El Paso Days are back over the weekend for a 39th year, with a packed slate of events ready to make for another fun weekend. This year the El Paso Bar and Grill is being recognized for 30 years under Phil and Kim Huggett’s ownership. Each year the El Paso Community Club selects a group or individual to honor.

The two graduated from River Falls High School in 1979. Phil worked for the previous owner, his good friend Rich Anderson, starting in 1992. Anderson died in 1996, which led Phil to begin running the bar. Now, 30 years later, the two reflected on their three decades of running the bar.

“Met a lot of people that have become good friends, kind of like family,” Kim said. “It’s a close-knit community.”

Kim said if something happens to someone in the community, they are always there to help and if something happens to them, they know someone will be there to help them back.

“We put in a lot of hours, seven days a week, 16 hours a day. It’s been a lot of work, but it is rewarding,” Phil said. “If I didn’t enjoy it, I wouldn’t do it… You always meet new people. Our weekend breakfasts are really big. We get a lot of people from outside the area that come here just for the breakfast. It’s nice to see and meet new people.”

There is a comment book in the bar where they enjoy seeing kind words left by people visiting the bar for the first time. The bar has grown a lot over the 30 years, and each of Phil and Kim’s four children wound up working at the bar at some point.

El Paso Days is one of the best weekends of the year for the two. They host morning breakfasts on Saturday and Sunday and cook chicken outside the bar. From the El Paso residents to the out-of-towners, they enjoy talking to everyone.

“El Paso Days is always fun,” Phil said.

“People come from all over. St. Paul, Minneapolis, they come from all over,” Kim said.

El Paso Days is Friday through Sunday, including a pony pull and the Joe Janisch Memorial Euchre Tournament on Friday. The tournament is at the El Paso Bar and Grill and costs $10 per person. Saturday has a full slate of events, with some of the highlights being the Millie Christopherson/Ivo Schlegel Memorial Breakfast from 7:30-11 a.m. at the El Paso Bar and Grill, the car show from 9 a.m.-2p.m., a horse and tractor pull, a horseshoe tournament, a bean bag tournament and late-night karaoke at the bar from 7-11 p.m. The karaoke attendees with the best 70’s outfits and the top singer will be awarded $50 gift cards. Sunday’s festivities include the grand parade at 2 p.m. and music by Blue Moon Drive at 3:30 p.m. The full schedule and information about each event is available at elpasocommunityclub.com.

The bar will also be hosting its 30th anniversary party Sept. 19, where all are welcome to an event that will feature food, a band and karaoke.