El Paso has world records from pecan pies to the YMCA dance
El Paso has world records spanning everything from a 41,586-pound pecan pie baked at a minor league baseball game to the largest synchronized YMCA dance, when 40,148 people danced at the Sun Bowl on New Year's Eve 2008 while the Village People performed live. The Texas border city holds multiple Guinness-certified feats that showcase its community spirit.
Key Takeaways
- On May 22, 1999, the El Paso Diablos Baseball Club baked a pecan pie weighing more than 41,586 pounds at Cohen Stadium.
- On December 31, 2008, 40,148 participants set the largest YMCA dance record at the Sun Bowl during a live Village People performance.
- El Paso also holds records for consecutive handsprings, marathon bowling, a young music producer, and a massive Pepsi display.
- New York City tried to break the YMCA record on New Year's Eve 2019 but failed.
Why does El Paso have so many world records?
El Paso is known for the Franklin Mountains, its food, and a border culture that sets the Sun City apart. According to 93.1 KISS FM, the city also sits on a quiet collection of Guinness World Records built through large-scale public events rather than solo stunts.
From Cohen Stadium to the Sun Bowl and local businesses, organizers have repeatedly turned ordinary gatherings into record-breaking spectacles. That pattern helps explain why El Paso keeps appearing in the official record books decades after each attempt.
How big was El Paso's record-breaking pecan pie?
On May 22, 1999, the El Paso Diablos Baseball Club baked a pecan pie weighing 18.863 tonnes, or more than 41,586 pounds, at Cohen Stadium. The pie measured 50 feet in diameter, making it larger than many homes.
The filling alone required 13,350 pounds of sugar, 6,700 pounds of eggs, and 9,700 pounds of corn syrup. KISS FM describes it as one of the most delightfully absurd moments ever staged at a minor league baseball game, and nobody has matched it since.
How did El Paso set the largest YMCA dance record?
On December 31, 2008, the Sun Bowl Association organized 40,148 participants to dance the YMCA simultaneously for 5 minutes and 34 seconds. The Village People sang the song live at the Sun Bowl.
The previous record stood at 13,588 dancers at a Salt Lake Stingers minor league baseball game in Nebraska. El Paso nearly tripled that total. Guinness certification took months and required hundreds of photos of every stadium section plus footage from 12 cameras.
New York City attempted to break the record on New Year's Eve 2019 but did not succeed. The official entry remains with El Paso, as confirmed by Guinness World Records.
What other Guinness records has El Paso claimed?
Beyond food and dance, El Paso residents and businesses have logged additional certified feats. In September 2013, Jalyssa Walker broke the record for the most consecutive handsprings by a female with 53 in a row at the Sun Bowl.
Robert Hendricks and Hector Navedo bowled for 24 hours at Fiesta Lanes in January 2014, knocking down 30,537 pins. Local musician Brandon Bailey Johnson was 12 years and 363 days old when his debut album My Journey released in February 2015 through Reddoak Records.
In 2014, Lowe's Market in El Paso arranged 72,000 12-packs of various Pepsi products into a display large enough to qualify for a world record. For more offbeat achievements from around the globe, browse our Bizarre World coverage.