MONTE VISTA — The 3rd annual Cinco de Mayo Street Festival will soon be dancing into Monte Vista. The OptiMystics Citizens Action Network is again organizing the festival, complete with food trucks, a beer garden, craft vendors, a car show and much more.

For the past two years the Cinco De Mayo Street Festival has been held on Adams Street, with crowds of people gathering to enjoy the festivities.

“I would love to see 2,000-plus people this year,” said OptiMystics member Adam Lock. “Given it’s a Friday and we have live music in the evening, we may very well achieve that. I would like to thank the LOR Foundation for their help with the live music this year, it is so appreciated. I am also looking forward to trying to break last year’s goal of more than 40 vendors. We have 24 confirmed vendors and still plenty of time to get more.”

New this year is the addition of live music. Starting around 5 p.m. the Moonshadow Marauders will begin their maraca-shaking music, and shortly after Mariachi San Luis will also be at the festival filling the air with traditional melodies until about 8 p.m.

Cinco de Mayo, or the fifth of May, is a holiday that celebrates the date of the Mexican army’s May 5, 1862, victory over France at the Battle of Puebla during the Franco-Mexican War. The day, which falls on Friday, May 5 in 2023, is also known as Battle of Puebla Day. While it is a relatively minor holiday in Mexico, in the United States, Cinco de Mayo has evolved into a commemoration of Mexican culture and heritage, particularly in areas with large Mexican-American populations.

This year, the celebration continues in Monte Vista, with the 100 and 200 blocks of Adams Street closed for the festivities. There will be a live deejay on site along with face painting for the kids, a bouncy house, belly dancers, and tons of kids crafts and activities.

Vendors will be set up by 8 a.m., and back by popular demand will also be a car show. People’s Choice will again determine the winners of the car show, and tickets can be purchased for a tiny donation. First, second, and third place winners will receive a plaque plus a cash prize.

This year once again, there will be a law enforcement escorted drive through for the veterans at the Colorado Veterans Community Live Center at Homelake. Registration for vendors and car show participants are still being taken.

Lock is very “optimistic” about this year’s festival stating that it’s a lot of work behind the scenes, but so worth it.

For more information, visit OptiMystics CAN online at optimystics.org.