How to Attend Cinco de Mayo Celebrations in Puebla

If you want to attend the Cinco de Mayo celebrations in Puebla, Mexico, be prepared for noise, large crowds and a huge display of power and colors. The city of Puebla considers the Cinco de Mayo celebrations as the most important ones of the year and both the government and visitors make the most of it with lots of food, music and drinks.

Difficulty: Moderately Easy

Instructions

1. Don't miss the parade. At the center of the Cinco de Mayo celebrations in Puebla, the parade is the most important event to attend, as it showcases not only cultural icons, but also a great display of power, as the Mexican army, complete with tanks, rescue vehicles and music bands take to the streets.

2. Attend early and pay for a chair. If you want a front-row view of the parade and the following shows, head over to Boulevard Cinco de Mayo and buy a ticket for a place along the sidewalk. You will be right at the center of the action, both during and after the parade itself.

3. Try something from each food both set around. After the parade, food is the main attraction during the celebrations of Cinco de Mayo. Enjoy fresh watermelons and orange juice, tacos and chalupas, snow cones and custard and even gelatin or cotton candy. For drinks, stick traditional fruit punch or lemonade for a classic taste of true Mexican cuisine.

4. Make time to enjoy the city after the parade is over. While many shops may be closed as part of the Cinco de Mayo celebrations, you can still stop by the Puebla Cathedral, El Barrio del Artista (an arts and crafts area), their impressive automobile museum and the Amparo Museum.

5. Arrive to the city no later than the Friday prior to the official celebration. Unless you are just stopping by for the day, you may not be able to find accommodations and even transportation into the city if you don't give yourself enough time to plan it all.

Tips & Warnings

• If you don't speak Spanish, give yourself extra time to find places and move around the city. Foreigners are common in Puebla all year round, but you may feel lost and disoriented once large crowds take to the streets on the Cinco de Mayo.
• Many of the tourist attractions in Puebla are religious in nature. Don't let that keep you away from them, though. Most buildings date back to the 15th and 16th century and are worth visiting even if only for their architecture.