Cielo Vista's Holiday Season Runs on a Clock: Santa's Changing Hours and a Lunch That Ends at 1:45

What time does Santa leave Cielo Vista Mall on a Tuesday in November? Seven o'clock. By the week before Christmas, he stays until eight. On Christmas Eve, he starts at nine in the morning, an hour before the mall opens its doors. Around Cielo Vista this year, Santa's hours shift almost every week, and the newest restaurant a short drive west along Gateway works the same way. Lunch there costs less on some days and ends at 1:45 p.m. sharp.

The season starts tomorrow, Friday, November 6. Here's how the hours work, week by week.

Santa's Hours Widen Three Times Before Christmas Eve

Simon's Santa Photo Experience page for Cielo Vista Mall says Santa arrives Friday, November 6, and stays through December 24, with reservations taken through Where Is Santa. The posted daily schedule doesn't stay put. Weekday hours start narrow, get wider after Thanksgiving, and widen twice more in the last ten days.

Two dates stand out. Sunday, December 13, has the shortest Santa window of the whole season at four hours, starting at 2 p.m. Saturday, December 19, has the longest at twelve hours. If you're booking around a December weekend, those two days are the ones to check before you lock in a time.

Before Thanksgiving, a weekday gives you an eight-hour window, a Saturday gives you ten, and a Sunday gives you six. So a Sunday after church or brunch has the tightest window of the week. That's worth knowing before you promise anyone a photo "this weekend."

Opening Weekend Splits Friday and Saturday

The first weekend has two events on back-to-back days. Santa starts at 11 a.m. on Friday, November 6. On Saturday, November 7, Fabletics holds its grand opening at 10 a.m. in the Lower Level's Macy's Court. According to the mall's Fabletics announcement, the first 100 customers who make a qualifying purchase of $99 or more in one transaction get a free gift, and the store is advertising 60% off storewide for a limited time.

Santa's Saturday hours that day are 10 a.m. to 8 p.m., the same opening time as the Fabletics event. A household that wants both can plan one trip around a single 10 a.m. start.

The lower level has more changes worth knowing before your holiday shopping list gets long:

• The Children's Place is now open in a new location in the lower-level Sears Court. The mall posted the news on September 25.
• Coach is listed as coming soon, on the lower level next to Mango. The mall hasn't posted an opening date.
• Fabletics shares Macy's Court with the opening-day crowd on November 7, so that end of the lower level will likely be the busiest spot that morning.

Black Friday and Christmas Eve Run on Two Different Clocks

Cielo Vista Mall's posted holiday hours are closed on Thanksgiving, November 26; 6 a.m. to 9 p.m. on Black Friday, November 27; 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Christmas Eve; and closed on Christmas Day.

Santa's hours on those two big days don't match the mall's. On Black Friday, the mall opens at 6 a.m. but Santa starts at 10 a.m. and finishes at 7 p.m., two hours before the stores close. On Christmas Eve it's reversed. Santa's posted hours are 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., while the mall's posted hours start at 10 a.m. and run until 6 p.m. So an early Black Friday shopping run and a Santa photo won't fit in the same early-morning trip. On Christmas Eve, the first Santa hour comes before the mall's listed opening, so confirm your reservation time before you head out.

The regular Sunday schedule is noon to 6 p.m. at both the mall and Santa's set for most of the season. On a typical Sunday, that's the only day the two schedules line up exactly.

A Short Drive West, Lunch Is Priced by the Day

The clock matters for dinner plans too. The biggest dining news near Cielo Vista this fall is Las Espadas Brazilian Steakhouse. It sits at the base of the PNC Bank building at 6044 Gateway Blvd. East, across Interstate 10 from Bassett Place. El Paso Inc. reported that the soft opening began September 10. The chain has eight locations in Mexico, and this is its first in the U.S. A grand-opening date had not been announced.

It's a rodízio-style restaurant. You pay one fixed price, start at an unlimited salad and hot-food bar, and servers bring long skewers called espadas to your table and slice meat onto your plate. In its September review, the El Paso Times described red and green cards on each table. You flip them to tell servers when you want more and when you need a break. The main proteins are beef, pork, chicken, and lamb, and they rotate every few minutes. The Times also highlighted a salad-bar dish of watermelon and pineapple with Tajín, feta, and mint leaves.

Timing is the useful part. The Times published these soft-opening prices in September. They may have changed since, so check before you go:

• Lunch, Monday through Thursday: $25.99 per adult, $12.99 for children 6 to 10, and $2.99 for children 5 and under
• Lunch, Friday through Sunday: $35.99 per adult, $17.99 for children 6 to 10, and $2.99 for children 5 and under
• Dinner, every day: $45.99 per adult, $22.99 for children 6 to 10, and $2.99 for children 5 and under

At those prices, a weekday lunch costs an adult $10 less than a weekend lunch and $20 less than dinner. The catch is that lunch ends at 1:45 p.m. No reservations are needed. The Times reported a 15-minute wait on a Tuesday and said it can stretch to 20 minutes or more on busier shifts. There's also an upstairs bar called Ipanema, named after a Brazilian mocktail. It has food service and is available for events, which could matter if you're organizing a December office gathering.

The dining options along this stretch of Gateway have changed this year. Red Lobster by Cielo Vista Mall closed for good on March 23, 2026, the El Paso Times reported, and the chain's two other El Paso locations stayed open. Earlier this year, a new Taco Palenque opened at 7122 Gateway East Blvd., Suite B. The brand started in Laredo. On February 25, comedian Gabriel "Fluffy" Iglesias stopped by to introduce his namesake taco, according to the El Paso Times.

Putting the Clocks Together

Here's a weekday plan that fits both the Santa schedule and the lower lunch price.

1. Pick a Monday through Thursday before Thanksgiving. Santa is at the mall from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. on those days.
2. Eat first if you want the lower price. The $25.99 weekday lunch at Las Espadas ends at 1:45 p.m., so an 11:30 a.m. or noon start leaves time to pace yourself through the rotating meats.
3. Book a Santa slot for mid-afternoon. You'll have most of Santa's weekday window left, and you'll be finished well before the 7 p.m. close.
4. Save Black Friday for shopping only. The mall opens at 6 a.m., but Santa doesn't start until 10 a.m.

Wednesday, November 11, is Veterans Day, and Santa is on the regular 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. weekday schedule that day. For families with a day off school or work, that Wednesday fits the plan above.

If the holidays have you wondering what everyday life looks like around Cielo Vista, from where the new restaurants are opening to how the Gateway corridor is changing, we're happy to talk it through over coffee, in English or Spanish. The team at Center Real Estate follows these changes closely and enjoys sharing what we learn. Contact Us whenever you're ready.