There are so many great memories a lot of us have from the old Western Playland location.
Western Playland used to be located at Ascarate Park near Delta. That was the OG location for Western Playland back in the day. I remember when the rumors came about the park moving to another location I felt a sort of homesick feeling.
All the years of my life (then) were spent going to Ascarate Park where Western Playland was originally set. When the news about Western Playland moving locations was announced my heart sank.
In my head, I just thought it wasn t going to be the same. I remember one of the many reasons I loved the Ascarate Park location more was because of the trees that provided a lot of shade.
Defunct Rides Western Playland Should Bring Back From the Dead
We all can recall the excitement we had for a particular ride that always had a long line at Western Playland. The best thing about being a part of a group on Facebook that focuses on past old times is great. I have had so many flashbacks to my childhood and teenage years thanks to that group. It sure is nice remembering one of the coolest rides everyone enjoyed at Western Playland when it was at Ascarate. The popular ride I am referring to is the haunted house ride that burned down, The Gold Nugget. The Golden Nugget always had a line from hell which was luckily in the shaded area at Ascarate Park. The Gold Nugget had an abandoned gold mine appearance that had first opened in 1971. The Gold Nugget would only last 23 more years until the fatal afternoon it burned down. It was a Sunday afternoon when a fire burned down the popular haunted house ride The Gold Nugget at Western Playland.
El Paso Ads Make Texas Legends List (Dick Poe, Broccoli Girl)
Texas Monthly did an article back in August about
The Twenty Most Iconic Local TV and Billboard Legends in Texas, Ranked. Even with how big Texas is, El Paso made the list twice. First, coming in at number 17, Dick Poe. Here s what Texas Monthly said:
Mild-mannered El Paso car salesman Dick Poe was an icon of advertising in the Sun City until his death in 2015. His approach? He told viewers his name, and then a staff of affable Dick Poe Dealerships personnel waved back and shouted “Hi Dick!” Viewers ate it up. It’s not a dramatic bit, but the combination of turning the impersonal experience of car shopping into a friendly one and giving El Paso high school students an excuse to shout “Hi, Dick!” to each other in the hallways definitely worked for Poe.