Break out the salsa, guac, and tequila…Cinco de Mayo is here! Rich in historical importance, Cinco de Mayo is a celebration of Mexico’s victory over the French Empire in the Battle of Puebla 1862. Though not a national holiday in Mexico, this day is now celebrated with historical reenactments, parades, and food to commemorate the battle. Here in the States, we celebrate a little differently, instead focusing on the celebration of Mexican-American culture by way of food, booze, and music. There are lots of local places in town featuring Cinco de Mayo festivities, however, if you’re looking to host the perfect fiesta this Saturday, we’ve got you covered for all your hosting needs.
Decor
I am all about themed parties and decorating for them. That said, I don’t always like to take a theme so literal. I love inspired by themes or understated decor that doesn’t always scream THEME! These are some of my favorite ideas that I’ve stumbled upon. Did you throw a fiesta last year? Drop us some pictures in the comments, we love to see everyones ideas!
Drinks
No Cinco de Mayo celebration is complete without margaritas. And while I am not a huge tequila fan (correction, I only drink tequila in margaritas), tequila is a MUST for a stellar margarita!
Margarita bars can make hosting the drinks simple and easy to maintain, and it allows your guests to make their own creative concoctions to celebrate the day.
If you’re looking to get a little adventurous with your margarita flavors I created 5 different flavor combinations for Clabber Girl a couple years ago, full recipes can be found here.
Food
Food is ESSENTIAL to a Cinco de Mayo party. The décor is great, the drinks are amazing, but let’s be honest. Cinco de Mayo is ALL ABOUT THE FOOD! I know I’m always pushing different themed “bars” at you (margarita bar, mimosa bar, bloody mary bar…you get the picture) But honestly for hosting purposes, it’s really the easiest and gives you a great opportunity to showcase a themed food table.
There are a couple of different directions that you can go with this one.
Nacho Bar
Taco Bar
Tostadas Bar
Remember Bakersfield? I’m telling you tostadas are the new IT food item to replace nachos & tacos. You have to try them out at least once! Whichever the direction you decide to go, here are a few of the essentials…
Salsa.
I’m a Pico de Gallo gal myself, but no matter if you have a go to brand or you like making the stuff yourself. You’ve got to be sure to have this on hand and plenty of it.
Guacamole.
Here’s where I’m gonna say skip the store and make it from scratch. It’s easy to make and extremely fresh and satisfying. Last time we hosted a nacho bar, I recruited fellow Scenic Router, Melissa and had her dice up some avocado and make up the guac. We kept it simple with kosher salt, garlic, and lime juice and it was a hit! You want to be sure to make this as close to when your serving as possible. Avocados begin to oxidize when exposed to air and will turn an off putting brown color. If you are making it a few hours in advance, take a piece of plastic wrap and press it firmly on top of your guac in the bowl, covering the guac completely. Take another piece of plastic wrap and cover the top of the bowl securely. This acts as a double barrier to air reaching your tasty guac!
Cheese.
There’s taco blend, Mexican blend, cheddar, pepperjack, queso fresco. The varieties you can go with are endless. If your going the tostada route, I’d stick with queso fresco. However, if your planning for a crowd, queso fresco can get pricey so go with a cheddar or bagged cheese blend you prefer.
Protein.
Most people stick with seasoned ground beef, but don’t feel like your confined to only that option. I like mixing it up with different proteins…shredded chicken, flank steak, pulled pork. I’ve even gone with grilled shrimp or a roasted white fish when doing tacos for a smaller crowd. Try to serve two options, but go with what is manageable for you!
If you don’t feel like hosting, don’t despair…there are plenty of Cinco de Mayo celebrations going on in the area. Sonkas and Watertower Estates Winery are just a few places having a party, for a full list of all the festivities, head on over to our event page and check them out!
