DENVER — Thousands of people are expected to attend Denver's annual Cinco de Mayo festival and parade this weekend.
The celebration has been part of the Denver community since 1988 and is one of the biggest and longest running cultural events in the state.
The event was created by the nonprofit NEWSED Community Development Corporation and began as a neighborhood street fair that showcased Mexican heritage. A few years after it began, organizers said the festival outgrew its original location and moved to Civic Center Park in downtown Denver.
The Cinco de Mayo Festival and Parade features several attractions, musical performances, Folklorico dancers, Mariachi bands and a variety of delicious Mexican food, according to organizers.
Andrea Barela, the President and CEO of NEWSED Community Development Corporation, said as always, safety is top of mind.
"This event is extremely safe, we work in close partnership with Denver Police Department, Denver metro gang unit; we have private security force on site. All entrances are guarded and wanded," Barela said.
Barela said among other things, this year's event will feature several vendors, new bands and a Selena impersonator.
"I would encourage people who don’t know a lot about Latino culture and heritage to come to this event because you get a taste of everything," she said.
The Cinco de Mayo parade is expected to start at 11 a.m. on Saturday. Barela told Denver7 the best place to watch the parade is along Lincoln Street, near the Colorado State Capitol building.
"Colorado is an inclusive state and we celebrate our diversity and culture and we love it — that’s what makes us unique and makes our city so great and we should be proud of that," she added.
Denver7 spoke with Jeanette Trujillo-Lucero, with Fiesta Colorado Dance Company.
Trujillo-Lucero will be apart of the folklórico dance stage that will bring together dancers from across the state.
"They represent the dances from the different regions of Mexico. So it depends where they're from, where they lived, or where they're coming from, and so each region has a different costume, a different dance style, different music and everything. So when you come to the festival, you get to see a whole spectrum of the Mexican culture," Trujillo-Lucero said.
She added that the festival takes a year to plan for, between getting the costumes ready and coordinating the performances.
"Once it's over, we're starting the next year," she said. "Just know, we have the second largest Cinco de Mayo celebration in the country."
The event will take place Saturday and Sunday from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. on both days.
The festival is free and open to the public. You can find more information here.
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