Cinco de Mayo, literally the fifth of May, is a popular holiday that celebrates Mexican heritage and culture. This year’s celebration lands on Sunday.
Beyond being a great reason to eat, drink, and revel, the holiday commemorates the Mexican army’s victory over France at the Battle of Puebla on May 5, 1862, during the French-Mexican War.
“It is not celebrating Independence Day of Mexico — that’s Sept. 16,” said Denise Torrez of the Pueblo social justice nonprofit group El Movimiento Sigue. “The Chicano community embraced it as a day where the Mexican army fought a far superior French army and won. So we’ve embraced that as resilience and fighting through adversity. And that’s what we feel like we continue to do.”
Annual Cinco de Mayo celebration set to return to Bessemer
El Movimiento Sigue, which is dedicated to supporting Chicanx and indigenous people in Pueblo, is holding its 54th annual Cinco de Mayo event in Ray Aguilera (Bessemer) Park on Sunday. The free event will include live entertainment, speakers, vendors, food trucks and a car show, according to the organization.
Event organizers expect a large crowd this weekend.
“Last year, we had Cinco De Mayo on a Friday, and we had, in and out, around 3,000 people,” Torrez said.
The car show is fully booked, with around 35 vehicles set to participate. Categories for the show include lowriders, motorcycles, and lowrider pedal bikes, Torrez said.
Five food trucks will be parked along Orman Avenue to cater to the crowd and the festival will have more vendor stalls than ever before, with 71 vendors in total.
“That includes informational (vendors), education booths, nonprofits, as well as booths selling treats, snacks, knickknacks, whatever people have to sell,” Torrez said.
This year, the organization will offer a cornhole tournament for the first time, which Torres said is a “big deal now in the community.”
Torrez said there will also be live performances, including dancers, speakers, singers, and even a few rappers, from noon to 6 p.m.
During the celebration, El Movimiento Sigue will also be hosting a free food giveaway starting at 11 a.m. by the swimming pool loop. Items given away will include non-perishables as well as some fresh produce, said Torrez.
Other places to celebrate Cinco De Mayo in Pueblo
The First Unitarian Society will host a Cinco de Mayo potluck celebration at 10:30 a.m. on Sunday, May 5, at 110 Calla Ave. The program will highlight facts and myths about Cinco de Mayo. The festivities will include a piñata, face painting, and Mexican decorations, as well as a shared potluck meal. Donations are appreciated. The facility is handicap-accessible.
The Cinco de Mayo Pub Crawl is set to run from 1-5 p.m. Sunday with a tour of the Fuel & Iron Food Hall, The Gold Dust, The Senate, and Walter’s Brewing Company. The event supports Mariposa Center for Safety. Tickets are $25 and include one drink at each location plus free swag. Check-in runs between noon-1 p.m. at 201 S. Union Ave, next to The Sacred Bean.
Meanwhile, Pueblo West will be holding its own event at the Pueblo West Civic Center Park from 1 to 6 p.m. The Pueblo West Parks & Recreation event features the Colorado State University Pueblo Ballet Folklorico, Mariachi Diamante Pueblo, a taco-eating competition, and a beer garden. The cost to attend is $5 for children ages 6 to 12, or $10 for adults. Tickets are on sale at pueblowestmetro.us.
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This article originally appeared on The Pueblo Chieftain: Cinco de Mayo is back! Here’s where you can celebrate in Pueblo