Note: This article was published in May of 2016 and has been updated since then.
Cinco de Mayo is an annual celebration, held on its namesake day or thereabouts, that commemorates the Mexican Army's victory over French forces at the Battle of Puebla on May 5, 1862.
Diez y Seis (September 16), celebrating Mexico’s independence from Spain, is a much bigger holiday in Mexico, but in the United States, Cinco is the more prominent of the two. Here, Cinco de Mayo has come to be a celebration of Mexican-American culture, with the military commemoration only a small part of events that include music, dancing, food, drink, car shows, movies, picnics, and more—all to shine a light on the significant influences of Mexico and its cultures.
Cinco de Mayo falls on Sunday this year, so celebrations will be all weekend long. We’ve rounded up a few of them below. Eater Austin, our sister site, has the lowdown on food-and-drink-related events (which are many). Feliz Cinco de Mayo!
Read More