Entertainment around every corner in El Paso

NOTE:  The following is an article published locally in El Paso that details some entertainment options during the USBC Women's Championships.

By The El Paso Convention and Visitors Bureau

El Pasoans don't need to be reminded of the wonderful pleasures of living in our city: gorgeous sunsets, friendly people, and outrageously good food. This year, not only do we get to enjoy the treasures in our own backyard, we also have the awesome opportunity to show off our trademark hospitality to the rest of the world.  With almost 40,000 visitors from all over the world coming through our downtown convention center during the 2010 United States Bowling Congress Women's Championships, there is no better time to show our guests the hospitality we are known for, and also to enjoy some of the great events and entertainment going on around town during their stay.

One of the most exciting events taking place during this time is Alfresco! Fridays. Entering its eighth season, these immensely popular concerts have been bringing El Pasoans and visitors downtown to Arts Festival Plaza to enjoy fresh-air performances in an electrifying atmosphere. Previous acts have ranged from Big Band, Jazz, and Reggae, to Classic Rock, Ska, Blues and other varieties of music. Usually beginning in June, this year Alfresco! Fridays begins in April and runs all the way through September. Come downtown every Friday from 5:30 to 6:30 and start the weekend off the right way! Whether it's to grab a bite to eat before the show or to unwind with your crew after too much dancing, Oasis Plaza Lounge is the perfect venue. The lounge is conveniently located between Arts Festival Plaza and the Plaza Theatre, and is open late during the tournament. Support local artists and artisans and bring a little bit of color into your life.

It isn't only the end of the week you have to look forward to during the tournament. The Convention Center plaza will be hosting free live entertainment for the first time on Mondays, Wednesdays and Thursdays, April through July, from 5:30 p.m. to 6:30 p.m. under the new sunshade, part of a $7 million dollar renovation project to the El Paso Convention Center.  Viva El Paso! dancers will be performing on Mondays, with Wednesday and Thursday acts yet to be announced.  Don't forget to stop inside the convention center itself to cheer on the bowlers! The bowlers will be burning up 48 bowling lanes almost twenty hours a day in mid-April, and free arena seating means you have a chance to be in the thick of the action. With events being taped in the convention center for ESPN, you may even get a chance to be on TV.

For those willing to venture a little further, Jazz on the Rocks is a wonderful way to spend an evening outdoors. Enjoy an evening under the stars in McKelligon Canyon, an open-air amphitheatre cradled in the Franklin Mountains.  This concert series brings some of the best local and regional jazz ensembles to El Paso. Show times are 8:00 p.m. the second Thursday of every month, May through August.

Whatever you choose to do, make sure to take advantage of the wonderful array of activities planned for this year. Bring old friends and make some new ones - you are guaranteed not to strike out on fun!