Cinco de Mayo in New York City 2025 is a Pueblan and American celebration of Mexican American culture.
Cinco de Mayo is not Mexican Independence Day. It celebrates the Mexican defeat of better equipped French forces at the Battle of Puebla in Puebla, Mexico on May 5, 1862. That battle changed the course of both Mexican and American history. It was originally only celebrated in Puebla, but Poblanos brought it to the United States where it has become our national celebration of Mexican culture.
Two-thirds of the United States was once Mexico, so we share a lot. We are neighbors who blame each other for all kinds of problems like brothers and sisters do, but the reality is that we are family, and always will be.
For Mexican American families, it’s a day to cherish our heritage and teach our children where they come from. For many other Americans, it’s a day to eat Mexican food, and maybe have a Marguerita or a shot of Mezcal. Whoa, I swallowed the worm. Mmm.
It’s the busiest day of the year for New York City’s Mexican restaurants and bars, so make your plans early.
Cinco de Mayo 2025 Celebrations
Viva el Cinco de Mayo 2025 Features Mexican Ballet Folklórico Son Jarocho, and Mariachi for the Entire Family
KUPFERBERG CENTER; Queens College; Flushing, Queens 🇲🇽
Kupferberg Center for the Arts is the Performing Arts Center at Queens College
Viva el Cinco de Mayo, Mexican music and dance 🇲🇽
Chucho Valdés: Irakere 50, Cuban jazz and timba 🇨🇺
Buena Vista Orchestra, Cuban son 🇨🇺
FLUSHING, Queens
Calpulli Mexican Dance Company “Puebla: The Story of Cinco de Mayo” Shows the Origins of America’s Celebration of Mexican Culture
COUNT BASIE CENTER, Red Bank, New Jersey 🇲🇽
QUEENS THEATRE, Flushing Meadows, Corona Park, Queens 🇲🇽
COLLEGE OF STATEN ISLAND 🇲🇽
Cinco de Mayo Parade and Festival in Sunset Park is a Family Festival of Mexican Entertainment
SUNSET PARK, Sunset Park, Brooklyn 🇲🇽 🇲🇽 🇲🇽
What’s Cinco de Mayo About?
There’s a lot of confusion about Cinco de Mayo. It’s not Mexican Independence Day. That’s in September.
Cinco de Mayo is a traditional festival in Puebla, México that celebrates the Mexican defeat of the mighty French army on May 5, 1862. The equivalent today would be defeating the U.S. Marines, so it was quite an accomplishment.
The Festival used to be celebrated only in Puebla, Mexico. It entered U.S. popular culture through Mexican American activists in 1960s Los Angeles who celebrated the Indigenous victory over Europeans. That’s Chicano Power!
Over a certain period of time Poblanos (people from Puebla) were New York City’s largest Mexican community.
Did it Really Change American History?
After being pushed out of the Americas by the Haitian Revolution (1791-1804), another great humanitarian accomplishment , the French tried to reestablish themselves and restart the sickening, but extremely profitable business of enslaving humans.
The French strategy was to conquer Mexico and use it as a base to link up with Confederate traitors against the United States in the American Civil War (1861-65).
Debt to developing countries is often a debt trap. When Mexico stopped making foreign interest payments in 1861, French, Spanish, and British naval forces blockaded Veracruz, the main Mexican Caribbean port. French forces landed, and began moving up the road to take Mexico City. The town of Puebla is on that road.
On May 5, 1862, local Mexican forces defeated a French army that was twice its size and made up of some of the world’s most advanced military forces. This is what Cinco de Mayo celebrates.
The unexpected defeat cost the French the fighting season. By the time they regrouped and pushed on, the Confederacy was doomed. If the young people of Pueblo hadn’t been so valiant, we might be a very different country today.
¡Viva Puebla! And have a wonderful Cinco de Mayo with your family.