A handful of local events are planned for today and the weekend
to celebrate Cinco de Mayo.
The Gavilan College Associated Student Body will present a day
of festivities at the college’s student center in Gilroy, starting
at 10am with a deejay playing Mexican music.
A handful of local events are planned for today and the weekend to celebrate Cinco de Mayo.
The Gavilan College Associated Student Body will present a day of festivities at the college’s student center in Gilroy, starting at 10am with a deejay playing Mexican music.
Solecito Mexicano, a dance troupe of 6- to 12-year-olds, will perform Mexican folklórico, or traditional, dance from 10:30am to 11am, followed by a performance by local band Desesperado until noon.
Barbecue chicken, beans, rice and tortillas will be served throughout the day until 1pm. Lunch is $6 per person or $4 with ASB card. The entertainment is free and open to the public. On-campus parking is 75 cents.
The Gilroy Healthcare and Rehabilitation Center will holds its second annual Cinco de Mayo celebration today at the center, 8170 Murray Ave. The day will begin with activities for the center’s residents, staff and children.
The public is invited to attend escolota – or parade of colors – at 2pm, followed by mariachi entertainment and jarabe tapatio – or a Mexican hat dance – at 2:30pm.
The afternoon also will include children’s dancing and a performance of baile de la negra y baile de los machetes at 3:15pm. An art show will take place in the center’s lobby from 9am to 5pm featuring various works and genres, including folklore, landscapes and dramatic and political pieces.
Local Hispanics who have achieved their dreams will be honored at the Mexican-American Committee on Education’s 35th Annual Scholarship Banquet Saturday evening in Hollister.
The sold-out event also is intended to show appreciation for the community’s support for the committee, said Mickie Luna, founder of the San Benito County chapter of the League of United Latin American Citizens.
The Gilroy Senior Center will hold Fiesta Tardiada, a Mother’s Day dance Saturday at the center, 7371 Hanna St. The event, sponsored by the Las Rositas Club, will include a dinner and raffle from 5pm to 6pm followed by dancing and live music by Johnny Diaz. Admission is $15. For tickets call (408) 842-2969 or (408) 842-3295.
The Gilroy Hispanic Chamber of Commerce and the Gilroy Downtown Association have held a Cinco de Mayo downtown celebration for the past two years, but this year the chamber focused its efforts on the 18th annual Ambassador’s Ball Scholarship Pageant, said chamber president Raul Vega.
The pageant will take place Friday at 7pm at the Gilroy Elks Lodge at 2765 Hecker Pass Highway. Local Hispanic high school and college students will showcase their talents to vie for scholarships to two-year colleges or, for two-year college transfer students, to four-year universities. The event also will include ethnic customs, food, music and dancing.
The pageant took precedence this year because of the work required to pull off the downtown Cinco de Mayo event, Vega said. Also, a number of other events are slated for the weekend that might compete for attendance, such as the Gilroy Garlic Festival Association’s 2005 Miss Gilroy Garlic Festival Queen pageant at 7pm Saturday at the Gavilan College Theater.
“There’s a lot of work and planning involved in (holding the Cinco de Mayo celebration), and we need to dedicate a lot of time to it,” he said. “But a lot of people – especially in this area – take pride in Cinco de Mayo, and they’ll find a way to celebrate. I know a lot of families that have small gatherings or parties.”
Cinco de Mayo, a separate holiday from Mexican Independence Day, which is Sept. 16, marks the victory of the 4,000-soldier Mexican army over the 8,000-soldier French army at the Battle of Puebla in 1862. Although the Mexican army eventually was defeated, the battle evolved into a symbol of cultural unity and patriotism, Luna said.
“It was a huge success for Mexico and for the country’s people and communities,” she said. “It was something that went down in the history of Mexico. We can compare that battle to the battles we have every day in life. … We know the reward is there.”
