Blue skies, several stages of live music and a wide variety of food and fun activities drew seas of people to 23rd Street between Rheem and Clinton avenues on Sunday for the 20th Anniversary of Cinco de Mayo Festival, presented by the 23rd Street Merchants Association.
While music rang out from two main stages and a couple of side stages, local restaurants and other shops took the opportunity to showcase their services, including El Tapatio, which hosted its own live band.
Like every year, activites for kids abounded, from pony and horse rides to bouncy houses and a mechanical bull. Also like every year, the festival was enriched by a wide variety of food vendors and merchants, along with booths staffed by local nonprofits, the police and fire departments, city and county agencies and local businesses like annual sponsor Chevron Richmond.
John E. Márquez, co-founder of the annual Cinco de Mayo Festival, noted how, 20 years ago, “there weren’t nearly this many people.” A longtime community activist and former Richmond City Councilmember, Márquez and fellow co-founders continue to marvel at how the event has grown over the years. But what the festival intended to accomplish originally — namely to bring the community together — continues to happen every year, without a hitch.
Check out these photos from this year’s vibrant festival.
