Cinco de Mayo celebration set for May 6 in Alamosa. ¡Viva México!
ALAMOSA– The Sangre de Cristo National Heritage Area (SdCNHA), San Luis Valley Brewing Company, City of Alamosa and Alamosa Marketing District present a free community Cinco de Mayo block party to celebrate local culture, heritage, and traditions through music, dance, food, drinks, and great conversation.
On Friday, May 6th, the block of San Juan Ave between 4th and Main Street, located next to the San Luis Valley Brewing Company in downtown Alamosa, will be blocked off for a community celebration of Sangre de Cristo National Heritage Area’s Annual Cinco de Mayo Block Party from 5pm-11:00pm.
Also partnering at this event, the Zoila Gomez Si Se Puede (ZGSSP) Scholarship, community member Zoila Gomez and the ZGSSP Scholarship Committee will be taking the stage throughout the event to discuss the purpose and fundraising efforts of their scholarship which address the important and unmet need of educational equity in our community. A handful of community members from different organizations, including The Colorado Trust, Boys and Girls Club, Adams State University, Immigrant Resource Center, Colorado Housing and Finance Authority (CHFA) and active community member Zoila Gomez created the Zoila Gomez Si Se Puede Scholarship for local undocumented and Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) students in our community, the San Luis Valley. After receiving several donations, including one for $25,000 from CHFA, the ZGSSP Scholarship Committee was able to provide a total of $8,000 to 4 deserving students ($2,000 each) to help them pursue their higher education goals for the 2021-22 academic year. The ZGSSP Scholarship was created to support undocumented students pursuing higher education, as they do not qualify for federal financial aid. Education is paramount to breaking the cycle of generational poverty for students and their families. To continue their amazing efforts providing
educational opportunities for students, the committee will have two booths where attendees can learn more and/or donate to this wonderful scholarship!
SdCNHA will open the event with a welcome at 5:00pm, Zoila Gomez Si Se Puede Scholarship from 5:15pm to 5:30pm, Los Vecinos Bailadores, will be performing several traditional Spanish dances from 5:30pm to 6:30pm. The Maestas Commemoration Committee will follow from 6:30 pm to 7:00pm to speak about the progress of their project (the nation’s earliest victory in the war against Hispano/Mestizo educational segregation took place in Alamosa, CO), First Southwest Bank Fortaleza Fund 7:00pm to 7:15pm. Then from 8:00pm-11:00pm, returning from Taos, NM, Lluvia Negra is excited to fill the street with the sound of Spanish Rock, and local favorites which will surely keep the crowd dancing through the night.
Outdoor seating will be available, but we encourage you to bring your folding chair and come early for the best seating for the live performances! Enjoy specialty drinks and food from the San Luis Valley.
Stop by the Sangre de Cristo National Heritage Area table will receive SdCNHA promotional items and a traditional commemorative Cinco de Mayo T-Shirt while supplies last! Sponsorships this year include: by Visit Alamosa, Alamosa County, Conejos County, Costilla County, Adams State University, San Luis Valley Federal, First Southwest Bank, Connect for Health Colorado, Skiball’s, O&V Printing, L&M Auto, ACE Hardware, Bankshot, and Shultz Realty.
In anticipation of the big day we thought it would be fun to share 10 more interesting facts about Cinco de Mayo that you may not know.
Not a celebration of independence
Cinco de Mayo is not a celebration of Mexico’s Independence (which is actually September 16th), but rather a celebration of Mexico’s victory in the battle at Puebla on May 5th, 1862 during the Franco-Mexican war. It was an unlikely win for the Mexican militia who were heavily outnumbered by the French. The victory became a source of pride for the country and is the reason we continue to celebrate today.
Mexico won the battle, but not the war
Although the Mexican Army won the battle at Puebla on May 5th, 1862 the French went on to win the war, occupying the region for five years.
Napoleon III had multiple motives on May 5th
For the leader of France, Napoleon III, the battle at Puebla was an attempt at not only spreading his empire but at conquering a key Mexican access point to the U.S., where
he intended to lend support to the confederate army during the Civil War in an effort to keep the U.S. divided and consequently less powerful.
Abraham Lincoln sympathized with the Mexican cause but…
Abraham Lincoln sympathized with the Mexican cause during the French occupation but was unable to lend direct support to the nation due to the U.S. Civil War, which was taking place at the same time. When the Civil War finally ended, the U.S. forced France to withdraw its troops from Mexico and their empire collapsed.
Not a federal holiday in Mexico.
Cinco de Mayo is not a federal holiday in Mexico and is a relatively minor holiday outside of Puebla, Veracruz and the United States. In Puebla and Veracruz, however, Cinco de Mayo is a very important state holiday celebrated with parades, festivals and reenactments.
Roosevelt helped popularize Cinco de Mayo in the U.S.
Cinco de Mayo became a popular holiday in the U.S. after President Franklin Roosevelt enacted the “Good Neighbor Policy” in 1933 to improve relations with Latin American countries.
Lots of avocados.
According to the California Avocado Commission, Americans consume up to 81 million pounds of avocados on Cinco de Mayo every year. Holy guacamole!
The world’s largest Cinco de Mayo party is held in…
Some even celebrate with Chihuahua races.
One U.S. city celebrates Cinco de Mayo with a Chihuahua race. Can you guess which city? It’s Chandler, Arizona. Even Vancouver celebrates, marking the day with a “skydiving boogie” that consists of aerial acrobatics and an air show.
Americans like their tequila.
According to the Daily Meal, the United States consumes twice as much Tequila as Mexico, where the spirit originated.
The Sangre de Cristo National Heritage Area preserves, protects and promotes the heritage of Colorado’s first Hispano, agricultural and railroad communities and natural
wonders. As stewards of this nationally significant location, SdCNHA aims to preserve and share the unique stories, cultures and landscapes of the San Luis Valley. With over 10,000 years of documented human habitation, this is where Colorado began. In 2009 congress declared the counties of Alamosa, Conejos and Costilla along with Great Sand Dunes National Park, Monte Vista Wildlife Refuge, Alamosa Wildlife Refuge and Baca Wildlife refuge to be a National Heritage Area.
We hope you join us for the celebration!