While it may be Dos de Mayo, celebrations for Cinco de Mayo have already gotten underway.
Denver’s annual celebration of Cinco de Mayo kicked off on Saturday with a parade through downtown and a festival in Civic Center. Lively music, colorful dresses, horses and lowriders were prominently on display to celebrate Mexican heritage and culture.
The parade started at 13th and Welton, and marchers, many of whom were young kids dressed in colorful traditional Mexican attire, took a route through downtown before ending at 13th and Lincoln. Spectators lined the sidewalks, with most concentrated near the Colorado State Capitol.
At the festival, attendees could shop around for traditional Mexican clothing, enjoy street tacos and agua frescas and listen to live Mexican music and see traditional Mexican dances. A chihuahua race was also held, pitting the fastest of the little dogs against one another.
Daisy Carrillo came and watched the parade with her family. Her 6-year-old daughter was a part of the parade, marching with Adelitas de Colorado. Carrillo said she loves celebrating the “beautiful tradition” of Cinco de Mayo, including the music and clothing.
George Galan watched the parade in front of the Capitol with his partner Marim Arnold. Galan said he wanted to enjoy the beautiful weather while supporting the Hispanic community of Denver. He tries to come to the parade and festival every year, as well as other cultural celebrations and parades in Denver such as the St. Patrick’s Day parade.
“Denver does a great job on all the parades,” Galan said. For Denver’s Cinco de Mayo parade, Galan said he enjoys seeing all the kids dressed up and celebrating Mexican heritage, and he especially enjoys the food.
“It’s something for the Hispanic community to celebrate,” he said.
The festival continues Sunday. Entry is free. Attendees can watch a taco eating contest, see lowrider cars or listen to live music. The festival opens at 11 a.m.
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