5 Events To Celebrate Cinco De Mayo In NorCal

Cinco de Mayo, always observed on May 5, falls on a Tuesday this year, so the celebration of Mexican heritage and culture starts this weekend in many cities across Northern California.

The third annual San Jose Cinco de Mayo Cultural Parade and Festival begins with a parade at 10 a.m., followed by a festival from noon to 5 p.m. The festival will feature live performances, traditional dances, lowriders and more.

The parade is scheduled along King Road from Alum Rock Avenue to Story Road. The festival will take place at Emma Prusch Park.

Other observances include:

Cinco de Mayo Celebration

• When: May 2
• Where: B Street, Hayward
• What: La Alianza de Hayward will host its 41st annual Cinco de Mayo celebration featuring Mariachi performances, folklórico dancers, a car show, bicycles and pedal cars, arts and crafts, and food vendors.

Cinco de Mayo Festival

• When: May 3
• Where: 23rd Street, between Rheem and Clinton avenues, Richmond
• What: The 23rd Street Merchant Association's 21st Cinco de Mayo festival will feature live music, folklórico dancers, wrestling, children's activities, and food vendors.

Downtown Cinco de Mayo Festival

• When: This free event will feature a
• Where: Cesar Chavez Plaza, San Jose
• What: This third annual community celebration will feature live music, folklórico dancers, and food vendors.

Cinco de Mayo Festival

• When: May 3
• Where: Sonoma Plaza, Sonoma
• What: La Luz Center will host a family-friendly event featuring Mariachi performances, folklórico dancers, food vendors, and handmade crafts and artworks inspired by Mexican heritage.

Cinco de Mayo marks Mexico's 1862 victory over French forces at the Battle of Puebla, when an outnumbered Mexican army pulled off an unlikely win.

The date is often mistaken for Mexico's Independence Day, which actually falls on Sept. 16 — decades after independence from Spain was secured.

While May 5 is an official holiday in Mexico, celebrations there are generally modest and largely centered in Puebla, where parades and ceremonies commemorate the battle. In contrast, the holiday has grown into a major cultural and commercial event in the United States.

Cinco de Mayo celebrations here date back to Mexican American communities in California in the years following the Battle of Puebla. The holiday spread nationwide during the Chicano Movement of the 1960s and expanded further in the late 20th century, evolving into the widely observed — and often party-focused — occasion seen today.

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