Cinco de Mayo returns to square

It will be a party in downtown Lockhart this weekend as the Greater Caldwell County Hispanic Chamber of Commerce’s Cinco de Mayo celebration returns following a 1-year COVID-19-imposed hiatus.
Count Chamber President Rob Ortiz among the many who’s glad to see the annual event make a triumphant comeback after a dismal 2020.
“We’re really excited to bring back the celebration and really excited about the artists that will be performing,” Ortiz said. “This is one of the only true Cinco de Mayo celebrations we have in Central Texas, and there is no charge to enjoy it, thanks to the generosity of the businesses that help us put it on.
“We’re excited both about this event and about making 2021 a better year.”
Musical headliners this year include a pair of well-known Tejano acts: The Hometown Boys on Friday night, and Jay Perez and The Band on Saturday night.
“We wanted to go back to the ‘90s, so we brought in some Tejano legends,” Ortiz said. “We’ve had really good buzz on Facebook and the feedback has been very positive.”
The Hometown Boys take the stage Friday night at 10, and Jay Perez and The Band go on stage at 10 p.m. Saturday.
New this year: a cornhole tournament (also known as bean bag toss in some circles) and a jalapeno-eating contest that’s sure to elicit both laughter and heartburn.
The jalapeno-eating contest will take place from 1-2 p.m. Saturday in the square, and the cornhole tournament (organized by Aloha Home and Commercial) will be situated on the south side of the courthouse.
“It’s a family friendly activity, and we wanted to come up with something to take the place of the carnival,” Ortiz said.
And, of course, the 5K/10K will return once more on Saturday morning.
“It’s not virtual this year — we’ll have actual people running in person,” Ortiz said. “All proceeds from the race go to the GCCHCC’s education fund, which provides scholarships for graduating seniors not only from Lockhart ISD, but Luling ISD and Prairie Lea ISD as well.”
For a full schedule of events, see the ad on page 10A of this week’s Post-Register or visit the Greater Caldwell County Hispanic Chamber of Commerce’s Facebook page.