Cinco de Mayo comes to Tlaquepaque Arts & Shopping Village May 7, from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m.

Cinco de Mayo celebrates the Mexican victory over French occupiers on May 5, 1862, in a village called “Pueblo de Los Angeles” (town of the angels), a small town in east-central Mexico. While it is a relatively minor holiday in Mexico, in the United States, Cinco de Mayo has evolved into a commemoration of Mexican culture and heritage, particularly in areas with large Mexican/American populations, like Arizona.

This year’s Cinco de Mayo celebration in Tlaquepaque promises to be one of the best ever. Indeed, Tlaquepaque means the “best of everything.”

The day will be filled with vibrant expressions of Mexican culture featuring Folklorico dancers in dazzling costumes, phenomenal Flamenco dancing from South of the Border; hot Latin vibes, and the ever-popular roaming Mariachis.

The pageantry of the celebration is un-matched, and music will rule the day from one end of Tlaquepaque to the other.

Activities include free face painting from 11 a.m. to noon; Crafting with Aimee from 1 to 4 p.m.; and Breaking the Piñata at 1 p.m., 2 p.m. and 3 p.m., in the Patio de las Campañas

The entertainment begins at 11 a.m. and continues until 5 p.m.

The Ballet Folkorico de Colores dancers perform at 11 a.m., 1 p.m. and 3 p.m. at Tlaquepaque North.

Gaetano and Flamenco Dancers perform at 11 a.m. and 1:30 p.m. at Tlaquepaque South’s Patio del Norte. From 2:30 to 5 p.m. Ritmo Latino performs at the Patio del Norte as well.

Sedona’s own Eric Miller and Patrick Ki perform from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. in the Patio de las Campañas.

Don Julio and Dos Guitarras perform from 11 a.m. to noon in the Patio de las Campañas.

The Mariachi Familia Rojas perform from 11 a.m. to noon in the Patio de las Rosas.

Tlaquepaque’s five full-service restaurants will also be open. There will be a taco cart from El Rincon. Fresh salsa and chips will be available at the Eloté booth, courtesy of Los Muertos Salsa.

Wendy Lippman, resident partner and general manager of Tlaquepaque is excited for this year’s celebration.

“We love to celebrate Cinco de Mayo at Tlaquepaque,” she said. “It’s a great way to learn about the culture and colorful pastimes of Old Mexico through the arts and have a lot of fun doing so. We look forward to it every year.”

Cinco de Mayo is a free community event. Folks can come and enjoy at their leisure.  Practice patience with traffic.  Be respectful to parking attendants assisting with parking and use the trolley that will be picking up folks at the Sedona Municipal Parking lot located at the corner of Jordan and Schnebly. 

Please follow the shuttle signs if coming from the Village of Oak Creek.  

Information provided by Tlaquepaque.