Bringing culture, life downtown: Festival de Cinco de Mayo de Graham returns

Following the success of the inaugural event last year, the Festival de Cinco de Mayo de Graham will be returning next weekend bringing culture, food, music and more downtown.

The event, organized by the nonprofit Graham Downtown Business Association, will be expanding both the space for vendors on the downtown square and the hours.

Fourth Street, Oak Street, the inside of the square, the Young County Courthouse lawn and parking lot will be closed off to expand the festival. The event will be held from 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. Saturday, May 3.

The event will have five live bands and a full mariachi band that will play throughout the day and businesses around the square will be partnering to stay open during the event.

“We’ve listened to what some of the downtown business people they’d like to see changed,” GDBA member Kylie Bailey said. “We also listened to feedback from patrons and made some of those changes.” 

Neri Gonzalez, who is part of the Cinco de Mayo committee and organizing association, said the event will be filled with activities and a variety of food and beverages for all who attend.

“This year we have those Mexican hot dogs, we have that street corn, we added more things and more activities also for kids.” Gonzales said. “We’re also selling alcohol again. We have four alcohol tents with margaritas, beer, wine and palomas. Middle Sister is also selling to-go drinks like last year.”

Other beverages and food at the event will be churros, quesabirrias, salsa, nachos, tacos, gorditas, flautas, funnel cakes, cotton candy, snow cones and more.

There are scheduled to be 20 food vendors, 15 retail vendors and other nonprofit vendors showing off local services available for residents in the area.

Last year the organization was blown away by the support they received from the community for the event with all of the food vendors completely selling out. 

“Nobody had any leftover food. ...Last year I told each vendor to prepare for 500 people. So this year, we’re telling each vendor to prepare for 1,000 people, because the event now is from 11 a.m. until 8 p.m.,” Gonzales said.

The organizers have also increased their security for the event by partnering with the Graham Police Department and Young County Sheriff’s Office.

The GDBA organization created the Cinco de Mayo event as a way to drive downtown traffic and they will continue their efforts this year and with other events they host, such as Grahamtoberfest.

“The entire purpose of the (GDBA) was to gather anyone who has a public-facing business on the downtown square so that we could advocate and collectively promote the downtown business district to increase traffic, commerce and try to attract outside visitors to what should be a thriving city central district,” GDBA member Michael Armstrong said.