This Starter Pack Perfectly Sums Up 4th of July in El Paso

There is nothing quite like an El Paso 4th of July! My fondest memories growing up include our family cooking out until the sun goes down, grabbing our lawn chairs, and ending the night by sitting in our grandma’s yard and watching the fireworks from Western Playland when it once was at Ascarate Park.

If you’ve ever spent the 4th of July in El Paso, then you already know it hits differently. We’re talking delicious meat, questionable fireworks legality, and at least one tía yelling “¡Cuidado!” before someone lights a Roman candle. (Me, I’m that tia)

So here it is: the official El Paso 4th of July Starter Pack: 

• Folding chairs and a kiddie pool: There’s always one family that turns their front yard into a splash zone. No invite needed, just bring a towel and your chancletas.
• Grilled meat that’s been marinating since Monday: Burgers? Cute. We’ve got discada, brisket, and pollo asado made by someone’s dad who refuses to leave the pit.
• A cousin who smuggled fireworks from Juárez: Are they legal? Debatable. Are they loud enough to shake the entire block? Absolutely.
• Sparklers: The safest fireworks yet they still manage to scare the heck out of me because I’m paranoid I’ll burn a finger off!
• A Spotify playlist with Mexican music playing back-to-back: Even on America’s birthday we love to jam to some Mexican music!

Bonus points if your celebration ends with a drone show at Ascarate—or a firework misfire that made abuelita scream.