El Paso Border Folk Festival, Chihuahuas and car show to mark Cinco de Mayo 2024
Cinco de Mayo, the holiday that celebrates Mexico's defeat over the French, falls on a Sunday.
This means it will be even more of a reason for celebrating, with some events starting on Friday, May 3.
Not all know a lot about Cinco de Mayo. In fact, it is sometimes confused as being Mexico's Independence Day. But that day is actually the 16 de septiembre. El Día de la Independencia, on Sept. 16, 1810, was when the country broke free of Spanish rule.
Not that we got that straight, here are cinco ways to celebrate Cinco de Mayo and more information.
What is Cinco de Mayo?
Cinco de Mayo marks Mexico's unexpected victory against invading French troops in 1862. French Emperor Napoleon III wanted to claim Mexico for himself.
The French sent troops to force Mexico's President Benito Juárez and the government out of Veracruz. On May 5, 1862, in a small town in east-central Mexico called Puebla, 2,000 Mexican soldiers faced 6,000 French troops at daybreak. Incredibly, Mexico claimed victory by the evening, and Juárez declared May 5 a national holiday.
The battle also played a role in the American Civil War. With the French defeated and leaving North America, the Confederacy could not use them as an ally to win the war.
El Paso Border Folk Festival
The El Paso Border Folk Festival will celebrate Cinco de Mayo from 4 to 9 p.m. Saturday, May 4, and 2 to 6 p.m. Sunday, May 5, at the amphitheater at the Fountains at Farah, which is in front of Haagen Daz.
The event will include performances by various mariachis, ballet folkloricos, and vendors.
Dusty Tap celebrates 2 year anniversary
The Dusty Tap, 10297 Socorro Road, will celebrate its second anniversary during the Cinco de Mayo weekend. Performers will include Ms Fee Friday, 8 p.m. Friday, May 3, Los Profes 915, 8 p.m. Saturday, May 4, and Midnight Mist Band at 4 p.m. on Sunday, May 5. The celebration will include specials and raffles.
Celebrate Cinco de Mayo at El Paso Chihuahuas
The El Paso Chihuahuas will celebrate Cinco de Mayo at the game, starting at 12:05 p.m. Sunday, May 5, at Southwest University Park. The team will take on the Space Cowboys. There will be Margaritas and $5 kids meals and kids will be able to run the bases after the game. Tickets start at $18 on up.
More: Quesadilla burger, corn in a cup, and Desert Oak flautas are new items at El Paso Chihuahuas
Kaleidoscope Art Market takes over coliseum
The Kaleidoscope Art Market will celebrate a Star Wars Cinco de Mayo fiesta from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Sunday, May 5 at the El Paso County Coliseum, 4100 Paisano Drive. Enjoy a variety of local vendors, food trucks, live music, a cosplay contest Estar Guars Loteria.
Cinco de Mayo Car show and Concert
Full Moon Entertainment will feature more than 300 cars, vendors and live music from 7 to midnight Sunday, May 5 at Fox Plaza Mercado outdoor market, 5559 Alameda Ave. Featured entertainment will include El Paso rapper Krystal Poppin, Kash Go Krazy from Chicago and 2 Sexy Ashley from El Paso.
General admission tickets are $20, available at eventbrite.com.
More: National Pool Opening Day is Saturday: Find out when El Paso area water parks open
María Cortés González may be reached at 915-546-6150; mcortes@elpasotimes.com, @EPTMaria on Twitter; eptmariacg on TikTok.USAToday contributed to this article.
This article originally appeared on El Paso Times: What is cinco de mayo; how to celebrate in El Paso
