What to Know
- Cinco de Mayo is Sunday, May 5
- Join the Cinco Olvera fest at El Pueblo de Los Angeles, while Smorgasburg LA will brim with caliente cuisines
- Some Cinco events will take place on May 4; just confirm with the venue before you make plans to visit
Cinco de Mayo is a Sunday in 2024, so first things first: You can count more than a few celebratory bashes beginning earlier in the weekend or taking place in the daytime on May 5.
Of course, one of the biggest and brightest odes to the occasion, which recalls Mexico's triumph at the Battle of Puebla in 1862, will begin to twinkle on the night of May 3: The Pacific Wheel at Santa Monica Pier will shimmer with a nine-story Mexican flag.
The sparkly show will happen over three nights, concluding on May 5, starting at sunset and concluding at midnight.
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But other parties will be fluttering, like so many bright squares of papel picado, across Southern California over the first weekend of May. Find your Cinco de Mayo merriment at one of the spots below, or, yes, your beloved neighborhood taqueria or tavern.
El Pueblo de Los Angeles is readying for Cinco Olvera Fest!, set to revel at Plaza Kiosko at El Pueblo de Los Angeles on May 5. Several spirited happenings, including live dance and music performances, will festively festoon the schedule.
The Historical Venice Cinco de Mayo Parade & Festival, happening at Oakwood Recreation Park, will feature Aztec dancers, Mexican dancing horses, food trucks, music, clowns, and lots more. The May 4 fun is free, but do RSVP on the site to let the festival team know you'll be there.
The Scene
Want to find new things to do in Los Angeles? The Scene's lifestyle stories have you covered. Here's your go-to source on where the fun is across SoCal and for the weekend.
Cinco de Mayo at the Rose Bowl, which is dancing on May 4, has plenty to partake in, including a craft marketplace, the COPA Aztlan Youth Soccer Tournament, and a screening of "Coco." It's free, but you should get your ticket ahead of time on Eventbrite.
Smorgasburg LA will pay flavorful homage to Cinco de Miches on Sunday, May 5 at ROW DTLA. I Love Micheladas will be at the airy food market, which is where "the best taco crawl" in the city may be found, per organizers (ice cream tacos are available too, yep). Entry is free.
Miss Rita's Lucha VaVOOM is flying for Don Quixote on May 4. Masked wrestlers will perform thrilling feats at "Cinco Unchained," while lowriders and musica add to the exciting atmosphere. Tamales, too, will be part of the vibrant night.
The Bowers Museum in Santa Ana is hosting a free Family Festival, complete with a mini piñata craft project, face painting, folkorico, and live mariachi music. Pan dulce samples are part of the festive afternoon, too.
Citadel Outlets has become known as a bustling holiday hub, and Cinco is one of the shopping center's splashiest events. It's all free to see, by the by, so swing by from noon to 3 p.m. on May 4 and 5 for dance presentations "every hour on the hour."
FOOD AND DRINK: Tocaya Modern Mexican has several specials going on during Cinco Week, including the chance to enjoy free chips and guacamole when your order is over $15. Watch the company's social pages for more Cinco specials. Pitfire Pizza is partnering with Sonoratown on the Chivichanga Pizza; No Us Without You is the beneficiary. And a special Cinco de Mayo brunch will flower at Descanso Gardens on May 4 and 5.
Petersen Automotive Museum has become synonymous with a fantastic lowrider get-together that takes place right around Cinco. New in 2024? The upcoming gathering will be just about a week after the holiday, on May 11. Don't delay, though, on getting your ticket for the popular event, which also opens the "Best in Low: Lowrider Icons of the Street and Show."
