Cinco de Mayo Festival Saturday

Klamath Falls, Ore. - The 16th Annual Cinco de Mayo celebratory parade and festival will take place in Downtown Klamath Falls on Saturday, May 4th starting with a parade down Main Street at 11:00 AM. Followed by a fiesta in Veterans Park.

The parade will be routed down Main Street beginning at 11th Street and ending at 3rd Street. Disbanding will occur within the parking lane of Klamath Avenue near 3rd Street. Travelers in the area should plan routes downtown accordingly as Main Street will be closed to through traffic during the parade.

The festival will continue at Veterans Memorial Park until 5:00 PM with live music, dancing, food, soccer, and family friendly entertainment. The festival celebrates culture in a spirit of diversity and inclusion.

Historical significance

A common myth will lead you to believe that celebrations for Cinco de Mayo are for Mexico’s Independence Day, This is not true.

Cinco de Mayo commemorates the Battle of Puebla on May 5, 1862. On this day the Mexican army unexpectedly overpowered the larger and better equipped French army which had occupied the city of Puebla, located in east-central Mexico. This symbolic victory, significant because the French army had not been defeated in almost 50 years, helped to unite the Mexican people and boost morale.

Although Cinco de Mayo is celebrated widely in the United States as a symbol of Mexican-American culture, in Mexico the day receives much less recognition, commemorated primarily in the state of Puebla with a military parade and battle reenactments.

Cinco de Mayo was first celebrated in California in 1863 by Mexican miners who were overjoyed to hear of the defeat of the French at Puebla. The day has been commemorated continuously in California since then, and the yearly celebration has spread throughout the United States and to other parts of the world. It has become a holiday centered on Hispanic culture, where everyone, regardless of heritage, can come together to celebrate Mexican dance, music, food and traditions.

More information on the Klamath Falls Cinco de Mayo celebration can be found at cincodemayokfalls.org.