The annual Cinco de Mayo celebration gets under way in The Villages on Saturday afternoon.
The event will be held at both Spanish Springs Town Square and Lake Sumter Landing from 5 to 9 p.m. Villagers can expect to see high-energy salsa and mariachi bands, festive routines by different performance groups and the always-popular stilt walkers and members of Clown Alley #179 mingling with the crowds. Those attending also will enjoy dancing and sampling a variety of tasty food.
The Market Square Pavilion schedule includes:
Metro Latino (5-9 p.m.).
Spanish Folkloric Dance Group (5:45 p.m. and 6:45 p.m.).
The Villages Twirlers Show Team & Drum Corps (6 p.m.).
Mystic Jewels (7:45 p.m.)
The Spanish Springs Gazebo schedule includes:
Mariachi Viva La Mexico (5-9 p.m.)
Prime Time Twirlers (5:45 p.m.)
The Villages Cheerleaders (6 p.m.)
The Villages Gem Stone Dancers (7 p.m.).
The Original Villages Belly Dancers (7:45 p.m.)
Cinco de Mayo is an annual celebration held on May 5 to commemorate the Mexican Army’s victory over the French Empire at the Battle of Puebla in 1862. Outnumbered three to one, the Mexican forces, under the guidance of Gen. Ignacio Zaragoza, held strong and defeated Napoleon III’s troops. It also marked the beginning of a series of battles that caused France to pull out of Mexico six years later.
