Summer Fun on the Cheap

A temporary cash flow problem in the family budget became evident around mid-May.  A second problem was based on the first- How could we enjoy ourselves in El Paso this summer on a limited budget?  We began hunting for any activities with the word “free” attached to them, 

 “Alfresco! Fridays” in downtown El Paso fit the parameters we had set.  We dressed for the heat because the program started at 5:30 p.m., about three hours before sundown.  I stashed two bottles of water in my purse.  No reason to pay those concession stand prices!  The parking in downtown El Paso was limited, but an underground parking garage advertised space for $4.00.  Certainly not!  We parked several blocks away on a back street and debated whether or not to put 50 cents in the parking meter, since there was no charge after 6:00 p.m.  Surely no meter maids would be out in this heat!  A large sign at the entrance to the outdoor venue announced that outside food or drinks were not allowed.  The portly female security guard surveying the crowd looked ready to confront any perpetrators.

We positioned ourselves in the front row to watch the dancers.  At about 6:30 p.m., when the band took a break, we were longing for a cold drink but didn’t feel brave enough to take out the contraband water in my

Alfresco! Friday Dancers by Wayne Calk

purse.  “Do you want me to get us something at the concession stand?” I offered reluctantly.  “No, but if you have seen enough, why don’t we leave?”  suggested my husband, Wayne.  After all, the evening’s entertainment had been free, so we felt no obligation to get our money’s worth!


The next opportunity for fun with minimal cost was on Sunday night, “Music Under the Stars,” at the Chamizal National Memorial Park.  We located foldout lawn chairs and packed drinks, sandwiches and fruit in an ice chest.   A sign at the entrance announced “Parking Lot Full.”  It was a crowd of 10,000 spectators, we later learned, the largest on record for an opening night.  We made our own parking space in the dusty parking lot and hurried with our heavy ice chest and chairs to find a spot in front of the stage.  The spot we settled for was a small space on the side, with only the left side of the stage obscured by giant speakers.

Music Under the Stars by Wayne Calk

The salsa music was great, but our snacks ran out even before the break.  The spectators who were eating corn on the cob, ingeniously fitted with a paper cone at the bottom to catch the dripping butter and powered red chile, caught our attention.  We resisted, however, not wanting to waste money at the food stands.  We arrived home fairly late and made a midnight snack.  Next time, I'm going to prepare this Mango Guacamole before we go out so that it can chill in the fridge while we are gone. 

Mash three medium avocados. Add one-fourth cup diced red onion, one diced mango, one tablespoon fresh lime juice, one-half tablespoon salt, and one minced clove garlic. I didn’t have the three tablespoons of fresh chopped cilantro that the recipe calls for, so I added three tablespoons of cilantro paste that I found in the refrigerator. Chill for one hour and serve.

The recipe calls for serving the dish with tortilla chips, but since my husband and I are on a health/diet kick, I heated some corn tortillas in a tortilla warmer for two minutes in the microwave instead. My husband pronounced the dish as tasty, but he wanted more flavor, so we added red chile powder until the dish had a slight kick.  Mangoes and avocados are inexpensive in the summer, so this is a great treat for those of us on a limited budget.