How to Attend a Mercado for Cinco De Mayo

Cinco de Mayo celebrations vary from city to town to country, but the good ones will feature a mercado, or market. This can range from artisans selling traditional Mexican goods, to a Mexican-flavored farmers market, to a complete outdoor market selling everything from flip-flops to cell phones, as in the Cinco de Mayo mercado in Mexico City. To attend a more traditional mercado, head for those that advertise a mercado specifically.

Difficulty: Easy

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• Schedule and map of the Cinco de Mayo fiesta you plan to attend
• Understanding of basic Spanish, if you plan to attend a mercado in Mexico
• Backpack for carrying purchases

1. Choose a Cinco de Mayo festival to attend. The major U.S. fiestas happen in Los Angeles, San Diego, Phoenix, Denver, Dallas and San Antonio. Interestingly, in Mexico, the holiday is only celebrated fully in Puebla, where the original battle that marks the day took place in 1862.

2. Double-check your dates. While most cities celebrate the Cinco de Mayo on May 5 or (if it's a weekday) the following Saturday, Los Angeles celebrates annually on the last Sunday of April.

3. Plan your trip to the particular mercado wisely. If you plan to drive, parking too close might cause headaches on the way out. If you plan to drink, driving is out.

4. Make sure you see everything at the mercado before you decide to buy anything. Mercados typically have a variety of hand-made crafts and other goods, but more than likely you'll find something that really catches your eye after shopping a while.

5. Ask if the prices are firm, particularly on arts and crafts. If you don't see prices, the merchant may be ready to bargain with you. The more authentic the mercado, the more likely the merchant is to barter.

Tips & Warnings

• If you think you'll be purchasing goods, whether food or art, bring along an empty backpack to make the rest of your day more comfortable.
• Cinco de Mayo mercados are not necessarily the best places to buy certain Mexican goods, as prices may be marked up for the holiday. If you see something you know is a commodity and easy to find, resist the urge to buy it on Cinco de Mayo, unless the price is particularly good.