Cheyenne’s Cinco De Mayo Celebration’s Saturday, May 2, at Amvets Post 10

How are you celebrating Cinco De Mayo this year?

In Cheyenne, there will be a free celebration at the Amvets Post 10 on E. Lincolnway this Saturday, May 2, from noon to 5 p.m.The Cinco De Mayo celebration is open to the public and will include entertainment, music, vendors and fun activities for the whole family. The Amvets Post 10 is located in the former Ramada Inn at 3839 E. Lincolnway.

Do you know what's being celebrated on the fifth of May each year? When I was working with Phil Mercado, host of 'Fiesta Time with Phil,' on a Cheyenne radio station years ago, he'd ask me that same question. Then he would explain that a lot of people confuse Cinco De Mayo with Mexican Independence Day.

The annual Cinco De Mayo celebrations pay tribute to the spirit of the Mexican soldiers who withstood Napoleon's army at the Battle of Puebla in 1862. It's only a minor holiday in Mexico but has become a major celebration of Mexican heritage and culture in the United States. Mexican Independence Day is September 16, celebrating the country's freedom from Spanish rule.

Break out your sombrero and raise a toast to our southern neighbors either this Saturday at the Amvets Post 10 or next Tuesday on Cinco De Mayo.