6 Events To Celebrate Cinco De Mayo In GA

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, including in Georgia.

Latin-American tapas restaurant AltaToro will host a three-day Cinco de Mayo celebration, starting at noon Sunday. A day party will end at 8 p.m. and continue Monday and Tuesday at the Midtown eatery.

Other observances include:

• Atlanta Cinco de Mayo Latin Dance Party, 8 p.m. Tuesday, Brimstone Restaurant and Tavern, 10595 Old Alabama Road Connector, Alpharetta
• Afro de Mayo at Ike's Cafe and Grill, 10 a.m. Tuesday, 1250 Tech Drive, Norcross
• Cinco de Mayo, 11 a.m., Tuesday, Chicheria Mexican Kitchen, 202 Chattahoochee Row NW, Atlanta
• Cinco in the Sky, noon Tuesday, Aerial Kitchen and Bar, 1117 W. Peachtree St. NE, Atlanta
• Cinco de Mayo Rooftop Fiesta at St. Julep, 6 p.m., Tuesday, St. Julep, 374 E. Paces Ferry Road NE, Atlanta

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.

Are you planning an event this spring? Feature it, so nearby readers see it all across Patch — including in roundups like this!