Cinco De Mayo 2017: Where To Celebrate In NYC

NEW YORK, NY - Cinco de Mayo officially commemorates the Mexican Army’s victory over French forces at the Battle of Puebla on May 5, 1862 under the leadership of Gen. Ignacio Zaragoza. In New York, it's become a celebration of all things Mexican.

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Cinco de Mayo Parade and Festival

Mano a Mano: Mexican Culture Without Borders, a local non-profit dedicated to celebrating Mexican culture and promoting the understanding of Mexican traditions and holidays, brings the Cinco de Mayo Festival and parade to Sunset Park on May 7. Supported this year by Ballet Folklórico Quetzalcoatl, Lotería Performing Arts and Vecinos de Sunset Park, the Brooklyn-based parade is set to commence at noon and begins on 60th Street before heading down Fifth Avenue and ending on 43rd Street. The parade will culminate in a festival at 2 p.m. between Fifth and Sixth Avenues at 40th Street.

New York City Council members will be attendance as well as local Sunset Park leaders, Mexican folkloric dance companies, community bands and singers and other non-profit organizations.

Eat Your Art: An Alternative Cinco de Mayo

New Yorkers are invited to relive the infamous — and sometimes debaucherous — dinner parties of Frida Kahlo at Eat Your Art, described as “an alternative Cinco de Mayo,” on Friday from 7:30 p.m. and stretching into the wee hours of Saturday. Hosted by Lot 45 Bushwick at 411 Troutman St., this immersive celebration will feature a four-course dinner, aerial performances, dancing and poetry. Eat Your Art’s Eventbrite page is dressed with a snippet from “Silencio Cerca de una Piedra Antigua (“Silence Near an Ancient Stone”)” by Mexican poet and author Rosario Castellanos. Tickets range from $35 to $125, depending on the extent of one’s stay.

La Esquina

La Esquina opened its doors in SoHo in 2005. Twelve years later, the trendy Mexican restaurant has branched out to Williamsburg, Brooklyn and Midtown — with an Upper East Side location opening May 5. This year, Cinco de Mayo celebrations are abound as festivities will be held at all four La Esquina locations.

Cinco de Mayo Pub Crawl

The producers of the World’s Largest PubCrawls are bringing a Cinco de Mayo pub crawl to New York City on May 5. PubCrawls prides the event as an opportunity for legal-age participants to enjoy classic Mexican drinks — such as margaritas, tequila shots and sangria — and make new friends at some of the more popular bars in the East Village.

Registration is required and will be available from 4 to 9 p.m. at Bar None, at 98 Third Ave., and Camacho’s, at 118 E 15th St.

Paper Box: The Darkest Cinco de Mayo

The Paper Box, located at 17 Meadow St. in Brooklyn, has planned the “Darkest Cinco de Mayo” at its independently owned music and arts complex in East Williamsburg. Set for May 5, the event will feature a mariachi band, a mechanical bull, free shots for those who arrive early, $7 beer and shot specials, a huge piñata and a red room filled with piñatas and bats for a more interactive experience.

The dress code? Sombreros and sugar skulls.

Photo credit: David King via Flickr