El Paso rock band The Roulettes are turning their homegrown Halloween tradition into a major lineup, bringing industrial rock veterans Filter and former Saliva frontman Josey Scott to San Jacinto Plaza on October 17 for Fright Fest 2026. Tickets are sold for the downtown gathering, with children 12 and under able to trick-or-treat for free. The event will also include The Painted Velvets, trick-or-treating for kids 12 and under, a costume contest, vendors, and food and drinks.
The announcement comes as The Roulettes mark their 10th anniversary as a band. As reported by KLAQ, the group started the Fright Fest tradition in 2025, and this year's edition will bring national acts to the event as hosts. The band is an El Paso rock band, with its 2024 release associated with label Rock Solid Talent Entertainment, according to PRLog.
From Album Release Party to Regional Festival
Fright Fest didn't start as a full-blown festival. Per the El Paso Downtown Management District, the event debuted in October 2025 as a downtown block party at San Jacinto Plaza, organized primarily to celebrate the release of The Roulettes' debut original album. That first gathering was an all-ages affair with local art and vendors, a modest scale compared to what organizers have planned this year.
The band's momentum since then has been hard to ignore. The station's report notes that The Roulettes' single Take (A Little More) climbed to No. 47 on Billboard/Luminate's Top 50 Rock Songs chart in May, after initially entering the charts at No. 121. That track appeared on the band's self-titled debut album, released in October 2025 and recorded at Sonic Ranch in Tornillo, Texas, one of the largest residential recording complexes in the world.
Filter and Josey Scott Bring Decades of Rock History
Filter will headline the main stage on October 17, marking the band's return to El Paso after previous appearances in the city, including shows at Club 101 in 2010, Speaking Rock in 2011, and Ascarate Park in 2017, per the same account from KLAQ.
Josey Scott, identified as Saliva's former lead singer, is also set to perform. Scott previously appeared in El Paso with Saliva at Downtown StreetFest events in both 2010 and 2012.
A Plaza With Its Own Ghost Story
The setting carries its own local lore fitting for a Halloween event. San Jacinto Plaza was once known as La Plaza de los Lagartos, or the Plaza of the Alligators, because live alligators inhabited its central pond from 1883 until they were relocated to the El Paso Zoo in 1965, according to the El Paso Zoo.
Today the plaza's center holds a fiberglass sculpture created by acclaimed local artist Luis Jiménez to honor those historic alligators, according to Visit El Paso.
Not to Be Confused With Six Flags
El Paso's Fright Fest features local musicians and family activities, along with a hometown milestone for The Roulettes. Tickets and additional details for the October 17 event are available on the official Fright Fest 2026 website, per KLAQ.
