Celebrate Cinco de Mayo in Downtown

Downtown Long Beach will be en fuego with the annual arrival of Cinco de Mayo on Monday, May 5.  Many of the area’s restaurants will celebrate with special food and drink menus, and staged and strolling mariachi bands sponsored by the Downtown Long Beach Associates will be performing your favorite boleros and canciones.

To mark the event, which celebrates the Battle of Puebla in Mexico in 1862, Mariachi Elegancia will perform in full silver-studded charro regalia along the waterfront at the Nautical Shell at the foot of Pine Avenue from noon – 2 pm and again from 5 – 7 pm.  A strolling trio of musicians, also dressed in traditional charro garb, will wander along Pine Avenue making stops in front of Smooth’s Sports Grille and Rock Bottom Brewery, also during the lunch and dinner hours. 

To add to the celebration, visitors to Downtown Long Beach can dine at an array of restaurants specializing in Mexican fare, including Taco Beach on Pine Avenue, Chips and Salsa on Broadway, SuperMex on East First Street, Sharky’s at The Pike at Rainbow Harbor, and Tequila Jack’s at Shoreline Village.  For additional delicious options, check out Carnitas Michoacan on Broadway, Margarita Grille on Atlantic Avenue, and the holiday’s namesake, Cinco de Mayo on Pacific Avenue.

But Cinco de Mayo isn’t just about the comida—kicking of the celebration early is the Vault 350, Downtown Long Beach’s premier concert and entertainment venue, which will host a Power 106 Cinco de Mayo Celebration with Colby O’Donis on  Saturday, May 3. Please visit www.vault350.com for more information.

For Cinco de Mayo fun for the whole family, be sure to stop by Downtown’s parks. On Wednesday, April 30, 6-8 p.m., enjoy Aztec and Ballet Folkorico dance performances and the Trio Del Alma music group at Drake Park (951 Maine Avenue). The following day, May 1, experience the great spring weather in Southern California with a performance of traditional Mariachi music at Caesar Chavez Park (401 Golden Avenue) from 5 – 7 p.m.

For additional fun, take the whole family to the Aquarium of the Pacific. Join the fiesta at the sixth annual Cinco de Mayo Celebration. Families can experience a special day of traditional music, dance, and ethnic food honoring the rich culture of our Mexican communities. Enjoy live entertainment, including folkloric and Mexican regional dance troupes, underwater presentations in Spanish by the Aquarium's divers, mariachi and other traditional and modern Mexican music.

Feliz Fiesta!