Cinco de Mayo in Portland, Oregon
Holiday celebrations in the United States
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
The holiday Cinco de Mayo is celebrated annually in the American city of Portland, Oregon. Annual events include the Portland Cinco de Mayo Fiesta at Tom McCall Waterfront Park.
Events and activities
The annual festival Portland Cinco de Mayo Fiesta was established almost four decades ago.[1][2] Described as the city's largest celebration of Mexican culture[3][4] and Oregon's largest "multicultural celebration",[5][6][7] the event is hosted by the Portland Guadalajara Sister City Association and features a carnival with amusement rides, mariachi, and food vendors.[8][9] Historically, the event has attracted between 30,000 to 60,000 people; 53,000 people attended the festival in 2023, following a three-year hiatus because of the COVID-19 pandemic.[10][11] Performers for the 2024 event included Mariachi Ciudad de Guadalajara, Oregon-based Ballet Folklorico, and multiple bands.[12][13] In 2025,[14] the festival's public naturalization ceremony was canceled because of budget cuts.[5] The event featured lucha libre wrestlers.[15] Five days of activities are slated for the 2026 event at Tom McCall Waterfront Park.[16][17]
In 2012, Northwest Children's Theater presented a bilingual world premiere adaptation of El Zorrito: The Legend of the Boy Zorro around the holiday. The musical play had multiple references to Cinco de Mayo.[18] The Cinco de Mayo Run/Walk in 2017 featured live music and a post-event party.[19] In 2019, the now-defunct bar and restaurant Dig a Pony hosted a holiday celebration with Spanish music, empanadas, and margaritas, and Harvey's held a Cinco de Mayo comedy show.[20] In 2025, The Oregonian described Joshua Josué's music tribute "Chicano de Mayo" at the Mission Theater and Pub "a way to differentiate from traditional Cinco de Mayo celebrations in the U.S."[21]
Food
Many of the city's restaurants, especially those serving Mexican cuisine, have offered specials for the holiday, including El Gallo Taqueria, Güero, Nuestra Cocina, Tamale Boy, and Xico. River Pig Saloon had hosted pig racing for Cinco de Mayo annually.[22] In 2015, Doug Adams and Vitaly Paley collaborated with a Top Chef contestant for a Cinco de Mayo dinner at Imperial.[23] In 2025, a local Tipsy Scoop location served tequila-infused flights and "Piñata Colada" sundaes for the holiday.[24]
