Every year the downtown El Paso winter fest gets bigger and bigger. It started with decorations in the San Jacinto Plaza and now it extends through the Plaza Theater, Art museum and out to the civic center. The setup usually starts in early November and the main event of the lighting of the tree and a parade through downtown happens a week before thanksgiving. The city invests a ton of money and time to put it together. Join me in this video with me on some behind the scenes from the set up to the day of the parade.  You will see me handing out some treats to the families waiting for the parade to start and walk around meeting some of the vendors and checking out the food options.  A tip when coming to this event is to plan ahead. Downtown is full of families and road closures; an option is to park up by the Don Haskins arena at UTEP and take the trolley that drops you off a block away from the San Jacinto Plaza. If you want to enjoy the parade, come early, bring warm clothes and some folding chairs.  I am sure you and the family will build up an appetite. There is always a good selection of vendors and the local restaurants are usually open. Reservations are recommended.