At absolutely no point over the next 72 hours or so should you have to ask the question, ¿Dónde está la partido este fin de semana? (or "Where is the party this weekend?" for you monolinguists). ¿Por qué? Because there are going to be an exhaustive amount of celebrations occurring in honor of Cinco de Mayo, that's why. (Heck, our annual drinking and party guide is filled with dozens upon dozens of these same events found across the Valley.)
But if you're in the mood for something more than just the same old cervezas -- like maybe a chaser of cultura to go with your Corona -- here's seven must-see Cinco celebrations to consider.
See Also: - Cinco De Mayo 2013 Party Guide - 13 Metro Phoenix Restaurants and Bars with Cinco de Mayo Celebrations
Crescent Ballroom DJ Seduce is planning to loading up the sound system at the Crescent with a surfeit of sweet Latin sounds during his Cinco de Mayo spin session at the venue starting at 8 p.m. on Sunday, May 5. Bartenders will be equally busy serving $3 Mexican beers, sangria, and tequila all night long beginning at 6 p.m. Admission to the event is free.
Cinco de Mayo Phoenix Festival This annual two-day block party in downtown Phoenix marks its 20th anniversary this year and is planning a ginormous fiesta celebrating of the occasion, as well as the Cinco de Mayo holiday itself. Plenty of live entertainment will take place -- including a performance by Chicano rock act Ozomatli on Saturday, May 4, and sets by The Latin Breed and Texas Tornados on Sunday, May 5 -- as well as mariachi groups, traditional musicians, and folklorico dancers. Hours are 2 p.m. to midnight on Saturday; noon to 10 p.m. on Sunday, May 5. Admission is $5 for adults, and free for kids 12 and younger.
Dos Gringos The Scottsdale day-drinking crowd will likely turn out in droves for the bar's "Cinco de Mayo Block Banger" on Sunday, May 5, as the event will offer a potent mix of bands, bars, and booze in the early afternoon. Portions of Craftsman Court will be cordoned off for the event and its enormous stage featuring music from Rome Ramirez (of Sublime with Rome fame) and a slew of local bands. The event also benefits PeppedUp!, a local cancer charity. Gates open at 1 p.m. Admission is $8.
El Hefe Sundays are normally a big day for partying at this Saddlebag Trail spot and Cinco De Mayo weekend will certainly be no exception to that rule. In fact, El Hefe's proprietors will be getting an even earlier start to the weekly rager on Sunday, May 5, as they're kicking things off in the mid-morning and will keep the party running long into the night. And array of local club DJs will drop Top 40 and EDM hits for hours on end and keep asses moving throughout the place. Doors open at 10 a.m. Admission is free.
Sky Lounge Latin dance hits and banda sinaloense will flow through both floors of Sky Lounge during its Cinco de Mayo festivities on Sunday, May 5. DJ Clavo and DJ Daffy will perform, models and vaqueritas will be in attendance, and Tio Gio will host. Drink specials include $2 Coronas, $3 margaritas, and $5 tequila. Doors open at 9 p.m. Cover is $10 (with ladies free before 11 p.m.)
Macayo's Depot Cantina Three straight days of Cinco De Mayo revelry kicks off this evening at the Tempe spot, which will also include a huge celebration of art.
Later tonight, a total of 20 local artists are expected to turn out for the "Paint & Patron" event and have a chance of scoring up cash prizes for their work. Live painting sessions will be conducted on the premesis and the best one earns its creator $250. A separate $250 will also be awarded to the artist with the best existing piece on display as determined by those in attendance. Every patron gets a free chit to cast in favor of the paintings they dig. (additional ones are available for $1 each). The party starts at 7 p.m. and the voting runs from 9:30-10:30 p.m.
Meanwhile, day-long lineups of live entertainment and music takes place starting at 10 a.m. on both Saturday, May 4, and Sunday, May 5. Drink specials like $7 Patron shots and margaritas, $5.99 beer-titas, and $2 Dos Equis will be offered throughout the weekend. Admission is free.
Fat Tuesday A few blocks away, Fat Tuesday and Canteen will team up Sunday, May 5, for a gigantic "Cinco De Drinko" block party encompassing both establishments and a good chunk of Sixth Street. Seven different selectors (including DJ Snowden and DJ Mr. Eaton) will spin throughout the day and an equal number of bars will be setup for patrons to purchase libations like $2 Corona and $4 Agave Underground margaritas until 6 p.m. A beanbag toss tournament starts at 2 p.m. and will offer a $1,000 grand prize, which should give you plenty of drinking money. Gates open at 11 a.m. Admission is free.
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