Why the El Paso Star on the Mountain Won’t Be Lit Up This Week

El Paso's Star on the Mountain. When you see it, you know you are home.

It’s been a daily part of our evening skyline since April 1993. But if you've looked towards the Franklins at night these last few days, you may have noticed the iconic symbol has gone dark.

And according to the El Paso Chamber, it’s going to remain dark all this week. Here’s why.

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The landmark, which is sometimes lit blue or red or a different color in observance of a special occasion or in honor of a community group, has gone dark before.

In March of 2021, wind gusts that reached up to 60 miles per hour left the light fixture so mangled it was down for about a week. Other times, vandals damage the light bulbs that make up the star design that it must go unlit for days while repairs are made and replacements installed.

The reason it will remain turned off this week is much less dramatic.

“The star will be undergoing maintenance as part of our efforts to make sure it shines bright, always celebrating El Paso,” the El Paso Chamber noted in a social media post. The chamber is in charge of maintenance and upkeep of the star.

Per the post, the star will remain dark through Friday, September 30. “We want to reassure the community that the star will return even brighter on October 1st,” the post caption added.