Mexican Culture Flourishes at Sunday Festival

Mariachi music, blocks of colorful booths and traditional foods like flautas brought the sights, sounds and tastes of Mexico to the 22nd Annual Cinco De Mayo Festival on Sunday. More than 500 people trickled into the family-friendly alcohol and smoke-free event that featured live music, delicious food and informational booths for all. 

“It’s a way to gather the community to celebrate the culture, but also to raise awareness,” said Carlos Landaverry, a county worker and festival committee member.

A committee of five volunteers meets each year to plan the festival, gathering at least three months in advance to plan every facet, from booking the six bands to organizing the groups that would set up stands in the festival grounds. 

Landaverry oversaw the organization of the food booth area, which served as a fundraiser for many local nonprofit organizations, and also pulled double duty taking over as MC for City Councilman Oscar Rios, who was unable to attend because he was hospitalized.

Each year the committee tries to reach out to the community to not only provide the fun and safe atmosphere for families, but to distribute information on services that are offered both by the city as well as organizations in the area. 

At every festival, a person in the community is honored, and this year, the recipient was Maria Rodriguez-Castillo. A prominent community volunteer, Rodriguez-Castillo has organized the Walk of Silence for the last five years, raising awareness about child sexual abuse.

“The committee wants to take the time to honor special people like her,” said committee member Ruben Chavez. “She does really great work and we all know her well from it.”

Crews began setting up the large stage near the intersection of Beach and Main streets at 6 a.m. Sunday morning. They prepared for the festival’s prompt 11:30 a.m. opening, when the first entertainment line-up, Danzantes-Whitehawk, took the stage. 

The festival had the air of a family picnic in the park, with families sitting together in the shade, indulging in food while music emanated from the street. The tunes ranged from mariachi to tejano, as well as a wild card, Midnight Thieves, a rock band hailing from the Salinas Valley.

The band was definitely a departure from the rest of the day’s music but was nonetheless enjoyed thoroughly by the crowd. “We may have scared the bonga people, but it’s all right; it really is all about the culture,” said lead singer Grant Joel Hill.

If there was one thing apparent about those gathered, it was the strength of the of the community, a fact embraced by the committee members. “To me, [the festival] means that the community can achieve great things,” said Landaverry. “We continue the battle with the same heart and the same spirit as those before us.”