Centro holds annual Cinco de Mayo Luncheon

Centro Cultural Hispano de San Marcos is continuing the annual tradition of hosting the Cinco de Mayo Luncheon this Friday at the historic Cuauhtemoc Hall.

The San Marcos Hispanic Chamber of Commerce started the Cinco de Mayo luncheon almost a decade ago, but Centro Cultural Hispano de San Marcos picked up the event after the Hispanic Chamber of Commerce disbanded several years later, according to Centro Program Coordinator Gloria Salazar.

“We just felt that it was really important to continue what was a really successful event for the Hispanic Chamber of Commerce and it has also been a really successful event for us as well,” Salazar said.

Last year, Salazar said they were afraid the event would be rained out because of torrential downpours, something that threatens this year's event as well, but they ended up having a full house, with even U.S. Rep. Lloyd Doggett (D-Austin) making his regular appearance at the event. And they plan on having a full house again this year.

This year attendees will be treated to a fajita lunch catered by Taquiera La Fonda. They will also receive a take-home margarita glass or "Come Cinco with Me" T-shirt along with entertainment and a silent auction with loads of donated items from local businesses and organizations. There will also be a raffle drawing for $2,000 travel voucher to wherever the winner would like to go. Tickets are still available for the 2019 Travel Raffle and are $10 per ticket. Centro’s new Executive Director Dr. Ricardo Espinoza will be speaking to the public for the first time at the event. 

At the luncheon, attendees will enjoy entertainment provided by the San Marcos High School Salsa Band, San Marcos High School’s Mariachi Nuevo Cascabel and Doris Miller School folklorico dancers.

In addition to the food and festivities, a silent auction will be held. Last year's auction featured items like handmade jewelry.

Salazar said Cinco de Mayo has become a uniquely Mexican-American celebration, one that Centro likes to uphold. 

“The funny thing about Cinco de Mayo is that it is a holiday mostly celebrated in the United States, more so than it is in Mexico,” Salazar said. “It’s a minor holiday in Mexico.”

The reason behind that, according to Salazar,  is that on May 5, 1862, a Mexican army defeated the better-equipped hosts of the Second French Empire at the Battle of Puebla. General Ignacio Zaragoza, born in the early Mexican Texas village of Bahía del Espíritu Santo, now Goliad, Texas, fought France’s army while being both out-manned and out-gunned. Zaragoza's forces beat back repeated French assaults upon the Mexican positions at Forts Loreto and Guadalupe and the French were forced to retreat to Orizaba.

The battle didn’t decide the war, however, because the French returned to capture Puebla and Mexico City in 1863 and controlled Mexico until 1867 – when Mexican troops overthrew their government and returned to being an independent republic. But over time, the Battle of Puebla grew in national significance. It strengthened the morale of the Mexican Army and became the rallying cry of resistance to foreign dominance. 

The victory in Puebla also went on to prevent the French from aiding the Confederacy during the U.S. Civil War, something the Hays County Commissioners Court acknowledged in a proclamation Tuesday morning. So what began as a celebration of the French defeat at Pueblo, became for many Mexican-Americans a symbol of Mexican culture, resilience and character.

The Cinco de Mayo Luncheon is sponsored by Centro Cultural Hispano de San Marcos and Sociedad Cuauhtemoc. All proceeds from the event go back to Centro Cultural for costs of operating, programs and events.

The luncheon will run from 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. on Friday at Cuauhtemoc Hall, 1100 Patton St. Individual tickets are $15; a table for eight is $150 and event sponsorships range between $250 and $500. Tickets and sponsorships can be purchased before the event by contacting Centro Cultural Hispano at 512-878-0640 or centro@sanmarcoscentro.org.