1. They Call It El Paso—But You Know It's Really Chucotown
Chucotown is the nickname for
El Paso. It’s generally believed to be derived from pachuco, the word for old-school Latinos in zoot suits.
2. Chico’s Tacos Are The Guiltiest Of Guilty Pleasures
Chico’s Tacos may not be for everyone, but it sure is for everyone in Chucotown. These tacos aren’t the traditional Tex-Mex tacos one normally thinks of. Chico’s tacos are rolled and served with a generous heaping of tomato sauce and good ole government cheese. And there is no such thing as too much government cheese. In fact, instead of ordering a double taco, most El Pasoans know to order two singles with extra cheese. It ensures maximum cheese coverage and that is of vital importance.
3. When In El Paso You Must Speak As The El Pasoans Do
In a city where Spanish is spoken just as much as English (if not more), and cultural influences come from all reaches of the earth, El Pasoans have developed their own slang for many words. Some of them carry several meanings, others are chopped up English and Spanish combinations they mashed together.
For example, when an El Pasoan says
”ay ay”, they could either mean shut up, or no way!
No mames also means no way! But like
ay ay, it can also be said in such a way as to mean don’t mess with me,
cabrona!
4. Sunday The Fox Jukebox Is Your Hangover Cure
Everyone has a Sunday ritual regardless of locale, but in El Paso Sundays are special because of the Fox.
Every week, radio personality Mike Guerrero hosts old school rock and roll and El Paso style favorites on the radio. Friends and families grill carne asada, munch on chips and spicy guac, and trade stories from the week before.
And of course the beer flows freely. In this case it’s red beer, the perfect hangover cure (unless you’ve already got menudo stewing on the stove), because you’re no doubt hung-over from the night before.
Everyone has their own variation of the
michelada, but the main components are light beer on ice, served with lots of fresh-squeezed lime juice, salt, and Clamato juice. It’s light and refreshing- the perfect pick-me-up for a lazy Sunday afternoon, after a long night of partying.
5. X-Rated Fiestas Mean There Is Never A Dull Moment Here
The Fiesta Drive-In is like something out of a campy, sketchy horror B movie, or maybe a John Waters fantasy land. It’s a run-down drive-in that is still in operation, and the clincher? It actually shows adult films. Larger. Than. Life. There are some things that just shouldn’t be that big.
It has a 500 car capacity and it’s well worth checking out…for historical reasons, of course!
6. Folks In El Paso Save A Buck At The Bronco
This is where El Paso heads to for savory elote in a cup, sweet, crispy churros, and creamy horchata, all while shopping among vendor stands that on go forever and are full of flea market goodies? At the Bronco Swap Meet, of course! Typical items for sale include shoes, accessories, electronics, and toys.
You won’t find a sweet Michael Kors purse or designer jeans. But the bargains can’t be beat
7. Balloonfest Takes The City To A Higher Level
The Balloonfest, held each year over Mermorial Day Weekend at Wet-N-Wild Waterworld, is a jam-packed weekend filled with hot air balloons, live local bands, tons of barbeque, camping (new this year), swimming, water rides, and
tons of fun. There’s a different theme each year but you can count on at least 60 colorful hot air balloons taking launch.
8. No Cervesa Is Complete Here Without A Salty Twang
It’s the small stuff that makes a drink special. The little citrus garnish, the muddling of the herbs, the chilling of the glass…For El Pasoans it’s the sprinkling of the Twang, a lemon/lime flavored salt used to enhance beer.
Twang comes in a tiny shaker and believe me, it is used without discretion here. Look on any kitchen table or bar top and you will find a gritty, salt-like substance coating it from overly vigorous shaking. Fair warning, it’s highly addicitive, once you’ve salted one beer, the rest just don’t taste right without some Twang.
9. The Patterson House Is Haunted—And In High School You Must Go There
This house on Piedmont Street is part of a coming-of-age rite—emboldened teenagers dare one another to drive by and peek inside. But the house is legit haunted. Just ask anyone in El Paso.
It all started when a couple residing there in the ‘50s, William and Margaret Patterson, suddenly disappeared without an iota of a clue as to what happened to them. No hairs, no fibers, no DNA or prints…Nada!
There are many theories surrounding their disappearance. UFOs. Abduction. Russian spies. To this day, the case has never been solved. It was reopened about 10 years ago as a cold case but there haven’t been any fresh leads… Creepy!
10. The Real Dancing With The Stars Happens Here
Every summer El Pasoans flock in droves to Music Under the Stars, a summer concert series at the Chamizal National Memorial, where local and international musicians do their thing, quite literally under the stars. It’s been happening for 30 years and draws about 60,000 attendees each year.
The lineup is all over the place—from blues and swing to Latin dance and funk. But the people swinging and swaying to the jams set the mood, and the mood is always the same: chill and happy—people of all ages getting along—happy and proud to be an El Pasoan.
Feature Image Source: Music Under the Stars – El Paso via Facebook
