The annual celebration showcases Mexican culture through food, music and educational experiences.
CHARLOTTE, N.C. — Symphony Park will transform into a vibrant cultural hub this Sunday as the annual Cinco de Mayo Festival returns for its fifth year, promising an expanded celebration of Mexican heritage through traditional food, music, and educational activities.
The event, which has grown significantly since its inception in Plaza Midwood, now draws thousands of attendees from across the Charlotte area.
“It just got bigger and bigger each year,” Rosangela Torres, one of the festival organizers, said.
Torres said the celebration has evolved into one of the city’s most anticipated cultural events of the spring.
Visitors can expect a comprehensive cultural experience highlighting various aspects of Mexican traditions, with performances taking center stage throughout the day.
“A lot of the highlights of the festival are gonna showcase folkloric dancers, and you’re going to see their traditional costumes and kind of like, what that’s made of,” Torres explained. “We also have our mariachis and just [get people] to enjoy a different culture.”
While entertainment and food are major draws, organizers place equal emphasis on the educational aspects of the festival, ensuring attendees gain deeper understanding of Cinco de Mayo’s historical significance and Mexico’s regional diversity.
“The festival does a very good job at showcasing little things about Mexico’s culture,” Torres said.
The event aims to represent Mexico’s cultural diversity by highlighting regional differences in traditions, costumes, and artistic expressions.
“Based on history, every state is combined of different groups of people, and because of that, that’s going to be reflected on the way that they dress, that’s going to be reflected on their native languages, on their dances,” Torres noted.
After outgrowing its original Plaza Midwood location, the festival moved to Symphony Park to accommodate the growing crowds. Organizers expect thousands to attend this year’s celebration, which offers both entertainment and an opportunity to better understand the cultural significance behind Cinco de Mayo.
The festival will feature family-friendly activities, food vendors representing various Mexican culinary traditions, and performances showcasing both traditional and contemporary Mexican arts.
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