Cinco de Mayo is almost here! It’s Mexican Independence Day and also a fun time to be hanging out in the Portland area because there’s plenty of great places for you to enjoy delicious food, drinks, and Cinco de Mayo fun.

In this article, we will list for you several places for you to enjoy food, drinks, and fun on Cinco de Mayo in Portland Oregon.

PDX Area Cinco de Mayo Events

Cinco de Mayo Fiesta

Portland Guadalajara Sister City Association’s annual Cinco de Mayo Fiesta offers a multicultural festival of music, dancing, food, boxing, art and carnival rides. 

11 a.m.-11 p.m. Friday-Sunday, May 3-5; Tom McCall Waterfront Park; $7-$10; cincodemayo.org

Crafty Wonderland Spring Art + Craft Market

You name it, these creative folks have probably made it. Shop from 225-plus artists and crafters for handmade goods.

11 a.m-6 p.m. Saturday, May 4; Oregon Convention Center, 777 N.E. Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd. Free; oregoncc.org

The Great Inflatable Race

For the bounciest run yet, hop over to The Great Inflatable Race where you will maneuver around all kinds of obstacles. You won’t be judged or timed, and since courses vary, there’s sure to be something for all ages. 

Wave times start at 9 a.m. Saturday, May 4; Portland International Raceway: 1940 N. Victory Blvd.; $29.99- $75; register at thegreatinflatablerace.com

Spring Garden Fair

Gardeners of all ages can peruse 100-plus garden vendors with annuals and perennials, vegetable and herbs, trees and shrubs and everything in between. 

9 a.m.-5 p.m. Saturday and 9 a.m.-4 p.m. Sunday, May 4-5;  Clackamas County Event Center,  694 N.E. Fourth Ave., Canby; $5; springgardenfair.org

Cinco de Mayo Run/Walk

Half-marathon, 10K and 5K courses run along the Columbia River with mountain views on the way.  Stick around after for a post-race party with beer, cider, food, live music and more.

First race  8:10 a.m. Sunday, May 5; Kliever Memorial Armory, 10000 N.E. 33rd Drive; $8-$109; terrapinevents.com

Source – Oregonlive.com 

Cinco de Mayo History

Cinco de Mayo (pronounced [ˈsiŋko ðe ˈmaʝo] in Latin America, Spanish for “Fifth of May”) is an annual celebration held on May 5. The date is observed to commemorate the Mexican Army’s victory over the French Empire at the Battle of Puebla, on May 5, 1862, under the leadership of General Ignacio Zaragoza. The victory of the smaller Mexican force to defeat the larger French force was a boost to morale for the Mexicans. A year after the battle, a larger French force defeated Zaragoza at the Second Battle of Puebla, and Mexico City soon fell to the invaders. – Wikipedia

Don’t miss Cinco de Mayo in Portland! To learn more about things to do in the PDX area on this special day leave us a comment below.