(COLORADO SPRINGS) — Cinco De Mayo celebrations are already underway in Colorado Springs. On Sunday, May 4, crowds gathered at a downtown Mexican restaurant to enjoy authentic food, live mariachi music, and vibrant performances from local dancers.
For many people who showed up, it was all about celebrating with loved ones. It was also an opportunity for younger community members to showcase their talent, which has been passed down through generations.
People spent Sunday afternoon in downtown Colorado Springs in Chile Colorado absorbing the rich culture and eating delicious traditional food.
“My favorite part about singing is I get to make people happy, and then I can continue to learn about my culture,” said Phoenix Benevides, an eight-year-old singer in a local mariachi band.
She began singing at four years old, and on Sunday, she captured the hearts of many.
“We started playing when she was around three years old, and growing up around it, we finally heard her sing along with us while we were practicing, so we got her started singing, and then eventually she started picking up the violin,” said Kahlaben Benevides, Phoenix’s mother.
The restaurant also hosted dancers who were dressed in vibrant traditional clothes.
“The costumes are big and they have a lot of flowers to represent, all the fun and the beautiful things,” said Emma Villazon, a dancer.
Emma is ten years old and began dancing when she was seven. She said she does it to keep her culture alive.
“I love to dance because it reminds me of my family back in Mexico,” she said.
Before Cinco De Mayo became affiliated with tacos and margaritas, the day served as a reminder of Mexico’s victory over the French.
“They didn’t have weapons, they didn’t have anything, but they had willpower, and they gathered whatever they had, pitchforks, their axis, and they actually won this battle,” said Lenore Gonzalez, a dance coach.
Although Cinco De Mayo honors Mexico’s resilience and bravery, the holiday has also become for some people an excuse to party.
“We all need to unite, no matter our ethnicities, our cultures, they all have beautiful significance,” said Gonzalez.
Chile Colorado will continue the celebration on Monday with deals and more live music.
