Celebrate Cinco De Mayo in San Diego at Old Town’s 28th Annual Fiesta This Weekend

Each year, San Diego’s historic Old Town throws the biggest and baddest Cinco de Mayo celebration north of the border.  This year, why not grab friends and family to be part of the fiesta?

The FREE two-day fiesta will take place on Saturday, April 30^th from 11:00am- 10:00pm and Sunday, May 1^st from 11:00am -5:00pm.  With three stages of live entertainment, a kid’s area, and a beer garden, there will be a variety of fun activities for the whole family.  And best of all, it’s FREE ADMISSION.

If you have kids with you, follow them over to the Children’s Area, where they may listen to a traditional storytelling, watch Ballet Folklorico siesta on stage, or even partake in Cold Stone’s Ice Cream Eating Contest.

All of a sudden you hear hoofbeats approaching from afar, and you find yourself face to face with a massive horse.  Don’t fret, it is just the Equestrian Show led by The Escaramuzas Golondrinas, a group of female riders following the Mexican cowboy tradition.

Once the show ends, you find yourself quite thirsty, and you venture over to the beer garden for an ice cold beer.  You pass by two of the main stages, on which Mariachi bands perform, Latin jazz musicians jam, and a Miss Cinco de Mayo is crowned.  You soon notice a popular booth with more varieties of tequila than you would know what to do it, and before you can say Jose Cuervo, you are merrily sampling a number of high-end tequila next to new-found friends and tequila connoisseurs.

With all the excitement swirling around you, you’ve hardly noticed that you haven’t eaten yet.  You follow your nose to one of the many authentic restaurants (my favorite is Café Coyote) and order off their specials menu for the day.  The food is hot, hearty, and absolutely delicious, and it tastes like honest home-cooking no matter where you’re from.

Afterwards, wander around the streets of Old Town and visit Toby’s Candle & Soap shop, the haunted Whaley House, or my personal favorite, Cousin’s Old Town Candy Shop.

On any given day, San Diego’s historic Old Town is rich with Mexican culture.  With the authentic shops, shows, and food, it is as close as you can get Mexico without needing a passport.

For more information, check:

http://www.oldtownsandiegoguide.com/cinco.html

Images by Ken Lund, dbking, and ilkerender via Flickr