Longmont is preparing for its 22nd annual Cinco de Mayo celebration, which will take place on May 3 at Roosevelt Park. The family-friendly event will run from 10:30 a.m. to 6 p.m. and aims to honor Mexican heritage while embracing cultural diversity through music, dance, food, and community engagement.
The celebration commemorates the historic Battle of Puebla, in which the Mexican militia triumphed over French forces in 1862. However, organizers emphasize that the event extends beyond historical remembrance, serving as a unifying cultural festival for the entire Longmont community.
“Longmont Cinco celebrates culture and honors the health of the Longmont community,” the City of Longmont said in a press release. “It brings diverse communities together to educate, share, appreciate, and enjoy each other’s differences. It also provides an opportunity for everyone to learn about the many resources right here in our community.”
Claudia Gonzalez, an executive assistant for the City of Longmont and a co-organizer of Longmont’s Cinco de Mayo event, highlighted the effort that goes into curating the entertainment lineup each year.
“Every year we work on trying to be mindful of the entertainers that are going to be lined up,” Gonzalez said. “We’re mindful that everybody gets a chance to perform because everybody wants to perform at this event. And so we are always trying to figure out how we can include everybody and also have a variety of entertainment that covers more than Mexicans or Hispanics.”
The festival will feature a range of performances, including mariachi, cumbia, ranchera, and other Latin American musical genres. However, organizers also strive to incorporate diverse acts from other cultures, such as African and Peruvian bands. Gonzalez said that decisions on the entertainment lineup are largely community-driven.
“We listen to the community and what they’re asking for most of the time, and we go by that,” she said. “If they want to hear cumbia, if they want to hear ranchera, if they want to hear mariachi, if they want to hear an African band come in, if they want to hear Peruvian bands play, then we go with that.”
Beyond entertainment, the festival offers a variety of attractions, including a car show presented by Suave Car Club Colorado, the popular “Mexican Standoff” breakdance competition, and an extensive marketplace featuring local vendors and resource booths.
Attendees can also enjoy the Chihuahua Dog Contest, an annual crowd favorite that invites participants to showcase their pets for a chance to win prizes. Proceeds from the contest support the “I Have A Dream” Foundation of Boulder County, which provides educational resources and mentorship to youth.
Gonzalez said that vendor spots fill up quickly, a testament to the festival’s impact on the local economy.
“Our list is just full of people wanting to join,” she said. “And all these resources are for the community to know what is at no cost for them, maybe some cost, what information they can get from these resources, what is out there in the community that they don’t know about.”
Planning for an event of this scale requires months of preparation. According to Gonzalez, efforts begin as early as February and continue until the last day of the event. A dedicated committee, composed of members from various local organizations, oversees different aspects of the festival, including entertainment, marketing, food vendors, and sponsorship.
“We welcome anybody who wants to be a part of it,” Gonzalez said. “We have subcommittees taking care of everything, from entertainment to marketing, food vendors, the car show, and our breakdancing contests. It’s just a variety of a whole lot of people from different organizations helping out with the planning. It takes a lot.”
A core aspect of the event’s mission is sustainability. The festival is committed to maintaining an alcohol-free, tobacco-free, and marijuana-free environment while encouraging attendees to participate in a zero-waste initiative by bringing refillable water bottles.
“Longmont is such a family-oriented place, and I love that,” Gonzalez said. “Alcohol-free, tobacco-free, marijuana-free. We’re striving for no trash. That means a lot to me, and I know it means a lot to my community.”
The event is expected to attract more than 7,000 attendees and will take place rain or shine. Organizers encourage community members to participate in the celebration, which continues to grow each year. The event is free and no tickets or preregistration is needed in order to attend. For more information, visit www.longmontcincodemayo.com.
