Opening Hours: Wednesday - Sunday, 12 - 5pm | Closed Monday & Tuesday

Cinco de Mayo Family Day | Free

Discover California’s connection to the Battle of Puebla through theatrical performances, music, hands-on workshops, and more. Guest performers include DJ Ani & DJ Sol. Food by Tamales Veracruz y Más and beverages will be available for sale.

Workshops

¡Viva Puebla! Talavera Inspired Pot Painting

Puebla, México is the home of Talavera. Explore this iconic art style, which includes decorative flowers, vines, birds, and vegetation. Learn how to paint your own garden pot inspired by traditional Talavera Poblana with distinct blue and white colors.

¡Viva Benito! Bandera-Making

Decorate your own bandera using markers and Zapotec-inspired stencils and stamps to honor the leadership and heritage of Mexican President Benito Juárez! This workshop will be led by Master Printer, Dewey Tafoya.

¡Viva el Chile Poblano! Garden-Planting

Did you know that Poblano peppers are central to some of Puebla’s signature culinary dishes? Learn about the Chile Poblano and plant your own seedling to take home! This workshop is facilitated by Urban Gardener and Cocinera, Marlene Aguilar. 

Entertainment | Entretenimiento

12-4pm – Ani & DJ Sol

Meet DJ Ani & DJ Sol, the Father & “Sun” team that’s turning beats into family traditions. Their performances reflect their family language translated into beats. The dance floor becomes an extension of their home, where everyone is welcomed into a celebration of familia, música, and the universal language of beats.

1:15pm – The Real Cinco de Mayo: Made in California, with special guests Ballet Floklórico Flor de Mayo and Santa Monica College Global Motion World Dance Company, a theatrical production, and a historical presentation by Dr. David Hayes-Bautista.

Many people think Cinco de Mayo is a Mexican holiday that was brought to the United States by Mexican immigrants in the early 20th century, but it is not. It is not even celebrated in most of Mexico. Some people think that Cinco de Mayo is a “fake holiday” invented by beer companies in the 1980s in order to sell beer, but it is not that either.

Cinco de Mayo is not celebrated as a national holiday in Mexico because it was created and first celebrated by Latinos living in California, in 1862. At the time, the Civil War was going on in the U.S., and the French had just invaded Mexico with the goal of overthrowing the democratically elected government of President Juárez and replacing it with a monarchy. The majority of Latinos in the U.S. believed in the values of freedom and democracy, so they supported the Union side in the Civil War and President Juárez’s government in Mexico. Learning that the Mexican army at the city of Puebla had defeated invading French troops on May 5th, 1862, Latinos in California were overjoyed that freedom and democracy had won a victory over forces of slavery and elite rule in that country. It gave them hope that freedom and democracy would win in the U.S. Civil war as well. Latinos all over the state rejoiced and celebrated with fireworks, parades, speeches, and patriotic songs—and that was the first Cinco de Mayo celebration.

2:30 pm – Conjunto Tenocelomeh

Since 1995 the San Fernando, California based Conjunto Tenocelomeh has performed at various venues such as The John Anson Ford Amphitheatre, the Harriet and the Charles Luckman Fine Arts Complex, UCLA’s Royce Hall, and the Wadsworth Theatre. They have also performed at the prestigious “Encuentro de Jaraneros” in Tlacotalpan, Veracruz, as well as many other community events throughout the county. Committed to preserving the folk music and dance traditions of southern Veracruz, its members have traveled abroad and studied with masters in Mexican folk music. One of only a handful of such groups found in Southern California, the members of CONJUNTO TENOCELOMEH are professional musicians and educators who have wholeheartedly decided to concentrate, preserve, and perform the beautiful folk music and dance traditions of the SON JAROCHO and the SON MEXICANO.

Les Navegantes Tours 

12:30-2:30pm Explore LA history and Latinx identity by taking a free tour of our permanent exhibition, LA Starts Here!

Vendors | Vendedores

Tamales Veracruz y Más. 

Community Partners

California Department of Public Health- ‘Take on Alzheimer’s Public Awareness Campaign’
CWS
Kids Dental Place
L.A. Vs. Hate

April 28, 2024 |  12:00 pm *