San Jose celebrates Mexican heritage with 3rd annual Cinco de Mayo festival

San Jose celebrates Mexican heritage with 3rd annual Cinco de Mayo festival

The third annual downtown San Jose Cinco de Mayo festival drew crowds Sunday to celebrate Mexican culture through food, dance, and tradition.

SAN JOSE, Calif. - San Jose residents gathered downtown on Sunday to celebrate the city’s third annual Cinco de Mayo festival, an event dedicated to honoring Mexican culture, craftsmanship, and community roots.

A cultural event for the community

Local perspective:

The festivities kicked off with traditional Folklorico dancers and high-energy Lucha Libre wrestling, which drew cheers from the crowd. 

Beyond the entertainment, the festival served as a vital platform for local Latino-owned businesses to showcase their goods.

For many vendors, the festival is another way to turn personal heritage into a professional calling.

What they're saying:

Christine Caballero, owner of Casa de Artesano y Mas, began her business during the COVID-19 pandemic. What started with embroidered face masks eventually expanded into a full clothing shop after encouragement from her community.

"It feels amazing," Caballero said, noting she has participated in the festival for the past three years. "I think it’s a nice experience because while a lot of people are ashamed of their roots, the people that do bring it out—I love that they are not shy about it."

That sense of cultural pride was a recurring theme for attendees like Vanessa Hearne, who brought her family to the event to ensure the next generation remains connected to their history.

"I like them to be close to their roots, and so we’re excited to see all the stuff that the Latino community is doing," Hearne said.

Don't forget the spread

Digging in:

The connection to heritage was also evident in the festival's food offerings. 

Melissa Saucedo, who has owned Pitayas Locas for four years, specializes in handmade Aguas frescas and other items made from scratch. 

She attributes her culinary inspiration to childhood memories of her grandmother’s kitchen and the scent of brewing café de olla.

"Everything that we make is with love," Saucedo said. "We celebrate this holiday because it’s our heritage."

For business owners and families alike, the downtown celebration provided a space to center culture and connection around family, a value many participants said shines particularly bright during Cinco de Mayo.