18th Annual Chihuahuan Desert Fiesta
Saturday, September 24, 2022 – at the El Paso Zoo and Botanical Gardens, 10:30am to 3:00pm
Sunday, September 25, 2022 – at Tom Mays section of Franklin Mountains State Park and Castner Range – Pre-registration Required
Jason Ricketts who is a geologist at UTEP and studies the geologic history of New Mexico and western Texas, is one of many local experts who have signed up to lead hikes in the Franklin Mountains and present interactive exhibits and desert talks at the 18th Annual Chihuahuan Desert Fiesta. For the second year in a row the Fiesta will be a two-day event on September 24-25 with day one at the El Paso Zoo and Botanical Gardens and day two at Franklin Mountains State Park’s Tom May’s Unit.
Fiesta Committee Chair, Dora Hernandez who is the Vice Chair of the Chihuahuan Desert Education Coalition, is coordinating entertainment and education partners who participate in the event at the Zoo on Saturday, September 24. For more information you can contact her at cdec.fiesta@gmail.com or visit the Fiesta Information page at chihuahuandesert.org.
Every year the Chihuahuan Desert Fiesta celebrates the natural wonders of the mountainous desert in our big backyard while encouraging people to explore and discover parks and other protected areas.
Recognized globally as a hotspot for wildlife conservation, the Chihuahuan Desert surrounding El Paso is one of the most biologically diverse eco-regions in North America. Thanks to a City of El Paso bond election, the El Paso Zoo and Botanical Gardens has a new $16M Chihuahuan Desert exhibit that features the flora and fauna of this amazing region. The exhibit includes an arroyo and a flash flood feature that helps people better understand an important natural force helping to shape the desert landscape, plus common plants and animals including a number of endangered species.
Chihuahuan Desert Education Coalition 