- Roseland Cinco de Mayo Festival
- Sebastopol Rd, Santa Rosa, CA 95407
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Cinco de Mayo marks Mexico’s against-all-odds victory over the French army at the Battle of Puebla on May 5, 1862. The conflict between the two countries had begun in 1861, after Benito Juárez, then the president of Mexico, suspended the nation’s foreign debt payments, and Napoleon III responded by sending French troops to invade. The victory in Puebla galvanized the Mexican forces but turned out to be short-lived, and France later occupied the country, installing Maximilian I as emperor. Not until 1867 did the new Mexican Republic finally expel the French, execute Maximilian I and regain control of the country.
Cinco de Mayo is not Mexican Independence Day, a popular misconception. While it is a relatively minor holiday in Mexico, in the United States, Cinco de Mayo has evolved into a commemoration of Mexican culture and heritage, particularly in areas with large Mexican-American populations.
When the first organized Roseland Cinco de Mayo event was held in 2006, it replaced several years of negative confrontations between local law enforcement and spontaneous Cinco de Mayo revelers. Since then, the success of Roseland Cinco de Mayo has helped bolster the idea that the urban eye-sore at Sebastopol Road and West Avenue can be transformed into a thriving neighborhood center.
Today with more than 50,000 attendees under its belt, the Cinco de Mayo festival is an example of how the Roseland community has come together to deliver a non-alcoholic, family-friendly atmosphere that continues to attract wider attention throughout the county and state.
The one-day festival features local entertainment, fun for the kids, informational booths, plenty of food choices, crowning the “Reina del Cinco de Mayo”, Rosie the Trolley shuttling guests to and from the Cinco de Mayo event, and an awesome low-rider car show.
Caroline Banuelos
So. Co. Latino Democratic Club
Linda Lemus
Christensen Accounting
Sylvia Lemus
County of Sonoma
Rene Meza
Redwood Credit Union
Ron Quintana
TCAT Investigations
Danielle Garduno
City of Santa Rosa
Christine Vasquez
Website
Ana Topete
Entertainment Coordinator
Idalia Topete
Vendor Coordinator/ Social Media
Iliana Valenzuela
Vendor Coordinator/ Website Support
Ana Diaz-Garcia
Volunteer Coordinator
Jibranh Ortega Arana
Volunteer Coordinator
Thalia Hernandez
Reina Contest Coordinator
Sally Lopez
Sonoma County Hardship Fund