The annual Cinco de Mayo, An American Tradition, celebration will fill Columbia State Historic Park’s streets with dancing, music and art on Saturday and Sunday, May 3 and 4.
The event is a celebration of the victory that contributed to preserving democracy and freedom in Mexico and the United States. In 1862, when civil wars were ravaging Mexico and the U.S., the victory of the Battle of Puebla over Napoleon III brought a spontaneous celebration in Columbia, California, giving birth to the first documented celebration of Cinco de Mayo.
The event will take place from 10:30 a.m. to 10 p.m. Saturday, May 3, and from 10:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. Sunday, May 4. Admission is free.
The family friendly weekend will offer vendors, activities for children and adults, and performances by Los Arribeños a California Fandango project, Raices del Mundo Folklorico ballet, Mariachi Luz de Luna and Salsa Dance throughout the weekend, and the Mario Flores Latin Jazz Band and Rod Harris will perform for a street dance Saturday night.
The Columbia Museum will host an exhibit telling the history of Cinco de Mayo.
The event is organized by ConAmor Building Bridges (https://b-conamor.org/), a nonprofit organization, and is funded in part by the Heartland Grant and the Arts in California Parks Program (artsincaliforniaparks.org/), and supported by Chicken Ranch Rancheria Me-Wuk Indians, Visit Tuolumne, Tuolumne County Historical Society, Tuolumne County Arts, and Friends of Columbia State Historic Park.
For more information, email cincodemayocolumbia@gmail.com.