Plans in place for Cinco de Mayo

The Greater Caldwell County Hispanic Chamber of Commerce has announced the schedule for the annual celebration of Cinco de Mayo, coming to the Caldwell County Courthouse Square this weekend.
The event, one of the capstone events for the Greater Caldwell County Hispanic Chamber of Commerce, promises two days of music, food and fun for the whole family.
Gates for Cinco de Mayo

will open at 6 p.m. on Friday, with music initially provided by JG Sounds. Grammy Award winner Chente Barrera is slated to take the stage at 7:15 p.m., with Los Hermanos Farias headlining from 10:30 p.m. – midnight.
While music provides the backdrop, dozens of local vendors will provide food and shopping opportunities around the Square.
Saturday promises a full day of activity, beginning with the Cinco de Mayo 5K run in historic downtown Lockhart beginning at 8 a.m. Registration for the run is still available, and all proceeds from the run will help support the GCCHCC’s Education Fund. To register for the race, contact Rene Rayos at (512) 293-2653 or renerayos@yahoo.com, Lisa Avalos at (512) 995-0210 or lisamavalos94@gmail.com or the Hispanic Chamber office at (512) 398-9600.
After you get in your morning run, return to the Square at noon, when gates and booths open for the second full day of Cinco de Mayo celebration.
Ortiz Soundz will provide musical background throughout the day, and special musical and performance appearances are slated from the Tiara Girls, a “Tejano Idol” finalist, and Cierra Zapata.
Ruiz and Co. Dance Studio is slated for a performance from 6 – 7 p.m., and Eddie Gonzales, the Dancing Cowboy, will take the stage from 8:30 – 11:30 p.m.
A largely Mexican-American celebration, Cinco de Mayo celebrates an early victory in Mexico’s struggle for independence at the battle of Puebla. Celebrated mostly in the United States, Cinco de Mayo is observed in the Mexican state of Puebla, but is generally not considered to be a “national holiday.”
The importance of Cinco de Mayo, however, is established as a result of the victory itself, where a small contingent of Mexican soldiers defeated a well-heeled French army that outnumbered them considerably. The 1862 victory came under the leadership of General Ignacio Zaragoza Seguin.