The Best Places to Celebrate Cinco de Mayo in St. Louis

This Friday will be Cinco de Mayo, a celebration commemorating the anniversary of Mexico’s victory over the French Empire in 1862. Here in Missour-ah it’s mostly an excuse to eat tacos and drink Corona, so we’ve made a guide to where to find the best street tacos (corn tortillas are key), listen to Ranchera and Banda music, and get those drink specials.

Cinco de Mayo Street Festival
The most anticipated Cinco de Mayo event? Obviously, the Cherokee Street Cinco De Mayo Street Festival on Saturday, May 6, from 11 a.m. to 8 p.m.

All are welcome to take in the sights for free during this annual tradition. But it will be hard not to want to spend a little (or a lot) on the local boutiques and handmade eats. Sopapillas? Conchas? Pastel de Elote? Yes, please.

The festival will run along Cherokee Street from Nebraska to Jefferson avenues and include more than 100 vendors. Cherokee Street is known for its heavy Latin-American influence and wide range of small businesses that includes comic book shops, dispensaries, tech-startups and dance halls.

This year, the festival’s expanding to feature two main stages for the musical acts. Check out the Nebraska Avenue or California Street stage. A highlight will be the Battle de Bandas, held from 3:30 p.m. to 5:00 p.m. on the California Street stage.

In between musical acts, the Lucha Libre wrestling will be on the Iowa Avenue stage. If you want to get in on the action, take a spin on the mechanical bull ride on Ohio Avenue. For the kids, the much beloved People’s Joy parade will be at 1:11 p.m. starting at Michigan Avenue. If you’re looking for heart and soul in your Cinco De Mayo celebration, this is a must stop.
Latin Jazz
On Friday, May 5, head over to Blue Strawberry (364 North Boyle Avenue, 314-256-1745) for Hobo de Mayo: A Latin Jazz Experiment. Javier Mendoza will be performing as Hobo Cane on acoustic guitar. The show starts at 7:30 p.m., and tickets are $20 to $25.

Volleyball at Wave Taco
If you can’t go to a beach in Mexico, Wave Taco (1335 Convention Plaza) can be a good substitute. The baby beach will be open Friday, May 5, starting at 5:30 p.m. Beach volleyball play starts at 7 p.m. Play with some buds and enjoy some tacos and beer.

On Fridays, Wave Taco does a draw. It takes doubles partners and combines them into teams of four or six. Matchups will be based on skill-level, so for the beginner, don’t fret. Each game will switch up the teams and the opponents. The draw is $15 per person and includes one drink ticket.

Deals at Area Restaurants
Check out your local Mexican watering hole for deals and specials. Hacienda Mexican Restaurant (9748 Manchester Road, 314-962-7100) will be offering specials and live music all day on May 5.

Nixta, Olio and AO&Co are teaming up to offer a block party that will include a mariachi band, wood grilled tacos, paletas and popsicles and a hot sauce tasting. The event is May 5 from 4 to 9 p.m. From 4 to 8 p.m. the patios at AO&CO and Olio (1634 Tower Grove Avenue) will be open for drinks and food. Then from 7 to 9 p.m. Nixita (1621 Tower Grove Avenue) opens its patio for music and drinks.

Also on May 5, head over to Padrinos Mexican Restaurant (3143 South Grand Boulevard) from 8 p.m. to midnight and check out C:\TacocaT, a musical journey through the decades from DJ CMount. There will also be a full menu and drinks and mocktails.

Cinco de Drinko Bar Crawl
For the over 21+ crowd, we would recommend gathering your amigos for the Cinco De Mayo Bar Crawl in The Grove. Starting at Open Concept or Taha'a Twisted Tiki. The bar crawl includes drink specials, a costume contest and DJs at select venues. If you click here, you can purchase a ticket. The crawl is 4 to 8 p.m. on Friday, May 5.

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