 3:30 p.m. Sunday, March 8<\/p>\n Where: Philanthropy Theatre, Plaza Theatre Performing Arts Centre, 125 W. Mills Ave.<\/p>\n Cost: $32.55<\/p>\n Information: yoep.org<\/a><\/p>\n Change Makers 2026: Women in the Arts<\/p>\n The annual Women\u2019s History Month celebration presented by Progress321 and El Paso Matters this year will honor women whose creative work or advocacy has shaped the arts across the El Paso borderland, including artists, musicians, writers, performers, filmmakers, designers and arts supporters. Nominations for Change Makers 2026<\/a> are open through Friday, Feb. 20.<\/p>\n When: Thursday, March 26<\/p>\n Where: Mexican American Cultural Center, 201 E. Franklin Ave.<\/p>\n Cost: To be announced<\/p>\n Information: El Paso Matters Events\u00a0<\/a><\/p>\n Poppies Fest<\/p>\n A multi-day festival celebrating Castner Range National Monument and the portion of the landscape open to the public, Poppies Fest brings together local artisans, vendors and performers while highlighting Native American voices, traditions and land stewardship. Organized by the El Paso Museum of Archaeology, the 2026 edition introduces a new festival-weekend format in March and will be preceded by a February partner pop-up at 9 a.m. Saturday, Feb. 21, featuring hands-on activities and information about the upcoming festival, with participation from the Mexican American Cultural Center, El Paso Museum of Art, El Paso Museum of History and GECU.<\/p>\n When: Friday-Sunday, March 13-15; 5-9 p.m. Friday, 10 a.m.-8 p.m. Saturday, 10 a.m.-2 p.m. Sunday<\/p>\n Where: El Paso Museum of Archaeology, 4301 Woodrow Bean Transmountain Road<\/p>\n Cost: Free<\/p>\n Information: epmarch.org<\/a><\/p>\n Landscape Expo<\/p>\n El Paso Water will host its annual Landscape Expo, offering guidance on water-smart landscaping for homes in the desert environment. The free, family-friendly event will feature landscape experts sharing tips on irrigation, plant selection and sustainable garden design, along with interactive garden activities for children, soil testing information and \u201cask the expert\u201d resource tables.<\/p>\n When: 10 a.m.-2 p.m. Saturday, March 21<\/p>\n Where: Tech2O Center, 10751 Montana Ave.<\/p>\n Cost: Free<\/p>\n Information: tech2o.org<\/a><\/p>\n READ MORE: Global K-pop superstars BTS announce Sun Bowl Stadium concerts in El Paso for 2026 tour<\/a><\/p>\n BTS at Sun Bowl Stadium<\/p>\n