Poppies Fest Update

View of Mexican gold poppies on the grounds of the
El Paso Museum of Archaeology,
courtesy of the El Paso Museum of Archaeology

The Poppies Fest Committee in Collaboration with theEl Paso Museum of Archaeology and MCAD AnnouncesUPDATE2014 Franklin Mountains Poppies Feston Castner Range March 29, 2014

The eighth annual 2014 Franklin Mountains Poppies Fest on Castner Range will take place on Saturday, March 29, 2014 from 11:00 am to 3:00 pm at the El Paso Museum of Archaeology at 4301 Transmountain Road. Map and directions

The Poppies Fest Committee welcomes everyone to this free family fun day which features a program of nature walks, educational exhibits and demonstrations by local environmental organizations and wildlife displays include a live socialized wolf from the Wild Spirit Wolf Sanctuary and Houdini the Harris Hawk (winds permitting) from the El Paso Zoo. A children’s activity center will offer a variety of arts and crafts led by local community members including Girl Scouts. Local performing groups will provide music and dance. Local vendors will be offering original and hand-made merchandise for sale.  Lunch and snacks can be purchased from food vendors on-site.

UPDATES:
Free Parking and Free Handicapped-Accessible Shuttle Busses To and From the Event are at EPCC Transmountain Campus (Diana exit off US 54).  No public parking at the museum.

The first showing of a new documentary, Conserving Castner Range, by the Frontera Land Alliance and the Franklin Mountains Wilderness Coalition will be held at the Poppies Fest, running continuously in the auditorium of the El Paso Museum of Archaeology from 11:00 am to 3:00 pm.  These organizations have been working for more than 35 years to ensure that the remaining land of Castner Range is preserved forever and included in the Franklin Mountains State Park. This short TV documentary was produced and directed by El Paso documentary filmmaker Jackson Polk of Capstone Productions. The video takes the viewer on a bird’s-eye view ride through Castner Range to showcase the land’s natural beauty and its position relative to the State Park, and to give an idea of the amount of city growth around the range. It offers a brief historical profile and explains the unique qualities of the range with crisp photos and informative interviews. The video closes with a call to action and provides information on how the public can get involved to preserve the remaining beautiful land on Castner Range forever.

Six music and dance groups are scheduled every 30 minutes during the event. They are the Corpus Christi Catholic Church Aztec Dance Group, Papaya Riot, Danza La Palma y Los Listones de San Pedro y San Pablo, Ballet Folklorico Toltec de La Fe, Femmes de Fuego (Fire Dancing), and Casa Puente.
The Poppies Fest Committee thanks the Poppies Fest sponsors: Texas Parks and Wildlife/Franklin Mountains State Park, El Paso Community College, El Paso Times, El Paso Electric, Franklin Mountains Wilderness Coalition, El Paso Zoo, United Healthcare, Apache Barricade and Sign, West Valley Fire Department, The Wolf Lady, Northeast Rotary Club, City of El Paso Museums and Cultural Affairs Department, El Paso Museum of Archaeology

Support the 2014 Poppies Fest - Here's How

A view of the Mexican gold poppies on the grounds of the El Paso Museum of Archaeology, courtesy of the El Paso Museum of Archaeology

The Poppies Fest Committee in Collaboration with the

El Paso Museum of Archaeology and MCAD Announces

2014 Franklin Mountains Poppies Fest

on Castner Range March 29, 2014

The eighth annual 2014 Franklin Mountains Poppies Fest on Castner Range will take place on Saturday, March 29, 2014 from 11:00 am to 3:00 pm at the El Paso Museum of Archaeology at 4301 Transmountain Road.

The Poppies Fest Committee welcomes everyone to this free family fun day which features a program of nature walks, educational exhibits and demonstrations by local environmental organizations and wildlife displays include a live socialized wolf from the Wild Spirit Wolf Sanctuary and Houdini the Harris Hawk from the El Paso Zoo. A children’s activity center will offer a variety of arts and crafts led by local community members including Girl Scouts. Local performing groups will provide music and dance. Local vendors will be offering original and hand-made merchandise for sale.  Lunch and snacks can be purchased from food vendors on-site.  Additional details will be announced in future press releases.

Free parking will be off-site with handicapped accessible shuttle bus service provided from 9:30 am to 4:30 pm, funded by the City of El Paso Museums and Cultural Affairs Department.  The location of off-site parking will be announced soon.

The Poppies Fest Committee is seeking donations to support the event and volunteers, to assist please contact Lisa Gutierrez at 915-269-1239 or lisamarie177@juno.com.

The Poppies Fest celebrates the marvelous open space in Northeast El Paso where the 15 acre grounds of the El Paso Museum of Archaeology are surrounded by the 7,000+ acre Castner Range, a former artillery range known for its unique cultural, geologic and biologic features. If the rain and weather cooperate, it is most known for its beautiful and vast display of Mexican Gold Poppies in the spring.

The Poppies Fest is an opportunity to enjoy our beautiful outdoors while learning about what our mountains and desert have to offer. For example, the museum's Chihuahuan Desert Gardens boast examples of more than 200 native plants and Franklin Mountains State Park offers trails for hiking and bicycling, camping, day use, environmental education programs and festivals such as the Chihuahuan Desert Fiesta.

Information: Marilyn Guida, 915-755-4332, guidamr@elpasotexas.go

Our Mission:
The El Paso Museum of Archaeology is dedicated to the interpretation of archaeological and anthropological artifacts through research, exhibits, and education.  We focus on the prehistory and culture of the El Paso-Juárez region and the Southwest.