Destinations

Cinco de Mayo festival in Mesilla

Young dancers in colorful ballet folklorico dresses enliven the center stage on the Mesilla Plaza during a Cinco de Mayo festival, which celebrates an outnumbered Mexican militia’s May 5, 1862, defeat of the invading French army at Puebla, in central Mexico. Celebrations relating to Cinco de Mayo, which means fifth of May, will take place in at least nine communities throughout New Mexico, including Albuquerque, Cloudcroft, Eagle Nest, Gallup, Mesilla, Raton, Roswell, Socorro, and Tucumcari. Such festivals include parades, music, food, and a general homage to the customs and culture of Old Mexico.

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