|
Roscoe sets Cinco de Mayo celebration |
|
Written by Kimberly Gray
|
|
Wednesday, 30 April 2008 |
Roscoe will host its annual Cinco de Mayo celebration on Saturday, May 3 beginning with a parade at 10:30 a.m. Those who wish to participate in the parade should begin lining up at 10 a.m. near UAP.
The parade route will head west down Broadway and finish up at the community center where activities will be held throughout the day.
Armando Renteria, a Sweetwater police officer and longtime Roscoe youth baseball coach, will serve as the parade’s grand marshal.
Miss Snakecharmer Sarah Rees is planning to take part in the parade, as well as the Boy Scouts, Highland cheerleaders, American Heritage Girls and Roscoe’s Blackland Divide baseball league. The newly crowned Cinco de Mayo queen, Blanca Leanos, will also be in the parade. Those with horses and bike riders are welcome to ride in the parade as well.
Cinco de Mayo event organizer Aida Pantoja also said there will be candy thrown at the parade, thanks to donations from Fuller Foods of Colorado City. Following the parade, activities will be held at the community center throughout the day including food booths and live music.
Pantoja said she was happy to announce that a well-known Snyder dance group will be performing at the community center. This group performs Mexican dances and will also have a float in the parade. Pantoja will also perform a Mexican dance.
Also at the community center will be piñatas for the kids during the day.
The band Aguayo y Sus Man-antiales will perform from 6-10 p.m. and will also host a dance open to the public at that time. There is no charge for this performance or dance.
Cinco de Mayo is a Mexican holiday celebrated mostly in the Mexican city of Puebla and in American communities with large Mexican populations, ac-cording to mexonline.com. The holiday is held in honor of the Mexican victory over France in the battle at Puebla in 1862.
This battle happened after France had sent Archduke Maximilian of Austria, a relative of Napoleon III, to rule over Mexico since Mexico had not repaid its debt owed to France. France intended to take over Mexico with that debt as the reason.
The Web site states that a Mexican army led by General Ignacio Zaragoza Seguin was victorious over a larger French army — 6,500 to Mexico’s 4,500. The site also says that this victory helped bring to Mexico a sense of national unity.
However, the victory was short-lived since France came back with 30,000 more troops, invaded Mexico City, and took over Mexico from 1864 to 1867.
Once the American Civil War was over, the U.S. government provided more political and military assistance to Mexico, according to the site, and helped rid Mexico of French rule.
The Mexicans then executed Maximilian.
Although there were losses and victories following the victory on May 5, 1862, Cinco de Mayo (5th of May) is celebrated because of the bravery of General Zaragoza and his outnumbered militia.
|
|
Last Updated ( Friday, 02 May 2008 )
|
