6 Events To Celebrate Cinco De Mayo Near Brick

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 towns, including some in the Brick area.

Downtown Toms River will hold its Cinco De Mayo Festival from noon to 6 p.m. with vendors, handcrafted items, food and more. Click here for details.

In Highlands, the Fiesta De Mayo cantina crawl meets at Huddy Park at 329 Bay Ave., Highlands, with check-in starting at 11 a.m. The event includes a margarita contest among the participating restaurants, live mariachi music, and more. Tickets that entitle participants to free samplings and food and drink specials can be purchased at the event or ahead of time. Learn more here.

Other observances include:

Sunday, May 3: Cinco De Mayo Celebration at Count Basie with the Calpulli Community of Red Bank, at The Vogel on the Basie Center Campus at 99 Monmouth St., Red Bank. The doors open at 4:30 p.m. and the show begins at 5 p.m. Celebrate the vibrant spirit, history, and cultural pride of Cinco de Mayo, and the 10th anniversary of the Calpulli Community of Red Bank, with a performance filled with color, rhythm, and joy. This program honors the resilience and rich traditions of Mexican heritage through music, dance, and storytelling.

Tuesday, May 5: Escondido Mexican Cuisine & Tequila Bar at 402 W. Main St. in Freehold will be celebrating much of the day, from 11:30 a.m. to 11 p.m. There will be a live broadcast by 107.1 The Boss, a DJ, games, giveaways and more.

Tuesday, May 5: Mi Lupitas Kitchen at 193 Shrewsbury Ave., Red Bank will have live music beginning at 6 p.m.

Saturday, May 9: G&G Stables at 49 Driftway Road in Howell is hosting Cinco De Mayo at the Farm, from 1 p.m.-8 p.m. with a live band and a dance floor. Feed animals, go on hayrides and barrel rides and there will be games and more. Tickets are $15 per person, children under age 2 get in free. Tickets can be purchased at the gate or online; those purchased online by May 5 get free animal feed. There will be food and drinks available for purchase, horse and pony rides and animal feed for purchase. More details are on the farm's website or you can purchase tickets online here.

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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