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The Cinco de Mayo “Celebrate Culture” Festival began in 1988 as a neighborhood street fair to showcase Mexican heritage. By 1995, the festival had grown, moving to Denver’s Historic Civic Center Park and became one of Colorado’s top 4 outdoor food and entertainment events.
All funds raised at the Cinco de Mayo Festival goes to NEWSED Community Development Corporation. NEWSED promotes economic and community programs to raise the income and education levels of Denver’s residents.
The 2026 Cinco de Mayo Festival will be celebrated on May 2, 2026. Admission is FREE! Enjoy live local entertainment on three stages.
The Main Stage
The Main Stage is located at the Greek Amphitheatre mid-14th Avenue. It will feature Mexican regional bands and genres, including Mariachi, Banda, Cumbia and more.
The Local Stage
The Local Stage is located mid-Bannock Street. It will feature comedian Jimmy Abeyta and special guest singer John Alarid. Also featured on this stage will be local bands and performers featuring junk, pop, old school, covers, Latin and more.
The Community Stage
The Community Stage is located mid-Broadway in Lincoln Park. This is the Fiesta Folklorico Confluence Music Stage.
The Cinco de Mayo Community Parade will be happening on Saturday, May 2, 2026, beginning at 11 am. Sidewalk areas along the parade route will be open to everyone. The staging area is three blocks west of the City & County Building. The parade will leave there and wind through downtown Denver and will end at Denver’s Civic Center Park area.
Cinco de Mayo “Celebrate Culture” Festival is one of the largest Cinco de Mayo celebrations in the United States. The vendor area is huge. You can see the work of over 300 arts and crafts exhibitor vendors. Food vendors will be there with main course, side dish items, snacks and desserts. Many of the vendors will have Mexican food available for purchase but other cuisines will also be present.
There will also be merchandise vendors and service vendors. All this will make for a fantastic shopping experience.
If you attend the festival, be sure to see the Chihuahua Races on Saturday at 1 pm. This will take place at Lincoln Park, next to the Community Stage. The Taco Eating Contest will be on that stage on Sunday at 12 pm.
The Lowrider Car Show will be on Saturday and Sunday along Cofax from Bannock to Broadway. See the best lowriders, classic cars and lowrider bikes!
Mexican Food
If you enjoyed the Mexican food at the festival and that makes you want to learn more about Mexican cuisine, try these cookbooks. Our links will show you how you can save money on them.
- Trejo’s Tacos: Recipes & Stories by Danny Trejo
- The Mexican Home Kitchen: Traditional Home Style Recipes by Mely Mortimer
- Mexican Food: The Ultimate Cookbook by Gabe Erales & Luis Robles
If you’d like another culinary celebration of Cinco de Mayo, you should try these restaurants. They were chosen as the top 10 Mexican restaurants in Denver by the users of TripAdvisor.
- Tacos Tequila Whiskey
- Otra Vez Cantina
- Illegal Pete’s Lodo
- Tamayo
- Blue Agave Grill
- Machete Tequila & Tacos
- D’Corazon
- Adelitas Cocina Y Cantina
- Sovino’s Mexican Kitchen
- Rio Grande Mexican Restaurant
If you’d like to go to Denver’s Cinco de Mayo Festival, you should consider these hotels. They are all offering discounted rates which can save you money on your stay.
If you’re going to be flying to Denver, find out how you can use a promo code to save money on your flight here.