San Clemente Celebrates Cinco de Mayo

Max Berg Plaza Park presented both the ancient and modern on Saturday in celebration of Cinco de Mayo, a holiday honoring Mexico’s unlikely victory over France at the Battle of Puebla in 1862. 

The all-day event was one for everyone in the San Clemente community to enjoy. The weather—sunny and with a cool ocean breeze—was just as vibrant as the tradition dance costumes. Never allowing the music to stop, two stages featured back-to-back singers and dancers throughout the afternoon. 

On one stage, a traditional dance known as Danzantes Aztecas by a small group of men and women dressed in colorful handmade garments and feather headdresses hopped and rattled to drum beats to pay their respects to nature and the ancient Aztecs. On the other end of the park, another stage graced with a handful of teenage Mexican girls displaying their more contemporary dance moves. 

Countless booths selling food and fair games giving out prizes lined the parameter of the park. Traditional Mexican dishes, such as tamales and tacos, and all-American delights like cotton candy and hot dogs fed the masses there for the fiesta. Keeping with custom, a mariachi band dressed in sharp, black outfits serenaded those snacking at benches. 

These and other Mexican and carnival festivities kept scores of community members and visitors entertained for a Cinco de Mayo to remember.