What you need to know about the Sun Bowl Parade on Thanksgiving in El Paso

Maria Cortes Gonzalez, El Paso Times
·3 min read

If you love a parade and plan to attend El Paso's annual Thanksgiving Day celebration that winds through the city's streets, here's some information to help you get started.

The Glasheen, Valles & Inderman Injury Lawyers Sun Bowl Parade will start at 10 a.m. Thursday along Montana Avenue, from Ochoa to Copia streets.

The theme this year is Mardi Gras, El Paso Style. Expect the colors of Mardi Gras ‒ lots of purple, green and gold and metallic touches ‒ on the floats but note that there will be no throwing of beads, said Sun Bowl Association special events director Joe Daubach.

Many El Pasoans look forward to the Thanksgiving Day parade as part of their festivities for the family holiday.
Many El Pasoans look forward to the Thanksgiving Day parade as part of their festivities for the family holiday.

The El Paso Downtown Lions Club organized the first parade in 1935 and it has become a family tradition for thousands of El Paso families over the years. The parade was held on New Year’s Day until 1978. The Sun Bowl Association made the switch to a Thanksgiving Day celebration in 1978 and that has been the tradition ever since.

There will be 18 floats. Some noteworthy ones to look out for will include a float honoring U.S. veterans. The float, sponsored by Glasheen, Valles & Inderman Injury Lawyers, will feature a 21-foot-wide American bald eagle. The float will be pulled by a Vietnam War-era Jeep.

Kids can look forward to the float featuring a turkey, glammed up with Mardi Gras beads, and a float featuring a 7-foot-tall female jester with blinking eyes.

The parade also features law enforcement and fire departments, themed clubs and ballet folklorico groups, and the El Maida Shriners in their little cars.

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Get tickets for El Paso Thanksgiving 2022 parade review stands

For the best seats, make sure to get the $10 tickets for the review stand, located at 1600 Montana. The tickets also provide access to portable restrooms. Tickets are available in advance at any Vista market store or the Sun Bowl Association Office, 4150 Pinnacle St., Suite 100. Office hours are 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Tickets will not be available on the day of the parade.

For those who like to park their cars or recreational vehicles a day before the parade, note that cars will not be able to block intersections along Montana and side streets. Daubach said they will be towed.

John Folmer, center, will be one of the grand marshals for the Thanksgiving parade. He is shown announcing the 85th Hyundai Sun Bowl game teams in 2018.
John Folmer, center, will be one of the grand marshals for the Thanksgiving parade. He is shown announcing the 85th Hyundai Sun Bowl game teams in 2018.

The grand marshals will be Jimmy Rogers Jr. and John Folmer. Daubach said the men are longtime Sun Bowl volunteers and board members.

"They are key components in getting tier five teams to come to the Sun Bowl and getting CBS as the national televised broadcaster for the Sun Bowl game," Daubach said.

Where to watch El Paso Thanksgiving parade on TV

Live coverage of the parade on local affiliate Channel 9-KTSM will start at 10 a.m. and will be simulcast on KTSM.com. It also will be available on www.sunbowl.org and YouTube the following day.

Livestream: click here

María Cortés González may be reached at 915-546-6150; mcortes@elpasotimes.com, @EPTMaria on Twitter; eptmariacg on TikTok.

This article originally appeared on El Paso Times: El Paso Thanksgiving parade: What to know about annual tradition