Cinco de Mayo is this Sunday, May 5, which calls for celebrations of Mexican American culture all weekend long. If the holiday snuck up on you or you’re short on cash, we’ve got you covered with a roundup of $10-and-under events you don’t have to plan ahead for, from the Taco Truck Challenge 2019 to the 15th Annual Cinco De Mayo Block Party.
- Rocket Taco Cinco de Mayo Weekend
Keep coming back all weekend long for Cinco de Mayo food and drink specials: $7 margaritas on Friday, a special brunch menu on Saturday, and $5 mimosas and extended brunch hours on Sunday.
(Capitol Hill, free)SPORTS & RECREATION
- Bellevue Dance Studio 3 De Mayo Party Celebration
DJ EKUE will spin Latin genres like salsa, bachata, and kizomba all night for your dancing pleasure. All levels are welcome—show up early for an intro class.
(Bellevue, $8)FRIDAY-SUNDAY
FOOD & DRINK
- Lantern Brewing 5 Year Anniversary!
The pint-sized, family-owned microbrewery Lantern Brewing will celebrate a half-decade of business with a curated lineup of brews each evening.
(Greenwood, free) - Mezcaleria Oaxaca Cinco Days of Cinco
Capitol Hill’s Mezcaleria Oaxaca promises special cocktails, slushies, tequila, and tacos for Cinco de Mayo weekend.
(Capitol Hill, free) - Taqueria Cantina Cinco De Mayo Celebration
What better way to celebrate Cinco de Mayo than with tequila and guac? You’ll find those and more specials all weekend long at the downtown taqueria.
(Downtown, free)SATURDAY
FOOD & DRINK
- Taco Truck Challenge 2019
Fifteen local food trucks, such as the Grilled Cheese Experience, Taqueria La Original, Where Ya At Matt, and the People’s Burger, will compete for the title of Taco Truck Champion by concocting taco-inspired dishes to serve in addition to their usual menu. Guests can enjoy the musical stylings of Max Frost, Beverly Crusher and Aloha Mars in a beer and margarita garden.
(Seattle Center, free/$5)MUSIC
- Cinco De Mayo Party with DJ Neon the GlowGoBear
Atlanta’s DJ Neon the Glowgobear will make his Seattle debut at this Cinco de Mayo dance party.
(Capitol Hill, $10) - STAGE Seattle Cinco De Mayo Fest
DJs Spin, Equis, and Xpression will lay down the most Latin party tracks into the wee hours.
Pioneer Square, free)PARTIES
- El Centro de la Raza Cinco de Mayo Celebration
Every year, El Centro de la Raza hosts this Cinco de Mayo party to celebrate the richness of Mexican American culture (and the Mexican Army’s victory over the French in the Battle of Puebla on May 5, 1862). Check it out for traditional food, an open-air market, a multicultural parade, live music (last year’s event saw performances from Los Folklore Mexicano Tonantzin and José Iñiguez) and art activities.
(Beacon Hill, free)SATURDAY-SUNDAY
FOOD & DRINK
- Pecado Bueno’s Cinco De Mayo Weekend
At all Pecado Bueno locations, take advantage of live music, drink specials, giveaways, and cornhole tournaments for Cinco de Mayo.
(Eastlake, Fremont, West Seattle, free)SUNDAY
FOOD & DRINK
- Art Marble 21 Fiesta
In addition to regular menu offerings, chow down on $2 street tacos, $5 chicken flautas, and $7 carne asada fries with drink specials like sangria. Mariachi Colima de Seattle will be keeping things festive all day long.
(South Lake Union, free) - Cinco de Mayo & Little Water Cantina’s Eighth Anniversary
KEXP’s DJ Chilly will provide modern Latin sounds while you hang out on the patio and enjoy tequila, mezcal, margarita, cerveza, and food specials.
(Eastlake, free) - El Chupacabra Alki Cinco de Drinko
The punk-rock cantina El Chupacabra will pour tequila drinks and serve Mexican food with a view of the beach and tunes from DJ Fred Eddison. Their upstairs space will also be open.
(West Seattle, free) - El Chupacabra Phinney Cinco De Mayo
Chill out on the patio with all the tequila and tacos your heart desires.
(Phinney, free) - Zocalo First Annual Cinco De Mayo Party
Take in Luchador wrestlers, feast on taco specials, dance to a live DJ, and test your limits in a jalapeño-eating contest to win free Sounders tickets.
(Pioneer Square, free) - Frelard Tamales + Populuxe Brewing: Cinco de Mayo
Tuck into some tamales from Frelard Tamales and wash them down with beer from Populuxe Brewing, including a special Mexican lager brewed especially for the occasion, while Mariachi Fiesta Mexicana provides the soundtrack. Kids and adults can take a whack at some piñatas that will release showers of Mexican candies.
(Ballard, free) - La Carta de Oaxaca Cinco de Mayo
Make it a boozy brunch with mezcal, tequila, margarita, and cerveza specials to accompany an Oaxacan meal (including grasshoppers).
(Ballard, free) - Mission Cantina Cinco de Mayo
On Cinco de Mayo, you’ll have the option of switching out your normal brunch order for special menu offerings, including bottomless mimosas, an “almost-famous pig roast,” and puerco asado.
(West Seattle, free)MUSIC
- Cinco de Mayo Fiesta con Los Flacos, Amigos Nobles, y Tomas Del Real
Celebrate Cinco de Mayo with this rock party of live sets by Los Flacos, Amigos Nobles, and Tomas Del Real.
(Greenwood, $5 suggested donation) - Cinco de Mayo with Tobias the Owl, SoCharls, Lucas Tayne
Spend Cinco de Mayo with Tobias the Owl, SoCharls, and Seattle singer-songwriter Lucas Tayne, who fits “introspective lyrics” into his punk, folk, and jazz tunes.
(Fremont, $5/$8) - Grunge Tree Presents Cinco de Mayo with Sixtwoseven and More Shade Than Sun
Grunge Tree, who met at a certain Easter Beer Hunt in 2007, will rock out on Cinco de Mayo with Sixtwoseven and More Shade Than Sun.
(Ballard, $8) - Honduh Daze, Dead Obvious, Aromatics, Laser Beam
Join LA punk duo Honduh Daze for Cinco de Mayo jams with Seattle’s Dead Obvious, Aromatics, and Laser Beam.
(Tukwila, $7) - Ora Cinco de Mayo
DJs Remi, jCU3, and Jes Grooves will bring down the house with Latin Top 40, hiphop, mambo, and reggeaton.
(Belltown, free/$10) - Slim’s Last Chance Cinco De May Day 2019
Celebrate both Cinco de Mayo and May Day with live music, giveaways, a photo booth, and a bikini bike wash.
(Georgetown, free) - The Triple Door Cinco de Mayo Celebration
Dance to Latin and Cuban music from La Casita with a margarita, tequila shot, or Corona in hand.
(Downtown, free) - Yen Wor Village Cinco de Mayo Karaoke
Raise money for Bender’s Hope Foundation‚a nonprofit that supports firefighters, paramedics, law enforcement officers, and military vets cope with PTSD and OTSD—by singing karaoke at this Cinco de Mayo party.
(West Seattle, $5/$10)PARTIES
- 15th Annual Cinco De Mayo Block Party
Over-indulge in copious authentic Mexican food and libations with a margarita bar and an outdoor beer garden, and enjoy lucha libre and live music performances throughout the day. The truly masochistic/daring can rise to the challenge of a jalapeño eating contest.
(Green Lake, $10) - Bang Bang Kitchen Cinco De Mayo!
Eat, drink, and play games in support of El Centro de la Raza, who will get all the proceeds from Corona and housemade margarita sales on Cinco de Mayo.
(Rainier Valley, free) - Casa Patron Cinco De Mayo Weekend Celebration
Mariachi music and drink specials will abound all day long.
(Roosevelt, free) - Hard Rock Cafe Cinco De Mayo
Head to this rooftop party Cinco de Mayo merriment. If you don’t have a sombrero or a maraca, the organizers will provide them for you.
(Downtown, free) - Redmond Cinco de Mayo
This family-friendly Cinco de Mayo celebration promises live mariachi music, food trucks, and vendor booths.
(Redmond, free) - Wildrose Cinco de Mayo Fundraiser Fiesta!
Seattle’s oldest and only lesbian bar Wildrose will play host to Loteria (Mexican bingo) and a Fiesta de Baile dance party for Cinco de Mayo, with all proceeds benefiting the Dilley Pro Bono Project, a local partner in the Immigration Justice Campaign.
(Capitol Hill, free) - Xtadium Cinco de Mayo
Here you’ll find drink specials and Latin music with Seattle DJs Luna and Flow.
(Pioneer Square, free)
FRIDAY
FOOD & DRINK
