OMAHA — Nebraska’s largest Cinco de Mayo festivities take place this weekend in South Omaha, including a Saturday morning parade with more than 100 entries from political candidates to charros on dancing horses.
Organizers say the celebration marks 106 years of Mexican fiestas in South Omaha, an area that was once its own city and is known historically as a landing place for immigrants of varied ethnicities.
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Presented by La Casa de la Cultura and multiple sponsors, the weekend events highlight the culture, community and heritage of a Latino community that began settling in the area in the early 1900s.
Marcos Mora of La Casa de la Cultura called the festivities a vital piece of the Omaha-area economy and a Nebraska tourist attraction. He expects roughly 100,000 visitors over the three-day event, some from surrounding states.
“It’s a win-win for our families in South Omaha as well as for businesses in bringing in tourism dollars,” he said. “People get hotels, go to the zoo, museums. This culturally and significantly contributes to the fabric of the Omaha area.”
La Casa de la Cultura’s dedication to inclusion, cultural awareness and tourism innovation such as the annual Cinco celebrations earned it the Henry Fonda Award in 2023, an honor for tourism excellence from the Nebraska Tourism Commission.
Historically, Cinco de Mayo, or May 5th, observes the date in 1862 when a small Mexican army triumphed over invading French troops in the Battle of Puebla. France later would occupy Mexico but that victory stirred feelings of Mexican pride and resilience.
This year’s Omaha Cinco de Mayo event is being observed later than May 5th to avoid overburdening police security needed for two big events the past two weekends, the Berkshire Hathaway shareholders meeting and a downtown music festival.
This year’s Cinco de Mayo live music and performances are free and open to the public, organizers said. Activities are centered at the Plaza de la Raza at 24th and N Streets but the festival spills onto the historic South 24th corridor from L to O Streets.
Festivities start Friday with food and information booths and various entertainment from 3 p.m. to 10 p.m.
Saturday’s parade starts at 9:30 a.m. and will stretch along 24th Street from D to L Streets. Longtime and deep-rooted Omaha families will be featured as Grand Marshals, including the de Loa, Barrientos, Valadez, Lara and Aguilera families. A host of activities and entertainment will unfold through 8 p.m.
Sunday events start with a mariachi Mass at 10:30 a.m. in the plaza. Live music and performers will be featured throughout the day, including La Energía Norteña, as the festival continues through 9 p.m.
This story is provided by States Newsroom, a nonprofit state news network and Blox Digital content partner.
