By Louis Zylka
The 830 Times
The annual Cinco de Mayo celebrations kick off at the city’s historic Brown Plaza on Saturday
and continue through Monday.
Cinco de Mayo celebrates Mexico’s victory in the 1861 Mexican-French war, and the Del Rio festivities are put together by the Brown Plaza Association. The
events take place in and around
the Brown Plaza area of San Felipe, with food booths, vendors and entertainment to enjoy.
The Cinco de Mayo celebrations began early with the Miss Cinco de Mayo Pageant held on April 26. The pageant winners included Amilia Rose Zambrano (Lil Miss Cinco de Mayo), Kailey Rose Leewright (Jr Miss Cinco de Mayo), Amaya Mendoza (Miss Cinco de Mayo Teen) and Leilani Garcia (Miss Cinco de Mayo).
The opening ceremony for this year’s Cinco de Mayo festivities begins at 4 p.m. Saturday, with the singing of the national anthem by elementary school students. The ceremony will include the crowning of the honorary Señora Cinco de Mayo, who will be Sylvia Owens, Texas Community Bank regional president and wife of County Judge Lewis G. Owens Jr. The Grand Marshal,
Alonso Martinez, and the parade marshal, Al Cervantes, will also be present at the ceremony.
The ceremony continues with the Cinco de Mayo art contest awards from 4 p.m. to 5 p.m. and an Aztec-themed costume contest later in the evening. Celebrations will go from 2 p.m. to 12 p.m.
Dance performances on Saturday will be provided by Ballet Folklorico Casa De La Cultura Piedras Negra, Queen City Belles, Ballet Folklorico De Las Aguilas Eagles Pass, Ballet
Folklorico Macuilxochitl Del Rio and Del Rio Casa De La Cultura’s guitarists.
Dolores Martinez, treasurer of the Brown Plaza Association and director of the Cinco de Mayo celebrations, spoke with The 830 Times and said this year’s theme is Aztec culture. She also
mentioned that the Brown Plaza Association will again represent Del Rio at San Antonio’s annual Fiesta Flambeau Parade.
Martinez said the Brown Plaza royalty, the Fourth of July royalty and Val Verde royalty will be part of the Flambeau Parade. She also said vendors during Saturday’s events will stream
the parade at Brown Plaza.
Cinco de Mayo celebrations continue Sunday from 2 p.m. through 10 p.m. The Aztec Night Parade will start at 6:45 p.m., and it will go down Garza Street and end on Barron Street.
Groups interested in joining the night parade can still register for the parade’s lineup, which will begin at 6:45 p.m. at the intersection of San Felipe Avenue and Garza Street.
Martinez said Brown Plaza’s float entry for the San Antonio parade will return to Del Rio for Sunday night’s parade in Brown Plaza.
Entertainment for Sunday evening will include Los Kamardas Del Norte, Los Nuevos Lucero Del Bravo and Groupo Massizo.
The final day of celebrations will be on Monday, and entertainment will be provided by Los de Oro and Elvis Ayala.
Martinez said the Brown Plaza Association invites everyone to come out and enjoy the three-day event. Martinez mentioned that there will be a lot of food and beverages available and
reminded festival-goers that no outside ice chests will be allowed at the celebration.
