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SALT LAKE CITY — Every year on the fifth of May, the Mexican people, especially those in the state of Puebla, celebrate Cinco de Mayo: a commemoration of the Mexican army's surprising victory against the invading French in 1862.
Since 1863, the holiday has also been celebrated in California, eventually spreading to the rest of the United States in the 1940s and penetrating American culture even further than in Mexico.
Many Utahns also observe Cinco de Mayo, as evidenced by the abundance of celebrations slated to take place around the state. Here are five public celebrations going on in Utah:
Midvale Cinco de Mayo Festival
The city of Midvale is hosting their annual Cinco de Mayo bash at Midvale City Park at 7500 S. 450 West. The festival will start Friday at 6 p.m. with a game of bingo and an outdoor movie, "McFarland USA."
Celebrations continue with a parade at 9:30 a.m. Saturday followed by a performance of the Mexican national anthem by singer Sonia López and introductions of VIP's at 11 a.m., topped off with performances from various local musicians from noon to 10 p.m.
Telemundo Cinco de Mayo Festival
On Saturday, Telemundo Utah will host their own Cinco de Mayo festival in Centennial Park at 5415 W. 3100 South in West Valley which will feature food, music and prizes.
Blue Iguana
Salt Lake City's premiere Mexican eatery will feature live music the weekend of Cinco de Mayo from Rio Bravo, a trio performing traditional Mexican music. While enjoying the tunes, patrons can also enjoy a handful of holiday meal specials.
Gracie's
Gracie's gastropub in Salt Lake will also feature live music on their outdoor patio (weather permitting) from the Latin Jazz Factory All Stars. Gracie's chef will also be cooking up a Cinco de Mayo taco special and offering a selection of inexpensive tequilas as well as some hard-to-find tequilas. T-shirts and other "bar swag" will be given out throughout the night.
East Canyon State Park ======================
East Canyon State Park will host a Cinco De Mayo celebration Saturday complete with water sports, fishing games, pinatas and loteria games. Free canoe, kayak and paddleboard rentals will be offered during the event.
East Canyon State Park is located at 5535 S. Highway 66 in Morgan.
What public events did we miss? Let us know in the comments.
Contributing: Faith Heaton Jolley
Sean Stoker is a journalism student at UVU who interned for KSL.com. He runs a YouTube channel at QuestSeans.com. Follow him on Twitter @theroyalthey
