Cinco de Mayo commemorates a battle between Mexico and France on the morning of May 5, 1862 at Puebla, Mexico. Located 100 miles east of Mexico City, the city of Puebla witnessed a victory for the Mexican troops under the command of General Zaragosa. One hundred and fifty years later, Cinco de Mayo is celebrated as a festival of Mexican culture, art and music across the U.S.
1. Cinco de Mayo Festival
Celebrating its 25th anniversary, Denver's Cinco de Mayo festival unites traditional Mexican food, artwork, crafts and music downtown in Civic Center Park. Sample fresh tamales, or simply be serenaded by Mariachi bands strolling around the park. The festival is sponsored by NEWSED (New West Side Economic Development.)
Date: Saturday, May 6 - Sunday, May 7, 2012
Location: Civic Center Park, Denver
Time: 10 a.m. - 8 p.m. both days
Cost: Free admission.
Contact: 303-534-8342
2. Cinco Central 2012
Three businesses on Broadway join together for Cinco Central 2012, a three-day party celebrating Cinco de Mayo. El Diablo, Sketch, and the Courtyard at 1st and Broadway will host live Latin music, outdoor Mexican BBQ and activities for children. Don't miss Lucha Libre wrestling at 7 p.m. on Friday and 1 p.m. on Saturday.
Dates: Thursday, May 3, 2012 - Saturday, May 5, 2012
Location: 101 Broadway
Times: Thursday 6 p.m. - 10 p.m., Friday 6 p.m. - 9 p.m., Saturday 12 noon - 5 p.m.
Cost: Free admission.
3. Drink a Few (but Maybe not Five) Margaritas
Cinco de Mayo without margaritas is like a tequila shot without salt. Savor the city's best margaritas at one of these five (yes, count 'em, five) Mexican restaurants in Denver.
- Rio Grande at 1525 Blake St. pours the city's strongest margaritas.
- El Noa Noa at 722 Santa Fe Dr. features an outdoor patio in the Santa Fe art district, as well as generous pitchers of margaritas.
- Mezcal at 3230 E. Colfax Ave. offers a selection of top-shelf tequilas for the discriminating margarita drinker.
- Blue Bonnet at 475 S. Broadway has a casual air but serious margaritas.
- You can't miss with Benny's margaritas at 301 E. 7th Ave.
4. Visit the Museo de Las Americas
The Museo de Las Americas, founded in 1991 in the Santa Fe art district, exhibits art from across Latin America. Exhibitions range from Aztec artifacts to work from modern artists exploring Latino themes. The museum also features bilingual workshops on such artists as Diego Rivera and Frida Kahlo for schoolchildren.
Date: Open Tuesdays - Sundays (Closed Mondays)
Location: 861 Santa Fe Dr., Denver
Time: Museum hours are 10 a.m. - 5 p.m. on weekdays and 12 p.m. - 5 p.m. on weekends.
Cost: Admission is $5 for adults, and $3 for students and seniors.
Contact: 303-571-4401
5. Cinco de Mayo 5K/15K
The Highlands Ranch Community Association hosts a 5K for runners and walkers on Saturday, May 5, 2012. The 5K starts at the Recreation Center at Southridge, located at 4800 McArthur Ranch Rd. in Highlands Ranch. This year, runners can also participate in a 15K that starts at 8 a.m.
Date: May 5, 2012
Time: 8:30 a.m.
Location: 4800 McArthur Ranch Rd., Highlands Ranch
Cost: Registration is $40 on race day for the 5K, or $45 on race day for the 15K.
Looking for ways to celebrate Cinco de Mayo at home? Check out Cinco de Mayo recipes.
