St. Vincent Pallotti Catholic Church, 2525 Westview St. will be hosting Cinco de Mayo events Friday and Saturday, May 5-6.

A parade will begin lining up at the church at 5:30 p.m. Friday. The parade will then process to Sears Park on Ambler Street.

At the park, sponsor tables will be set up, with free giveaways. A DJ and a mariachi band will provide music. For more information call 721-1568.

Ballet Folklorico de Alvaro Munoz will perform at the park at 6:30 p.m. Friday and at the church at 6 p.m. Saturday and 6:30 p.m. Sunday. The Ballet is still sponsored by St. Vincent, where it originated, but has a new name. Alvaro Munoz is the director and is the nephew of the founder, Martha Munoz de Serrano. Alvaro danced with the original group. The Ballet will celebrate its 60th anniversary with a performance at 6 p.m. Aug. 19 at the Paramount Theater.

On May 20, the group will host an open house at its new location, 2347 N. Sixth St., Suite 4. The public is invited to attend and get a sneak preview of the 60th anniversary performance.

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Cinco de Mayo, or the fifth of May, is a holiday that celebrates the date of the Mexican army’s May 5, 1862 victory over France at the Battle of Puebla during the Franco-Mexican War. The day, which falls on Friday, May 5 in 2023, is also known as Battle of Puebla Day. While it is a relatively minor holiday in Mexico, in the United States, Cinco de Mayo has evolved into a commemoration of Mexican culture and heritage, particularly in areas with large Mexican-American populations.
Source: history.com (The History Channel)