Regarded as the largest gathering of people on the downtown plaza, the Cinco de Mayo celebration is 2018 is said to have brought close to 10,000 people to the Sulphur Springs downtown district. Now, this year’s celebration is being planned for Saturday May 4, 2019 . The festival will begin at 1pm and conclude before midnight. According to Oscar Aguilar, one of the organizers, there will be music and entertainment acts, all kinds of hand-prepared Mexican and Latin American foods for sale, games of skill and chance, and fun attractions for all ages. More than a dozen different acts including Norteno bands, dancers, singing groups, soloists and instrumentalists will be part of the 10-hour lineup of talent. Local band Jacoby Smith and Moonlight Twang will add country music to the lineup.
According to Oscar in a Good Morning Show interview, the festival will celebrate the colorful heritage of the people of Mexico. The traditional celebration date of May 5 is based on history when, in 1862, a small Mexican army defended themselves against a superior power by defeating Napoleon III’s French army which was threatening to invade the Puebla district of Mexico. Although the French powers did intrude later, the Mexican people celebrate Cinco de Mayo annually as they remember the bravery of the villagers and townspeople who fought the battle to preserve their land and heritage.
